padding

The padding CSS property sets the padding area on all four sides of an element. It is a shorthand that sets all individual paddings at once: padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, and padding-left.

/* Apply to all four sides */
padding: 1em;
/* vertical | horizontal */
padding: 5% 10%;
/* top | horizontal | bottom */
padding: 1em 2em 2em;
/* top | right | bottom | left */
padding: 2px 1em 0 1em;
/* Global values */
padding: inherit;
padding: initial;
padding: unset;

Syntax

The padding property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values. Each value is a <length> or a <percentage>.

• When one value is specified, it applies the same padding to all four sides.
• When two values are specified, the first padding applies to the top and bottom, the second to the left and right.
• When three values are specified, the first padding applies to the top, the second to the left and right, the third to the bottom.
• When four values are specified, the paddings apply to the top, right, bottom, and left in that order (clockwise).

Values

<length>

The size of the padding as a fixed value. Must be nonnegative.

<percentage>

The size of the padding as a percentage, relative to the width of the containing block. Must be nonnegative.

Formal syntax

[ <length> | <percentage> ]{1,4}

Examples

Simple example

HTML

<h4>This element has moderate padding.</h4>
<h3>The padding is huge in this element!</h3>

CSS

h4 {
  background-color: lime;
  padding: 20px 50px;
}
h3 {
  background-color: cyan;
  padding: 110px 50px 50px 110px;
}

More examples

padding: 5%;                /* all sides: 5% padding */
padding: 10px;              /* all sides: 10px padding */
padding: 10px 20px;         /* top and bottom: 10px padding */
                            /* left and right: 20px padding */
padding: 10px 3% 20px;      /* top:            10px padding */
                            /* left and right: 3% padding   */
                            /* bottom:         20px padding */
padding: 1em 3px 30px 5px;  /* top:    1em padding  */
                            /* right:  3px padding  */
                            /* bottom: 30px padding */
                            /* left:   5px padding  */ 

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• CSS Box Model
• The padding shorthand property can be used to set paddings on all four sides of an element with a single declaration: padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, and padding-left.