flex-flow CSS property

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since September 2015.

The flex-flow CSS shorthand property specifies the direction of a flex container, as well as its wrapping behavior.

Try it

flex-flow: row wrap;
flex-flow: row-reverse nowrap;
flex-flow: column wrap-reverse;
flex-flow: column wrap;
<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    <div>Item One</div>
    <div>Item Two</div>
    <div>Item Three</div>
    <div>Item Four</div>
    <div>Item Five</div>
    <div>Item Six</div>
  </div>
</section>
#example-element {
  border: 1px solid #c5c5c5;
  width: 80%;
  max-height: 300px;
  display: flex;
}

#example-element > div {
  background-color: rgb(0 0 255 / 0.2);
  border: 3px solid blue;
  width: 60px;
  margin: 10px;
}

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

Syntax

css
/* flex-flow: <'flex-direction'> */
flex-flow: row;
flex-flow: row-reverse;
flex-flow: column;
flex-flow: column-reverse;

/* flex-flow: <'flex-wrap'> */
flex-flow: nowrap;
flex-flow: wrap;
flex-flow: wrap-reverse;

/* flex-flow: <'flex-direction'> and <'flex-wrap'> */
flex-flow: row nowrap;
flex-flow: column wrap;
flex-flow: column-reverse wrap-reverse;

/* Global values */
flex-flow: inherit;
flex-flow: initial;
flex-flow: revert;
flex-flow: revert-layer;
flex-flow: unset;

Values

See flex-direction and flex-wrap for details on the values.

Formal definition

Initial valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
Applies toflex containers
Inheritedno
Computed valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
Animation typeas each of the properties of the shorthand:

Formal syntax

flex-flow = 
<'flex-direction'> ||
<'flex-wrap'>

<flex-direction> =
row |
row-reverse |
column |
column-reverse

<flex-wrap> =
nowrap |
wrap |
wrap-reverse

Examples

Setting column-reverse and wrap

In this example, the main-axis is the block direction with a reversed main-start and main-end. The flex items are allowed to wrap, creating new lines if needed.

css
.container {
  flex-flow: column-reverse wrap;
}

Specifications

Specification
CSS Flexible Box Layout Module Level 1
# flex-flow-property

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
flex-flow
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 29 (Release date: 2013-08-20)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 49 (Release date: 2016-09-20)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Opera – Full support
Opera 12.1 (Release date: 2012-11-20)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Safari – Full support
Safari 9 (Release date: 2015-09-30)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 29 (Release date: 2013-08-21)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 49 (Release date: 2016-09-20)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 12.1 (Release date: 2012-10-09)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 9 (Release date: 2015-09-16)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 2 (Release date: 2014-10-17)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
prefix
prefix Implemented with the vendor prefix: -webkit-
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 9 (Release date: 2015-09-16)
footnote Full support
column
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
column-reverse
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
nowrap
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
row
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
row-reverse
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
wrap
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
wrap-reverse
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 21 (Release date: 2012-07-31)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 15 (Release date: 2013-07-02)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 7 (Release date: 2013-10-22)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 25 (Release date: 2013-02-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 28 (Release date: 2014-03-18)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1.5 (Release date: 2013-09-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 7 (Release date: 2013-09-18)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support
Requires a vendor prefix or different name for use.
Has more compatibility info.

See also