inset 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 April 2021.

* Some parts of this feature may have varying levels of support.

The inset CSS property is a shorthand that corresponds to the top, right, bottom, and/or left properties. It has the same multi-value syntax of the margin shorthand.

This inset properties, including inset, have no effect on non-positioned elements.

Try it

inset: 1em;
inset: 5% 0;
inset: 2em 50px 20px;
inset: 10px 30% 20px 0;
inset: 0;
<section id="default-example">
  <div class="example-container">
    <div id="example-element">I am absolutely positioned.</div>
    <p>
      As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the
      face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus,
      forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn
      Hill.
    </p>
  </div>
</section>
.example-container {
  border: 0.75em solid #ad1457;
  padding: 0.75em;
  text-align: left;
  position: relative;
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 200px;
}

#example-element {
  background-color: #07136c;
  border: 6px solid #ffa000;
  color: white;
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
}

While part of the CSS logical properties and values module, it does not define logical offsets. It defines physical offsets, regardless of the element's writing mode, directionality, and text orientation.

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

Syntax

css
/* <length> values */
inset: 10px; /* value applied to all edges */
inset: 4px 8px; /* top/bottom left/right */
inset: 5px 15px 10px; /* top left/right bottom */
inset: 2.4em 3em 3em 3em; /* top right bottom left */
inset: calc(anchor(50%) + 10px) anchor(self-start) auto auto;
inset: anchor-size(block) calc(anchor(50%) + 10px) auto
  calc(anchor-size(width) / 4);

/* <percentage>s of the width (left/right) or height (top/bottom) of the containing block */
inset: 10% 5% 5% 5%;

/* Keyword value */
inset: auto;

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

Values

The inset property takes the same values as the top property.

Formal definition

Initial valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
Applies topositioned elements
Inheritedno
Percentagesrelative to the containing block's size in the corresponding axis (e.g. width for left or right, height for top or bottom)
Computed valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
  • top: if specified as a length, the corresponding absolute length; if specified as a percentage, the specified value; otherwise, auto
  • bottom: if specified as a length, the corresponding absolute length; if specified as a percentage, the specified value; otherwise, auto
  • left: if specified as a length, the corresponding absolute length; if specified as a percentage, the specified value; otherwise, auto
  • right: if specified as a length, the corresponding absolute length; if specified as a percentage, the specified value; otherwise, auto
Animation typea length, percentage or calc();

Formal syntax

inset = 
<'top'>{1,4}

<top> =
auto |
<length-percentage> |
<anchor()> |
<anchor-size()>

<length-percentage> =
<length> |
<percentage>

<anchor()> =
anchor( <anchor-name>? &&
<anchor-side> , <length-percentage>? )

<anchor-size()> =
anchor-size( [ <anchor-name> || <anchor-size> ]? , <length-percentage>? )

<anchor-name> =
<dashed-ident>

<anchor-side> =
inside |
outside |
top |
left |
right |
bottom |
start |
end |
self-start |
self-end |
<percentage> |
center

<anchor-size> =
width |
height |
block |
inline |
self-block |
self-inline

Examples

Setting offsets for an element

HTML

html
<div>
  <span class="exampleText">Example text</span>
</div>

CSS

css
div {
  background-color: yellow;
  width: 150px;
  height: 120px;
  position: relative;
}

.exampleText {
  writing-mode: sideways-rl;
  position: absolute;
  inset: 20px 40px 30px 10px;
  background-color: #c8c800;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Logical Properties and Values Module Level 1
# propdef-inset
CSS Positioned Layout Module Level 3
# propdef-inset

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
inset
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 87 (Release date: 2020-11-19)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 66 (Release date: 2019-03-19)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 73 (Release date: 2020-12-09)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 14.1 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 66 (Release date: 2019-03-19)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 62 (Release date: 2021-02-16)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 14.5 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 14 (Release date: 2021-04-17)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 14.5 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support
anchor()
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 125 (Release date: 2024-05-14)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 125 (Release date: 2024-05-17)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 147 (Release date: 2026-01-13)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 111 (Release date: 2024-06-12)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 125 (Release date: 2024-05-14)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 147 (Release date: 2026-01-13)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 83 (Release date: 2024-06-25)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 27 (Release date: 2024-11-06)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 125 (Release date: 2024-05-14)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
anchor-size()
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 132 (Release date: 2025-01-14)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 132 (Release date: 2025-01-17)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 147 (Release date: 2026-01-13)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 117 (Release date: 2025-02-13)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 132 (Release date: 2025-01-14)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 147 (Release date: 2026-01-13)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 87 (Release date: 2025-01-22)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 29 (Release date: 2025-10-25)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 132 (Release date: 2025-01-14)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 26 (Release date: 2025-09-15)
footnote Full support
auto
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 87 (Release date: 2020-11-19)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 66 (Release date: 2019-03-19)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 73 (Release date: 2020-12-09)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 14.1 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 66 (Release date: 2019-03-19)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 62 (Release date: 2021-02-16)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 14.5 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 14 (Release date: 2021-04-17)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 87 (Release date: 2020-11-17)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 14.5 (Release date: 2021-04-26)
footnote Full support

Legend

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

Full support
Full support

See also