outline-offset 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 2017.

The outline-offset CSS property sets the amount of space between an outline and the edge or border of an element.

Try it

outline-offset: 4px;
outline-offset: 0.6rem;
outline-offset: 12px;
outline: 5px dashed blue;
<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    This is a box with an outline around it.
  </div>
</section>
#example-element {
  border: 2px solid crimson;
  outline: 0.75em solid;
  padding: 0.75em;
  width: 80%;
  height: 100px;
}

Syntax

css
/* <length> values */
outline-offset: 3px;
outline-offset: 0.2em;

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

Values

<length>

The width of the space between the element and its outline. A negative value places the outline inside the element. A value of 0 places the outline so that there is no space between it and the element.

Description

An outline is a line that is drawn around an element, outside the border edge. The space between an element and its outline is transparent. In other words, it is the same as the parent element's background.

Formal definition

Initial value0
Applies toall elements
Inheritedno
Computed valueas specified, but with relative lengths converted into absolute lengths
Animation typea length

Formal syntax

outline-offset = 
<length>

Examples

Setting outline offset in pixels

HTML

html
<p>Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.</p>

CSS

css
p {
  outline: 1px dashed red;
  outline-offset: 10px;
  background: yellow;
  border: 1px solid blue;
  margin: 15px;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 4
# outline-offset

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
outline-offset
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 1 (Release date: 2008-12-11)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 15 (Release date: 2017-04-05)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 1.5 (Release date: 2005-11-29)
footnote
footnote Before Firefox 88, an outline does not follow the shape of border-radius.
Opera – Full support
Opera 9.5 (Release date: 2008-06-12)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 1.2 (Release date: 2004-02-02)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 18 (Release date: 2012-06-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 4 (Release date: 2011-03-29)
footnote
footnote Before Firefox for Android 88, an outline does not follow the shape of border-radius.
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 14 (Release date: 2013-05-21)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1 (Release date: 2013-04-27)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 37 (Release date: 2014-09-03)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support

Legend

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

Full support
Full support
See implementation notes.

See also