`padding-left` 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 July 2015.

See full compatibility

The padding-left CSS property sets the width of the padding area to the left of an element.

Try it

padding-left: 1.5em;

padding-left: 10%;

padding-left: 20px;

padding-left: 1ch;

padding-left: 0;

<section id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    <div class="box">
      Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the
      western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun.
    </div>
  </div>
</section>

#example-element {
  border: 10px solid #ffc129;
  overflow: hidden;
  text-align: left;
}

.box {
  border: dashed 1px;
}

An element's padding area is the space between its content and its border.

Note: The padding property can be used to set paddings on all four sides of an element with a single declaration.

Syntax

css

/* <length> values */
padding-left: 0.5em;
padding-left: 0;
padding-left: 2cm;

/* <percentage> value */
padding-left: 10%;

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

The padding-left property is specified as a single value chosen from the list below. Unlike margins, negative values are not allowed for padding.

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 inline size (width in a horizontal language, defined by writing-mode) of the containing block. Must be nonnegative.

Formal definition

Initial value	`0`
Applies to	all elements, except `table-row-group`, `table-header-group`, `table-footer-group`, `table-row`, `table-column-group` and `table-column`. It also applies to `::first-letter` and `::first-line`.
Inherited	no
Percentages	refer to the width of the containing block
Computed value	the percentage as specified or the absolute length
Animation type	a length

Formal syntax

padding-left = 
  <length-percentage [0,∞]>  

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

Examples

Setting left padding using pixels and percentages

css

.content {
  padding-left: 5%;
}
.side-box {
  padding-left: 10px;
}

Specifications

Specification
CSS Box Model Module Level 3 # padding-physical

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
`padding-left`	Chrome – Full support Chrome 1 (Release date: 2008-12-11) footnote Full support	Edge – Full support Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29) footnote Full support	Firefox – Full support Firefox 1 (Release date: 2004-11-09) footnote Full support	Opera – Full support Opera 3.5 (Release date: 1998-11-18) footnote Full support	Safari – Full support Safari 1 (Release date: 2003-06-23) 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 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 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 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09) footnote Full support	WebView on iOS – Full support WebView on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29) footnote Full support

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

Full support: Full support

padding-left CSS property

Legend

`padding-left` CSS property