freeCodeCamp/guide/english/css/padding/index.md

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Padding

Padding

The padding CSS property sets the padding area on all four sides of an element. This property can be used to generate space around content (inside the border). It is a shorthand to set all individual paddings at once: padding-top, padding-right, padding-bottom, and padding-left. Values are defined in the clockwise direction.

Padding values are set using lengths or percentages or inherit keyword, and cannot accept negative values. The initial, or default, value for all padding properties is 0. While you can use inherit keyword but it can not be used along with a length value.

Syntax

.element {
    padding: [padding-top] || [padding-right] || [padding-bottom] || [padding-left];
}

This property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values.

  • 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).
/* em refers to the current font size of an element */
/* Apply to all four sides */
padding: 1em;
  
/* top and bottom | left and right */
padding: 5% 10%;
  
/* top | left and right | bottom */
padding: 1em 2em 2em;

/* top | right | bottom | left */
padding: 5px 1em 0 1em;

Where in box model

The padding property in CSS defines the innermost portion of the box model, creating space around an element's content, inside of any defined margins and/or borders.

The CSS Box Model

Browser Support

It is effectively supported in all browsers (since IE6+, Firefox 2+, Chrome 1+ etc)

More Information