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The CSS inset property is a shorthand for top, right, bottom, and left. It sets physical offsets on a positioned element, using the same one-to-four-value pattern as margin. For offsets that adapt to writing mode and direction, use inset-block or inset-inline instead.

What does inset do?

inset sets the distance between a positioned element and one or more sides of its containing block. It is a shorthand for the four physical offset properties: top, right, bottom, and left. The sides stay physical: left means left even when the text direction or writing mode changes.

The element must be positioned for the offsets to take effect. For example, position: absolute, position: fixed, or position: relative makes an element positioned; an element with the default position: static is not positioned, so inset has no effect on it.

Syntax and value order

Write one to four values separated by spaces, with no commas. The order follows the physical sides clockwise, beginning at the top:

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Values Properties set Example
One All four sides inset: 12px;
Two Top and bottom; right and left inset: 12px 24px;
Three Top; right and left; bottom inset: 8px 16px 24px;
Four Top; right; bottom; left inset: 8px 12px 16px 20px;

This is the same value pattern used by the margin shorthand. The values may be lengths, percentages, or auto; global CSS values such as inherit, initial, revert, revert-layer, and unset are also available. See MDN’s inset reference for the current syntax details.

Examples

Set the same offset on every side

.card {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 12px;
}

This is equivalent to setting top, right, bottom, and left to 12px.

Use paired offsets

.card {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 12px 24px;
}

The top and bottom offsets are 12px; the left and right offsets are 24px.

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Give each axis different spacing

.card {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 8px 16px 24px;
}

This sets the top to 8px, both horizontal sides to 16px, and the bottom to 24px.

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Set all four offsets independently

.card {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 8px 12px 16px 20px;
}

Read the values as top 8px, right 12px, bottom 16px, and left 20px.

Stretch an overlay to its containing block

.overlay {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
}

With all four offsets at zero, the positioned overlay is anchored to all four sides of its containing block. If the containing block is a particular component, give that component a positioning context, commonly with position: relative:

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.panel {
  position: relative;
}

.overlay {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
}

How percentages are calculated

Percentage offsets are measured against the containing block, with the reference dimension depending on the side: left and right percentages use its width, while top and bottom percentages use its height. They are not percentages of the positioned element’s own width or height.

.badge {
  position: absolute;
  inset: 10% 5%;
}

Here, the top and bottom offsets are each 10% of the containing block’s height, and the left and right offsets are each 5% of its width.

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Physical inset versus logical offsets

Use inset when you want to name physical sides. In layouts that must adapt to writing mode and direction, use logical properties instead: inset-inline addresses the inline start and end, while inset-block addresses the block start and end. Which physical sides those logical edges correspond to depends on the writing mode and direction.

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.notice {
  position: absolute;
  inset-inline: 1rem 2rem;
}

This sets inline-start to 1rem and inline-end to 2rem; it does not always mean left and right. See MDN for inset-inline and inset-block.

Why an inset declaration may appear to do nothing

  • The element is not positioned. Check its computed position. A static element is unaffected by inset; set an appropriate positioning mode if offsets are intended.
  • The wrong containing block is being used. For an absolutely positioned element, check which ancestor establishes its containing block. If the offset should be relative to a component, ensure that component provides the intended positioning context.
  • You expected logical behavior. inset always targets top, right, bottom, and left. Switch to inset-inline or inset-block if the layout should follow writing mode and direction.
  • A percentage is based on a different dimension than expected. Horizontal sides use the containing block’s width; vertical sides use its height.
  • The shorthand reset another side. Every time inset is declared, it sets all four sides according to its value count. Check whether a later shorthand declaration overwrote a side set earlier.
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Browser support

MDN marks inset Baseline Widely available, with broad browser availability since April 2021. That baseline does not guarantee support for every newer or advanced value in the current syntax; check compatibility for target browsers before relying on features such as anchor-related values. See MDN’s compatibility information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use commas between inset values?

No. Separate shorthand values with spaces, for example inset: 8px 12px;.

Does inset replace margin?

No. inset sets positional offsets; margin sets margins.

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