description: Shorthand helpers that build on top of our flexbox utilities to make component layout faster and easier than ever.
group: helpers
toc: true
---
Stacks offer a shortcut for applying a number of flexbox properties to quickly and easily create layouts in Bootstrap. All credit for the concept and implementation goes to the open source [Pylon project](https://almonk.github.io/pylon/).
## Vertical
Use `.vstack` to create vertical layouts. Stacked items are full-width by default. Use `.gap-*` utilities to add space between items.
{{<example>}}
<divclass="vstack gap-3">
<divclass="bg-light border">First item</div>
<divclass="bg-light border">Second item</div>
<divclass="bg-light border">Third item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
## Horizontal
Use `.hstack` for horizontal layouts. Stacked items are vertically centered by default and only take up their necessary width. Use `.gap-*` utilities to add space between items.
{{<example>}}
<divclass="hstack gap-3">
<divclass="bg-light border">First item</div>
<divclass="bg-light border">Second item</div>
<divclass="bg-light border">Third item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Using horizontal margin utilities like `.ms-auto` as spacers: