---
layout: default
title: CSS
slug: css
lead: "Global CSS settings, fundamental HTML elements styled and enhanced with extensible classes, and an advanced grid system."
---
Overview
Get the lowdown on the key pieces of Bootstrap's infrastructure, including our approach to better, faster, stronger web development.
HTML5 doctype
Bootstrap makes use of certain HTML elements and CSS properties that require the use of the HTML5 doctype. Include it at the beginning of all your projects.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Mobile first
With Bootstrap 2, we added optional mobile friendly styles for key aspects of the framework. With Bootstrap 3, we've rewritten the project to be mobile friendly from the start. Instead of adding on optional mobile styles, they're baked right into the core. In fact, Bootstrap is mobile first. Mobile first styles can be found throughout the entire library instead of in separate files.
To ensure proper rendering and touch zooming, add the viewport meta tag to your <head>.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
You can disable zooming capabilities on mobile devices by adding user-scalable=no to the viewport meta tag. This disables zooming, meaning users are only able to scroll, and results in your site feeling a bit more like a native application. Overall, we don't recommend this on every site, so use caution!
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Responsive images
Images in Bootstrap 3 can be made responsive-friendly via the addition of the .img-responsive class. This applies max-width: 100%; and height: auto; to the image so that it scales nicely to the parent element.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Typography and links
Bootstrap sets basic global display, typography, and link styles. Specifically, we:
Set background-color: #fff; on the body
Use the @font-family-base, @font-size-base, and @line-height-base attributes as our typographic base
Set the global link color via @link-color and apply link underlines only on :hover
These styles can be found within scaffolding.less.
Easily center a page's contents by wrapping its contents in a .container. Containers set width at various media query breakpoints to match our grid system.
Note that, due to padding and fixed widths, containers are not nestable by default.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Grid system
Bootstrap includes a responsive, mobile first fluid grid system that appropriately scales up to 12 columns as the device or viewport size increases. It includes predefined classes for easy layout options, as well as powerful mixins for generating more semantic layouts.
Introduction
Grid systems are used for creating page layouts through a series of rows and columns that house your content. Here's how the Bootstrap grid system works:
Rows must be placed within a .container (fixed-width) or .container-fluid (full-width) for proper alignment and padding.
Use rows to create horizontal groups of columns.
Content should be placed within columns, and only columns may be immediate children of rows.
Predefined grid classes like .row and .col-xs-4 are available for quickly making grid layouts. Less mixins can also be used for more semantic layouts.
Columns create gutters (gaps between column content) via padding. That padding is offset in rows for the first and last column via negative margin on .rows.
Grid columns are created by specifying the number of twelve available columns you wish to span. For example, three equal columns would use three .col-xs-4.
Look to the examples for applying these principles to your code.
Grids and full-width layouts
Folks looking to create fully fluid layouts (meaning your site stretches the entire width of the viewport) must wrap their grid content in a containing element with padding: 0 15px; to offset the margin: 0 -15px; used on .rows.
Media queries
We use the following media queries in our Less files to create the key breakpoints in our grid system.
{% highlight scss %}
/* Extra small devices (phones, less than 768px) */
/* No media query since this is the default in Bootstrap */
/* Small devices (tablets, 768px and up) */
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) { ... }
/* Medium devices (desktops, 992px and up) */
@media (min-width: @screen-md-min) { ... }
/* Large devices (large desktops, 1200px and up) */
@media (min-width: @screen-lg-min) { ... }
{% endhighlight %}
We occasionally expand on these media queries to include a max-width to limit CSS to a narrower set of devices.
See how aspects of the Bootstrap grid system work across multiple devices with a handy table.
Extra small devices
Phones (<768px)
Small devices
Tablets (≥768px)
Medium devices
Desktops (≥992px)
Large devices
Desktops (≥1200px)
Grid behavior
Horizontal at all times
Collapsed to start, horizontal above breakpoints
Container width
None (auto)
750px
970px
1170px
Class prefix
.col-xs-
.col-sm-
.col-md-
.col-lg-
# of columns
12
Column width
Auto
60px
78px
95px
Gutter width
30px (15px on each side of a column)
Nestable
Yes
Offsets
Yes
Column ordering
Yes
Grid classes apply to devices with screen widths greater than or equal to the breakpoint sizes, and override grid classes targeted at smaller devices. Therefore, applying any .col-md- class to an element will not only affect its styling on medium devices but also on large devices if a .col-lg- class is not present.
Example: Stacked-to-horizontal
Using a single set of .col-md-* grid classes, you can create a basic grid system that starts out stacked on mobile devices and tablet devices (the extra small to small range) before becoming horizontal on desktop (medium) devices. Place grid columns in any .row.
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-8
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-6
.col-md-6
{% highlight html %}
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-1
.col-md-8
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-4
.col-md-6
.col-md-6
{% endhighlight %}
Example: Fluid container
Turn any fixed-width grid layout into a full-width layout by changing your outermost .container to .container-fluid.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Example: Mobile and desktop
Don't want your columns to simply stack in smaller devices? Use the extra small and medium device grid classes by adding .col-xs-*.col-md-* to your columns. See the example below for a better idea of how it all works.
.col-xs-12 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6
.col-xs-6
{% highlight html %}
.col-xs-12 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6
.col-xs-6
{% endhighlight %}
Example: Mobile, tablet, desktops
Build on the previous example by creating even more dynamic and powerful layouts with tablet .col-sm-* classes.
.col-xs-12 .col-sm-6 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
{% highlight html %}
.col-xs-12 .col-sm-6 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
{% endhighlight %}
Responsive column resets
With the four tiers of grids available you're bound to run into issues where, at certain breakpoints, your columns don't clear quite right as one is taller than the other. To fix that, use a combination of a .clearfix and our responsive utility classes.
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
Resize your viewport or check it out on your phone for an example.
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
{% highlight html %}
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
{% endhighlight %}
In addition to column clearing at responsive breakpoints, you may need to reset offsets, pushes, or pulls. See this in action in the grid example.
Move columns to the right using .col-md-offset-* classes. These classes increase the left margin of a column by * columns. For example, .col-md-offset-4 moves .col-md-4 over four columns.
.col-md-4
.col-md-4 .col-md-offset-4
.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.col-md-6 .col-md-offset-3
{% highlight html %}
.col-md-4
.col-md-4 .col-md-offset-4
.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.col-md-6 .col-md-offset-3
{% endhighlight %}
Nesting columns
To nest your content with the default grid, add a new .row and set of .col-md-* columns within an existing .col-md-* column. Nested rows should include a set of columns that add up to 12 or less.
Level 1: .col-md-9
Level 2: .col-md-6
Level 2: .col-md-6
{% highlight html %}
Level 1: .col-md-9
Level 2: .col-md-6
Level 2: .col-md-6
{% endhighlight %}
Column ordering
Easily change the order of our built-in grid columns with .col-md-push-* and .col-md-pull-* modifier classes.
.col-md-9 .col-md-push-3
.col-md-3 .col-md-pull-9
{% highlight html %}
.col-md-9 .col-md-push-3
.col-md-3 .col-md-pull-9
{% endhighlight %}
Less mixins and variables
In addition to prebuilt grid classes for fast layouts, Bootstrap includes Less variables and mixins for quickly generating your own simple, semantic layouts.
Variables
Variables determine the number of columns, the gutter width, and the media query point at which to begin floating columns. We use these to generate the predefined grid classes documented above, as well as for the custom mixins listed below.
Mixins are used in conjunction with the grid variables to generate semantic CSS for individual grid columns.
{% highlight scss %}
// Creates a wrapper for a series of columns
.make-row(@gutter: @grid-gutter-width) {
// Then clear the floated columns
.clearfix();
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) {
margin-left: (@gutter / -2);
margin-right: (@gutter / -2);
}
// Negative margin nested rows out to align the content of columns
.row {
margin-left: (@gutter / -2);
margin-right: (@gutter / -2);
}
}
// Generate the extra small columns
.make-xs-column(@columns; @gutter: @grid-gutter-width) {
position: relative;
// Prevent columns from collapsing when empty
min-height: 1px;
// Inner gutter via padding
padding-left: (@gutter / 2);
padding-right: (@gutter / 2);
// Calculate width based on number of columns available
@media (min-width: @grid-float-breakpoint) {
float: left;
width: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the small columns
.make-sm-column(@columns; @gutter: @grid-gutter-width) {
position: relative;
// Prevent columns from collapsing when empty
min-height: 1px;
// Inner gutter via padding
padding-left: (@gutter / 2);
padding-right: (@gutter / 2);
// Calculate width based on number of columns available
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) {
float: left;
width: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the small column offsets
.make-sm-column-offset(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) {
margin-left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-sm-column-push(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) {
left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-sm-column-pull(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-sm-min) {
right: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the medium columns
.make-md-column(@columns; @gutter: @grid-gutter-width) {
position: relative;
// Prevent columns from collapsing when empty
min-height: 1px;
// Inner gutter via padding
padding-left: (@gutter / 2);
padding-right: (@gutter / 2);
// Calculate width based on number of columns available
@media (min-width: @screen-md-min) {
float: left;
width: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the medium column offsets
.make-md-column-offset(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-md-min) {
margin-left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-md-column-push(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-md-min) {
left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-md-column-pull(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-md-min) {
right: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the large columns
.make-lg-column(@columns; @gutter: @grid-gutter-width) {
position: relative;
// Prevent columns from collapsing when empty
min-height: 1px;
// Inner gutter via padding
padding-left: (@gutter / 2);
padding-right: (@gutter / 2);
// Calculate width based on number of columns available
@media (min-width: @screen-lg-min) {
float: left;
width: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
// Generate the large column offsets
.make-lg-column-offset(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-lg-min) {
margin-left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-lg-column-push(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-lg-min) {
left: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
.make-lg-column-pull(@columns) {
@media (min-width: @screen-lg-min) {
right: percentage((@columns / @grid-columns));
}
}
{% endhighlight %}
Example usage
You can modify the variables to your own custom values, or just use the mixins with their default values. Here's an example of using the default settings to create a two-column layout with a gap between.
All HTML headings, <h1> through <h6>, are available. .h1 through .h6 classes are also available, for when you want to match the font styling of a heading but still want your text to be displayed inline.
h1. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 36px
h2. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 30px
h3. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 24px
h4. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 18px
h5. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 14px
h6. Bootstrap heading
Semibold 12px
{% highlight html %}
h1. Bootstrap heading
h2. Bootstrap heading
h3. Bootstrap heading
h4. Bootstrap heading
h5. Bootstrap heading
h6. Bootstrap heading
{% endhighlight %}
Create lighter, secondary text in any heading with a generic <small> tag or the .small class.
h1. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h2. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h3. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h4. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h5. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h6. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
{% highlight html %}
h1. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h2. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h3. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h4. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h5. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
h6. Bootstrap heading Secondary text
{% endhighlight %}
Body copy
Bootstrap's global default font-size is 14px, with a line-height of 1.428. This is applied to the <body> and all paragraphs. In addition, <p> (paragraphs) receive a bottom margin of half their computed line-height (10px by default).
Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula.
Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit. Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.
Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna. Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Lead body copy
Make a paragraph stand out by adding .lead.
Vivamus sagittis lacus vel augue laoreet rutrum faucibus dolor auctor. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Built with Less
The typographic scale is based on two Less variables in variables.less: @font-size-base and @line-height-base. The first is the base font-size used throughout and the second is the base line-height. We use those variables and some simple math to create the margins, paddings, and line-heights of all our type and more. Customize them and Bootstrap adapts.
Emphasis
Make use of HTML's default emphasis tags with lightweight styles.
Small text
For de-emphasizing inline or blocks of text, use the <small> tag to set text at 85% the size of the parent. Heading elements receive their own font-size for nested <small> elements.
You may alternatively use an inline element with .small in place of any <small>.
This line of text is meant to be treated as fine print.
{% highlight html %}
This line of text is meant to be treated as fine print.
{% endhighlight %}
Bold
For emphasizing a snippet of text with a heavier font-weight.
The following snippet of text is rendered as bold text.
{% highlight html %}
rendered as bold text
{% endhighlight %}
Italics
For emphasizing a snippet of text with italics.
The following snippet of text is rendered as italicized text.
{% highlight html %}
rendered as italicized text
{% endhighlight %}
Alternate elements
Feel free to use <b> and <i> in HTML5. <b> is meant to highlight words or phrases without conveying additional importance while <i> is mostly for voice, technical terms, etc.
Alignment classes
Easily realign text to components with text alignment classes.
Left aligned text.
Center aligned text.
Right aligned text.
Justified text.
{% highlight html %}
Left aligned text.
Center aligned text.
Right aligned text.
Justified text.
{% endhighlight %}
Abbreviations
Stylized implementation of HTML's <abbr> element for abbreviations and acronyms to show the expanded version on hover. Abbreviations with a title attribute have a light dotted bottom border and a help cursor on hover, providing additional context on hover.
Basic abbreviation
For expanded text on long hover of an abbreviation, include the title attribute with the <abbr> element.
An abbreviation of the word attribute is attr.
{% highlight html %}
attr
{% endhighlight %}
Initialism
Add .initialism to an abbreviation for a slightly smaller font-size.
HTML is the best thing since sliced bread.
{% highlight html %}
HTML
{% endhighlight %}
Addresses
Present contact information for the nearest ancestor or the entire body of work. Preserve formatting by ending all lines with <br>.
Twitter, Inc.
795 Folsom Ave, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94107
P: (123) 456-7890
Full Name first.last@example.com
{% highlight html %}
Twitter, Inc.
795 Folsom Ave, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94107
P: (123) 456-7890
Full Name first.last@example.com
{% endhighlight %}
Blockquotes
For quoting blocks of content from another source within your document.
Default blockquote
Wrap <blockquote> around any HTML as the quote. For straight quotes, we recommend a <p>.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer posuere erat a ante.
{% highlight html %}
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer posuere erat a ante.
{% endhighlight %}
Blockquote options
Style and content changes for simple variations on a standard <blockquote>.
Naming a source
Add a <footer> for identifying the source. Wrap the name of the source work in <cite>.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer posuere erat a ante.
{% highlight html %}
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer posuere erat a ante.
{% endhighlight %}
Alternate displays
Add .blockquote-reverse for a blockquote with right-aligned content.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer posuere erat a ante.
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Lists
Unordered
A list of items in which the order does not explicitly matter.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Consectetur adipiscing elit
Integer molestie lorem at massa
Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
Phasellus iaculis neque
Purus sodales ultricies
Vestibulum laoreet porttitor sem
Ac tristique libero volutpat at
Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
Aenean sit amet erat nunc
Eget porttitor lorem
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Ordered
A list of items in which the order does explicitly matter.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Consectetur adipiscing elit
Integer molestie lorem at massa
Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
Aenean sit amet erat nunc
Eget porttitor lorem
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Unstyled
Remove the default list-style and left margin on list items (immediate children only). This only applies to immediate children list items, meaning you will need to add the class for any nested lists as well.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Consectetur adipiscing elit
Integer molestie lorem at massa
Facilisis in pretium nisl aliquet
Nulla volutpat aliquam velit
Phasellus iaculis neque
Purus sodales ultricies
Vestibulum laoreet porttitor sem
Ac tristique libero volutpat at
Faucibus porta lacus fringilla vel
Aenean sit amet erat nunc
Eget porttitor lorem
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Inline
Place all list items on a single line with display: inline-block; and some light padding.
Lorem ipsum
Phasellus iaculis
Nulla volutpat
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Description
A list of terms with their associated descriptions.
Description lists
A description list is perfect for defining terms.
Euismod
Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus.
Malesuada porta
Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod.
{% highlight html %}
...
...
{% endhighlight %}
Horizontal description
Make terms and descriptions in <dl> line up side-by-side. Starts off stacked like default <dl>s, but when the navbar expands, so do these.
Description lists
A description list is perfect for defining terms.
Euismod
Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus.
Malesuada porta
Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod.
Felis euismod semper eget lacinia
Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.
{% highlight html %}
...
...
{% endhighlight %}
Auto-truncating
Horizontal description lists will truncate terms that are too long to fit in the left column with text-overflow. In narrower viewports, they will change to the default stacked layout.
Code
Inline
Wrap inline snippets of code with <code>.
For example, <section> should be wrapped as inline.
{% highlight html %}
For example, <section> should be wrapped as inline.
{% endhighlight %}
User input
Use the <kbd> to indicate input that is typically entered via keyboard.
To switch directories, type cd followed by the name of the directory.
{% highlight html %}
To switch directories, type cd followed by the name of the directory.
{% endhighlight %}
Basic block
Use <pre> for multiple lines of code. Be sure to escape any angle brackets in the code for proper rendering.
<p>Sample text here...</p>
{% highlight html %}
<p>Sample text here...</p>
{% endhighlight %}
You may optionally add the .pre-scrollable class, which will set a max-height of 350px and provide a y-axis scrollbar.
Tables
Basic example
For basic styling—light padding and only horizontal dividers—add the base class .table to any <table>. It may seem super redundant, but given the widespread use of tables for other plugins like calendars and date pickers, we've opted to isolate our custom table styles.
#
First Name
Last Name
Username
1
Mark
Otto
@mdo
2
Jacob
Thornton
@fat
3
Larry
the Bird
@twitter
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Striped rows
Use .table-striped to add zebra-striping to any table row within the <tbody>.
Cross-browser compatibility
Striped tables are styled via the :nth-child CSS selector, which is not available in Internet Explorer 8.
#
First Name
Last Name
Username
1
Mark
Otto
@mdo
2
Jacob
Thornton
@fat
3
Larry
the Bird
@twitter
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Bordered table
Add .table-bordered for borders on all sides of the table and cells.
#
First Name
Last Name
Username
1
Mark
Otto
@mdo
Mark
Otto
@TwBootstrap
2
Jacob
Thornton
@fat
3
Larry the Bird
@twitter
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Hover rows
Add .table-hover to enable a hover state on table rows within a <tbody>.
#
First Name
Last Name
Username
1
Mark
Otto
@mdo
2
Jacob
Thornton
@fat
3
Larry the Bird
@twitter
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Condensed table
Add .table-condensed to make tables more compact by cutting cell padding in half.
#
First Name
Last Name
Username
1
Mark
Otto
@mdo
2
Jacob
Thornton
@fat
3
Larry the Bird
@twitter
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Contextual classes
Use contextual classes to color table rows or individual cells.
Class
Description
.active
Applies the hover color to a particular row or cell
.success
Indicates a successful or positive action
.info
Indicates a neutral informative change or action
.warning
Indicates a warning that might need attention
.danger
Indicates a dangerous or potentially negative action
#
Column heading
Column heading
Column heading
1
Column content
Column content
Column content
2
Column content
Column content
Column content
3
Column content
Column content
Column content
4
Column content
Column content
Column content
5
Column content
Column content
Column content
6
Column content
Column content
Column content
7
Column content
Column content
Column content
8
Column content
Column content
Column content
9
Column content
Column content
Column content
{% highlight html %}
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
{% endhighlight %}
Responsive tables
Create responsive tables by wrapping any .table in .table-responsive to make them scroll horizontally up to small devices (under 768px). When viewing on anything larger than 768px wide, you will not see any difference in these tables.
#
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
1
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
2
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
3
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
#
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
1
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
2
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
3
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
{% highlight html %}
...
{% endhighlight %}
Forms
Basic example
Individual form controls automatically receive some global styling. All textual <input>, <textarea>, and <select> elements with .form-control are set to width: 100%; by default. Wrap labels and controls in .form-group for optimum spacing.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Don't mix form groups with input groups
Do not mix form groups directly with input groups. Instead, nest the input group inside of the form group.
Inline form
Add .form-inline to your <form> for left-aligned and inline-block controls. This only applies to forms within viewports that are at least 768px wide.
Requires custom widths
Inputs, selects, and textareas are 100% wide by default in Bootstrap. To use the inline form, you'll have to set a width on the form controls used within.
Always add labels
Screen readers will have trouble with your forms if you don't include a label for every input. For these inline forms, you can hide the labels using the .sr-only class.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Horizontal form
Use Bootstrap's predefined grid classes to align labels and groups of form controls in a horizontal layout by adding .form-horizontal to the form. Doing so changes .form-groups to behave as grid rows, so no need for .row.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Supported controls
Examples of standard form controls supported in an example form layout.
Inputs
Most common form control, text-based input fields. Includes support for all HTML5 types: text, password, datetime, datetime-local, date, month, time, week, number, email, url, search, tel, and color.
Type declaration required
Inputs will only be fully styled if their type is properly declared.
Form control which supports multiple lines of text. Change rows attribute as necessary.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Checkboxes and radios
Checkboxes are for selecting one or several options in a list while radios are for selecting one option from many.
Default (stacked)
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Inline checkboxes
Use the .checkbox-inline or .radio-inline classes on a series of checkboxes or radios for controls that appear on the same line.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Selects
Use the default option, or add multiple to show multiple options at once.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Static control
When you need to place plain text next to a form label within a horizontal form, use the .form-control-static class on a <p>.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Input focus
We remove the default outline styles on some form controls and apply a box-shadow in its place for :focus.
Demo :focus state
The above example input uses custom styles in our documentation to demonstrate the :focus state on a .form-control.
Disabled inputs
Add the disabled attribute on an input to prevent user input and trigger a slightly different look.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Disabled fieldsets
Add the disabled attribute to a <fieldset> to disable all the controls within the <fieldset> at once.
Link functionality of <a> not impacted
This class will only change the appearance of <a class="btn btn-default"> buttons, not their functionality. Use custom JavaScript to disable links here.
Cross-browser compatibility
While Bootstrap will apply these styles in all browsers, Internet Explorer 9 and below don't actually support the disabled attribute on a <fieldset>. Use custom JavaScript to disable the fieldset in these browsers.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Validation states
Bootstrap includes validation styles for error, warning, and success states on form controls. To use, add .has-warning, .has-error, or .has-success to the parent element. Any .control-label, .form-control, and .help-block within that element will receive the validation styles.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
With optional icons
You can also add optional feedback icons with the addition of an extra class and the right icon.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Optional icons also work on horizontal and inline forms.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Control sizing
Set heights using classes like .input-lg, and set widths using grid column classes like .col-lg-*.
Height sizing
Create taller or shorter form controls that match button sizes.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Column sizing
Wrap inputs in grid columns, or any custom parent element, to easily enforce desired widths.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Help text
Block level help text for form controls.
{% highlight html %}
A block of help text that breaks onto a new line and may extend beyond one line.
{% endhighlight %}
Buttons
Options
Use any of the available button classes to quickly create a styled button.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Sizes
Fancy larger or smaller buttons? Add .btn-lg, .btn-sm, or .btn-xs for additional sizes.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Create block level buttons—those that span the full width of a parent— by adding .btn-block.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Active state
Buttons will appear pressed (with a darker background, darker border, and inset shadow) when active. For <button> elements, this is done via :active. For <a> elements, it's done with .active. However, you may use .active on <button>s should you need to replicate the active state progammatically.
Button element
No need to add :active as it's a pseudo-class, but if you need to force the same appearance, go ahead and add .active.
As a best practice, we highly recommend using the <button> element whenever possible to ensure matching cross-browser rendering.
Among other things, there's a Firefox bug that prevents us from setting the line-height of <input>-based buttons, causing them to not exactly match the height of other buttons on Firefox.
Images
Add classes to an <img> element to easily style images in any project.
Cross-browser compatibility
Keep in mind that Internet Explorer 8 lacks support for rounded corners.
Convey meaning through color with a handful of emphasis utility classes. These may also be applied to links and will darken on hover just like our default link styles.
Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris nibh.
Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit.
Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula.
Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna.
Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod.
Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.
{% highlight html %}
...
...
...
...
...
...
{% endhighlight %}
Dealing with specificity
Sometimes emphasis classes cannot be applied due to the specificity of another selector. In most cases, a sufficient workaround is to wrap your text in a <span> with the class.
Contextual backgrounds
Similar to the contextual text color classes, easily set the background of an element to any contextual class. Anchor components will darken on hover, just like the text classes.
Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit.
Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula.
Maecenas sed diam eget risus varius blandit sit amet non magna.
Etiam porta sem malesuada magna mollis euismod.
Donec ullamcorper nulla non metus auctor fringilla.
{% highlight html %}
...
...
...
...
...
{% endhighlight %}
Close icon
Use the generic close icon for dismissing content like modals and alerts.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Carets
Use carets to indicate dropdown functionality and direction. Note that the default caret will reverse automatically in dropup menus.
{% highlight html %}
{% endhighlight %}
Quick floats
Float an element to the left or right with a class. !important is included to avoid specificity issues. Classes can also be used as mixins.
Force an element to be shown or hidden (including for screen readers) with the use of .show and .hidden classes. These classes use !important to avoid specificity conflicts, just like the quick floats. They are only available for block level toggling. They can also be used as mixins.
.hide is available, but it does not always affect screen readers and is deprecated as of v3.0.1. Use .hidden or .sr-only instead.
Furthermore, .invisible can be used to toggle only the visibility of an element, meaning its display is not modified and the element can still affect the flow of the document.
Hide an element to all devices except screen readers with .sr-only. Necessary for following accessibility best practices. Can also be used as a mixin.
{% highlight html %}
Skip to main content
{% endhighlight %}
{% highlight scss %}
// Usage as a Mixin
.skip-navigation {
.sr-only();
}
{% endhighlight %}
Image replacement
Utilize the .text-hide class or mixin to help replace an element's text content with a background image.
{% highlight html %}
Custom heading
{% endhighlight %}
{% highlight scss %}
// Usage as a Mixin
.heading {
.text-hide();
}
{% endhighlight %}
Responsive utilities
For faster mobile-friendly development, use these utility classes for showing and hiding content by device via media query. Also included are utility classes for toggling content when printed.
Try to use these on a limited basis and avoid creating entirely different versions of the same site. Instead, use them to complement each device's presentation. Responsive utilities are currently only available for block and table toggling. Use with inline and table elements is currently not supported.
Available classes
Use a single or combination of the available classes for toggling content across viewport breakpoints.
Extra small devices
Phones (<768px)
Small devices
Tablets (≥768px)
Medium devices
Desktops (≥992px)
Large devices
Desktops (≥1200px)
.visible-xs
Visible
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
.visible-sm
Hidden
Visible
Hidden
Hidden
.visible-md
Hidden
Hidden
Visible
Hidden
.visible-lg
Hidden
Hidden
Hidden
Visible
.hidden-xs
Hidden
Visible
Visible
Visible
.hidden-sm
Visible
Hidden
Visible
Visible
.hidden-md
Visible
Visible
Hidden
Visible
.hidden-lg
Visible
Visible
Visible
Hidden
Print classes
Similar to the regular responsive classes, use these for toggling content for print.
Class
Browser
Print
.visible-print
Hidden
Visible
.hidden-print
Visible
Hidden
Test cases
Resize your browser or load on different devices to test the responsive utility classes.
Visible on...
Green checkmarks indicate the element is visible in your current viewport.
Extra small✔ Visible on x-small
Small✔ Visible on small
Medium✔ Visible on medium
Large✔ Visible on large
Extra small and small✔ Visible on x-small and small
Medium and large✔ Visible on medium and large
Extra small and medium✔ Visible on x-small and medium
Small and large✔ Visible on small and large
Extra small and large✔ Visible on x-small and large
Small and medium✔ Visible on small and medium
Hidden on...
Here, green checkmarks also indicate the element is hidden in your current viewport.
Extra small✔ Hidden on x-small
Small✔ Hidden on small
Medium✔ Hidden on medium
Large✔ Hidden on large
Extra small and small✔ Hidden on x-small and small
Medium and large✔ Hidden on medium and large
Extra small and medium✔ Hidden on x-small and medium
Small and large✔ Hidden on small and large
Extra small and large✔ Hidden on x-small and large
Small and medium✔ Hidden on small and medium
Using Less
Bootstrap's CSS is built on Less, a preprocessor with additional functionality like variables, mixins, and functions for compiling CSS. Those looking to use the source Less files instead of our compiled CSS files can make use of the numerous variables and mixins we use throughout the framework.
Bootstrap can be used in at least two ways: with the compiled CSS or with the source Less files. To compile the Less files, visit the README for how to setup your development environment to run the necessary commands.
Third party compilation tools may work with Bootstrap, but they are not supported by our core team.
Variables
Variables are used throughout the entire project as a way to centralize and share commonly used values like colors, spacing, or font stacks. For a complete breakdown, please see the Customizer.
Colors
Easily make use of two color schemes: grayscale and semantic. Grayscale colors provide quick access to commonly used shades of black while semantic include various colors assigned to meaningful contextual values.
Note that the @link-color-hover uses a function, another awesome tool from Less, to automagically create the right hover color. You can use darken, lighten, saturate, and desaturate.
Typography
Easily set your type face, text size, leading, and more with a few quick variables. Bootstrap makes use of these as well to provide easy typographic mixins.
Today all modern browsers support the non-prefixed border-radius property. As such, there is no .border-radius() mixin, but Bootstrap does include shortcuts for quickly rounding two corners on a particular side of an object.
If your target audience is using the latest and greatest browsers and devices, be sure to just use the box-shadow property on its own. If you need support for older Android (pre-v4) and iOS devices (pre-iOS 5), use the deprecated mixin to pick up the required -webkit prefix.
The mixin is deprecated as of v3.1.0, since Bootstrap doesn't officially support the outdated platforms that don't support the standard property. To preserve backwards-compatibility, Bootstrap will continue to use the mixin internally until Bootstrap v4.
Be sure to use rgba() colors in your box shadows so they blend as seamlessly as possible with backgrounds.
Easily turn any two colors into a background gradient. Get more advanced and set a direction, use three colors, or use a radial gradient. With a single mixin you get all the prefixed syntaxes you'll need.
Up the ante and use three colors instead. Set the first color, the second color, the second color's color stop (a decimal value like 0.25), and the third color with these mixins:
Heads up! Should you ever need to remove a gradient, be sure to remove any IE-specific filter you may have added. You can do that by using the .reset-filter() mixin alongside background-image: none;.
Utility mixins
Utility mixins are mixins that combine otherwise unrelated CSS properties to achieve a specific goal or task.
Clearfix
Forget adding class="clearfix" to any element and instead add the .clearfix() mixin where appropriate. Uses the micro clearfix from Nicolas Gallager.
Specify two image paths and the @1x image dimensions, and Bootstrap will provide an @2x media query. If you have many images to serve, consider writing your retina image CSS manually in a single media query.
{% highlight scss %}
.img-retina(@file-1x; @file-2x; @width-1x; @height-1x) {
background-image: url("@{file-1x}");
@media
only screen and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),
only screen and ( min--moz-device-pixel-ratio: 2),
only screen and ( -o-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2/1),
only screen and ( min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),
only screen and ( min-resolution: 192dpi),
only screen and ( min-resolution: 2dppx) {
background-image: url("@{file-2x}");
background-size: @width-1x @height-1x;
}
}
// Usage
.jumbotron {
.img-retina("/img/bg-1x.png", "/img/bg-2x.png", 100px, 100px);
}
{% endhighlight %}
Using Sass
While Bootstrap is built on Less, it also has an official Sass port. We maintain it in a separate GitHub repository and handle updates with a conversion script.
What's included
Since the Sass port has a separate repo and serves a slightly different audience, the contents of the project differ greatly from the main Bootstrap project. This ensures the Sass port is as compatible with as many Sass-based systems as possible.
Path
Description
lib/
Ruby gem code (Sass configuration, Rails and Compass integrations)
For information on how to install and use Bootstrap for Sass, consult the GitHub repository readme. It's the most up to date source and includes information for use with Rails, Compass, and standard Sass projects.