--- layout: docs title: Flex description: Quickly manage the layout, alignment, and sizing of grid columns, navigation, components, and more with a full suite of responsive flexbox utilities. For more complex implementations, custom CSS may be necessary. group: utilities toc: true --- ## Enable flex behaviors Apply `display` utilities to create a flexbox container and transform **direct children elements** into flex items. Flex containers and items are able to be modified further with additional flex properties. {{< example >}}
I'm a flexbox container!
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I'm an inline flexbox container!
{{< /example >}} Responsive variations also exist for `.d-flex` and `.d-inline-flex`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.d{{ .abbr }}-flex` - `.d{{ .abbr }}-inline-flex` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Direction Set the direction of flex items in a flex container with direction utilities. In most cases you can omit the horizontal class here as the browser default is `row`. However, you may encounter situations where you needed to explicitly set this value (like responsive layouts). Use `.flex-row` to set a horizontal direction (the browser default), or `.flex-row-reverse` to start the horizontal direction from the opposite side. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Use `.flex-column` to set a vertical direction, or `.flex-column-reverse` to start the vertical direction from the opposite side. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-direction`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-row` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-row-reverse` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-column` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-column-reverse` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Justify content Use `justify-content` utilities on flexbox containers to change the alignment of flex items on the main axis (the x-axis to start, y-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from `start` (browser default), `end`, `center`, `between`, or `around`.
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{{< /highlight >}} Responsive variations also exist for `justify-content`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-start` - `.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-end` - `.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-center` - `.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-between` - `.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-around` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Align items Use `align-items` utilities on flexbox containers to change the alignment of flex items on the cross axis (the y-axis to start, x-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from `start`, `end`, `center`, `baseline`, or `stretch` (browser default).
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{{< /highlight >}} Responsive variations also exist for `align-items`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.align-items{{ .abbr }}-start` - `.align-items{{ .abbr }}-end` - `.align-items{{ .abbr }}-center` - `.align-items{{ .abbr }}-baseline` - `.align-items{{ .abbr }}-stretch` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Align self Use `align-self` utilities on flexbox items to individually change their alignment on the cross axis (the y-axis to start, x-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from the same options as `align-items`: `start`, `end`, `center`, `baseline`, or `stretch` (browser default).
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{{< /highlight >}} Responsive variations also exist for `align-self`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.align-self{{ .abbr }}-start` - `.align-self{{ .abbr }}-end` - `.align-self{{ .abbr }}-center` - `.align-self{{ .abbr }}-baseline` - `.align-self{{ .abbr }}-stretch` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Fill Use the `.flex-fill` class on a series of sibling elements to force them into widths equal to their content (or equal widths if their content does not surpass their border-boxes) while taking up all available horizontal space. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-fill`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-fill` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Grow and shrink Use `.flex-grow-*` utilities to toggle a flex item's ability to grow to fill available space. In the example below, the `.flex-grow-1` elements uses all available space it can, while allowing the remaining two flex items their necessary space. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Use `.flex-shrink-*` utilities to toggle a flex item's ability to shrink if necessary. In the example below, the second flex item with `.flex-shrink-1` is forced to wrap it's contents to a new line, "shrinking" to allow more space for the previous flex item with `.w-100`. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-grow` and `flex-shrink`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-0` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-1` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Auto margins Flexbox can do some pretty awesome things when you mix flex alignments with auto margins. Shown below are three examples of controlling flex items via auto margins: default (no auto margin), pushing two items to the right (`.mr-auto`), and pushing two items to the left (`.ml-auto`). **Unfortunately, IE10 and IE11 do not properly support auto margins on flex items whose parent has a non-default `justify-content` value.** [See this StackOverflow answer](https://stackoverflow.com/a/37535548) for more details. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} ### With align-items Vertically move one flex item to the top or bottom of a container by mixing `align-items`, `flex-direction: column`, and `margin-top: auto` or `margin-bottom: auto`. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} ## Wrap Change how flex items wrap in a flex container. Choose from no wrapping at all (the browser default) with `.flex-nowrap`, wrapping with `.flex-wrap`, or reverse wrapping with `.flex-wrap-reverse`.
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{{< /highlight >}} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-wrap`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-nowrap` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-wrap` - `.flex{{ .abbr }}-wrap-reverse` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Order Change the _visual_ order of specific flex items with a handful of `order` utilities. We only provide options for making an item first or last, as well as a reset to use the DOM order. As `order` takes any integer value from 0 to 5, add custom CSS for any additional values needed. {{< example >}}
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{{< /example >}} Responsive variations also exist for `order`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $bp := $.Site.Data.breakpoints -}} {{- range (seq 0 5) }} - `.order{{ $bp.abbr }}-{{ . }}` {{- end -}} {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} Additionally there are also responsive `.order-first` and `.order-last` classes that change the `order` of an element by applying `order: -1` and `order: 6`, respectively. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $bp := $.Site.Data.breakpoints -}} {{- range (slice "first" "last") }} - `.order{{ $bp.abbr }}-{{ . }}` {{- end -}} {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}} ## Align content Use `align-content` utilities on flexbox containers to align flex items *together* on the cross axis. Choose from `start` (browser default), `end`, `center`, `between`, `around`, or `stretch`. To demonstrate these utilities, we've enforced `flex-wrap: wrap` and increased the number of flex items. **Heads up!** This property has no effect on single rows of flex items.
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{{< /highlight >}} Responsive variations also exist for `align-content`. {{< markdown >}} {{< flex.inline >}} {{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }} - `.align-content{{ .abbr }}-start` - `.align-content{{ .abbr }}-end` - `.align-content{{ .abbr }}-center` - `.align-content{{ .abbr }}-around` - `.align-content{{ .abbr }}-stretch` {{- end -}} {{< /flex.inline >}} {{< /markdown >}}