--- 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. {% capture example %}
I'm a flexbox container!
{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} {% capture example %}
I'm an inline flexbox container!
{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Responsive variations also exist for `.d-flex` and `.d-inline-flex`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.d{{ bp.abbr }}-flex` - `.d{{ bp.abbr }}-inline-flex`{% endfor %} ## 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. {% capture example %}
Flex item 1
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Use `.flex-column` to set a vertical direction, or `.flex-column-reverse` to start the vertical direction from the opposite side. {% capture example %}
Flex item 1
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-direction`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-row` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-row-reverse` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-column` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-column-reverse`{% endfor %} ## 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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{% endhighlight %} Responsive variations also exist for `justify-content`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.justify-content{{ bp.abbr }}-start` - `.justify-content{{ bp.abbr }}-end` - `.justify-content{{ bp.abbr }}-center` - `.justify-content{{ bp.abbr }}-between` - `.justify-content{{ bp.abbr }}-around`{% endfor %} ## 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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{% endhighlight %} Responsive variations also exist for `align-items`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.align-items{{ bp.abbr }}-start` - `.align-items{{ bp.abbr }}-end` - `.align-items{{ bp.abbr }}-center` - `.align-items{{ bp.abbr }}-baseline` - `.align-items{{ bp.abbr }}-stretch`{% endfor %} ## 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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{% endhighlight %} Responsive variations also exist for `align-self`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.align-self{{ bp.abbr }}-start` - `.align-self{{ bp.abbr }}-end` - `.align-self{{ bp.abbr }}-center` - `.align-self{{ bp.abbr }}-baseline` - `.align-self{{ bp.abbr }}-stretch`{% endfor %} ## 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. {% capture example %}
Flex item with a lot of content
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-fill`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-fill`{% endfor %} ## 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. {% capture example %}
Flex item
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=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 its contents to a new line, "shrinking" to allow more space for the previous flex item with `.w-100`. {% capture example %}
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-grow` and `flex-shrink`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-0` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-1`{% endfor %} ## 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. {% capture example %}
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=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`. {% capture example %}
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{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=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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{% endhighlight %} Responsive variations also exist for `flex-wrap`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-nowrap` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-wrap` - `.flex{{ bp.abbr }}-wrap-reverse`{% endfor %} ## 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 (e.g., `5`), add custom CSS for any additional values needed. {% capture example %}
First flex item
Second flex item
Third flex item
{% endcapture %} {% include example.html content=example %} Responsive variations also exist for `order`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %}{% for i in (0..12) %} - `.order{{ bp.abbr }}-{{ i }}`{% endfor %}{% endfor %} ## 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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{% endhighlight %} Responsive variations also exist for `align-content`. {% for bp in site.data.breakpoints %} - `.align-content{{ bp.abbr }}-start` - `.align-content{{ bp.abbr }}-end` - `.align-content{{ bp.abbr }}-center` - `.align-content{{ bp.abbr }}-around` - `.align-content{{ bp.abbr }}-stretch`{% endfor %}