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:
.container
(fixed-width) or .container-fluid
(full-width) for proper alignment and padding..row
and .col-xs-4
are available for quickly making grid layouts. Less mixins can also be used for more semantic layouts.padding
. That padding is offset in rows for the first and last column via negative margin on .rows
..col-xs-4
..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.Look to the examples for applying these principles to your code.
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 | ~62px | ~81px | ~97px |
Gutter width | 30px (15px on each side of a column) | |||
Nestable | Yes | |||
Offsets | Yes | |||
Column ordering | Yes |
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.
.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-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
.row
.col-md-8 .col-md-8
.col-md-4 .col-md-4
.row
.col-md-4 .col-md-4
.col-md-4 .col-md-4
.col-md-4.col-md-4
.row
.col-md-6 .col-md-6
.col-md-6 .col-md-6
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
<div class="col-md-1">.col-md-1</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-8">.col-md-8</div>
<div class="col-md-4">.col-md-4</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-4">.col-md-4</div>
<div class="col-md-4">.col-md-4</div>
<div class="col-md-4">.col-md-4</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-6">.col-md-6</div>
<div class="col-md-6">.col-md-6</div>
</div>
Turn any fixed-width grid layout into a full-width layout by changing your outermost .container
to .container-fluid
.
.container-fluid
.row
<div class="container-fluid">
<div class="row">
</div>
</div>
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.
// Stack the columns on mobile by making one full-width and the other half-width
.row
.col-xs-12.col-md-8 .col-xs-12 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6.col-md-4 .col-xs-6 .col-md-4
// Columns start at 50% wide on mobile and bump up to 33.3% wide on desktop
.row
.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-md-4 .col-xs-6 .col-md-4
// Columns are always 50% wide, on mobile and desktop
.row
.col-xs-6 .col-xs-6
.col-xs-6 .col-xs-6
<!-- Stack the columns on mobile by making one full-width and the other half-width -->
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-md-8">.col-xs-12 .col-md-8</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">.col-xs-6 .col-md-4</div>
</div>
<!-- Columns start at 50% wide on mobile and bump up to 33.3% wide on desktop -->
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">.col-xs-6 .col-md-4</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">.col-xs-6 .col-md-4</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">.col-xs-6 .col-md-4</div>
</div>
<!-- Columns are always 50% wide, on mobile and desktop -->
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6">.col-xs-6</div>
<div class="col-xs-6">.col-xs-6</div>
</div>
Build on the previous example by creating even more dynamic and powerful layouts with tablet .col-sm-*
classes.
.row
.col-xs-12.col-sm-6.col-md-8 .col-xs-12 .col-sm-6 .col-md-8
.col-xs-6.col-md-4 .col-xs-6 .col-md-4
.row
.col-xs-6.col-sm-4 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
.col-xs-6.col-sm-4 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
// Optional: clear the XS cols if their content doesn't match in height
.clearfix.visible-xs-block
.col-xs-6.col-sm-4 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-4
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-6 col-md-8">.col-xs-12 .col-sm-6 .col-md-8</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4">.col-xs-6 .col-md-4</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4</div>
<!-- Optional: clear the XS cols if their content doesn't match in height -->
<div class="clearfix visible-xs-block"></div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-4</div>
</div>
If more than 12 columns are placed within a single row, each group of extra columns will, as one unit, wrap onto a new line.
.row
.col-xs-9 .col-xs-9
.col-xs-4
| .col-xs-4
br
| Since 9 + 4 = 13 > 12, this 4-column-wide div gets wrapped onto a new line as one contiguous unit.
.col-xs-6
| .col-xs-6
br
| Subsequent columns continue along the new line.
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-9">.col-xs-9</div>
<div class="col-xs-4">.col-xs-4<br>Since 9 + 4 = 13 > 12, this 4-column-wide div gets wrapped onto a new line as one contiguous unit.</div>
<div class="col-xs-6">.col-xs-6<br>Subsequent columns continue along the new line.</div>
</div>
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.
.row
.col-xs-6.col-sm-3 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6.col-sm-3 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
// Add the extra clearfix for only the required viewport
.clearfix.visible-xs-block
.col-xs-6.col-sm-3 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
.col-xs-6.col-sm-3 .col-xs-6 .col-sm-3
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-3">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-3">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3</div>
<!-- Add the extra clearfix for only the required viewport -->
<div class="clearfix visible-xs-block"></div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-3">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-3">.col-xs-6 .col-sm-3</div>
</div>
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.
.row
.col-sm-5.col-md-6 .col-sm-5 .col-md-6
.col-sm-5.col-sm-offset-2.col-md-6.col-md-offset-0 .col-sm-5 .col-sm-offset-2 .col-md-6 .col-md-offset-0
.row
.col-sm-6.col-md-5.col-lg-6 .col-sm-6 .col-md-5 .col-lg-6
.col-sm-6.col-md-5.col-md-offset-2.col-lg-6.col-lg-offset-0 .col-sm-6 .col-md-5 .col-md-offset-2 .col-lg-6 .col-lg-offset-0
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-5 col-md-6">.col-sm-5 .col-md-6</div>
<div class="col-sm-5 col-sm-offset-2 col-md-6 col-md-offset-0">.col-sm-5 .col-sm-offset-2 .col-md-6 .col-md-offset-0</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5 col-lg-6">.col-sm-6 .col-md-5 .col-lg-6</div>
<div class="col-sm-6 col-md-5 col-md-offset-2 col-lg-6 col-lg-offset-0">.col-sm-6 .col-md-5 .col-md-offset-2 .col-lg-6 .col-lg-offset-0</div>
</div>
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.
.row
.col-md-4 .col-md-4
.col-md-4.col-md-offset-4 .col-md-4 .col-md-offset-4
.row
.col-md-3.col-md-offset-3 .col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.col-md-3.col-md-offset-3 .col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3
.row
.col-md-6.col-md-offset-3 .col-md-6 .col-md-offset-3
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-4">.col-md-4</div>
<div class="col-md-4 col-md-offset-4">.col-md-4 .col-md-offset-4</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-3 col-md-offset-3">.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3</div>
<div class="col-md-3 col-md-offset-3">.col-md-3 .col-md-offset-3</div>
</div>
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-6 col-md-offset-3">.col-md-6 .col-md-offset-3</div>
</div>
You can also override offsets from lower grid tiers with .col-*-offset-0
classes.
.row
.col-xs-6.col-sm-4
.col-xs-6.col-sm-4
.col-xs-6.col-xs-offset-3.col-sm-4.col-sm-offset-0
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">
</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-sm-4">
</div>
<div class="col-xs-6 col-xs-offset-3 col-sm-4 col-sm-offset-0">
</div>
</div>
To nest your content with the default grid, add a new .row
and set of .col-sm-*
columns within an existing .col-sm-*
column. Nested rows should include a set of columns that add up to 12 or fewer (it is not required that you use all 12 available columns).
.row
.col-sm-9
| Level 1: .col-sm-9
.row
.col-xs-8.col-sm-6
| Level 2: .col-xs-8 .col-sm-6
.col-xs-4.col-sm-6
| Level 2: .col-xs-4 .col-sm-6
<div class="row">
<div class="col-sm-9">
Level 1: .col-sm-9
<div class="row">
<div class="col-xs-8 col-sm-6">
Level 2: .col-xs-8 .col-sm-6
</div>
<div class="col-xs-4 col-sm-6">
Level 2: .col-xs-4 .col-sm-6
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Easily change the order of our built-in grid columns with .col-md-push-*
and .col-md-pull-*
modifier classes.
.row
.col-md-9.col-md-push-3 .col-md-9 .col-md-push-3
.col-md-3.col-md-pull-9 .col-md-3 .col-md-pull-9
<div class="row">
<div class="col-md-9 col-md-push-3">.col-md-9 .col-md-push-3</div>
<div class="col-md-3 col-md-pull-9">.col-md-3 .col-md-pull-9</div>
</div>