The columns CSS shorthand property sets the number of columns to use when drawing an element's contents, as well as those columns' widths.

/* Column width */ columns: 18em;  /* Column count */ columns: auto; columns: 2;  /* Both column width and count */ columns: 2 auto; columns: auto 12em; columns: auto auto;  /* Global values */ columns: inherit; columns: initial; columns: revert; columns: unset; 

columns

The columns CSS shorthand property sets the number of columns to use when drawing an element's contents, as well as those columns' widths.

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

column-count column-width

Syntax

/* Column width */ columns: 18em;  /* Column count */ columns: auto; columns: 2;  /* Both column width and count */ columns: 2 auto; columns: auto 12em; columns: auto auto;  /* Global values */ columns: inherit; columns: initial; columns: revert; columns: unset; 

The columns property may be specified as one or two of the values listed below, in any order.

Values

<'column-width'>

The ideal column width, defined as a <length> or the keyword auto. The actual width may be wider or narrower to fit the available space. See column-width.

<'column-count'>

The ideal number of columns into which the element's content should be flowed, defined as an <integer> or the keyword auto. If neither this value nor the column's width are auto, it merely indicates the maximum allowable number of columns. See column-count.

Formal definition

Initial value	as each of the properties of the shorthand:column-width: autocolumn-count: auto
Applies to	Block containers except table wrapper boxes
Inherited	no
Computed value	as each of the properties of the shorthand:column-width: the absolute length, zero or largercolumn-count: as specified
Animation type	as each of the properties of the shorthand:column-width: a lengthcolumn-count: an integer

Formal syntax

<'column-width'> || <'column-count'>

Examples

Setting three equal columns

HTML

<p class="content-box">   This is a bunch of text split into three columns   using the CSS `columns` property. The text   is equally distributed over the columns. </p> 

CSS

.content-box {   columns: 3 auto; } 

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Multi-column Layout Module Level 2 # columns

See also

widows orphans Paged media Multiple-column Layout

Last modified: Aug 12, 2021, by MDN contributors

Select your preferred language English (US)DeutschFrançais日本語中文 (简体) Change language