The margin-block-start CSS property defines the logical block start margin of an element, which maps to a physical margin depending on the element's writing mode, directionality, and text orientation.

/* <length> values */ margin-block-start: 10px;  /* An absolute length */ margin-block-start: 1em;   /* relative to the text size */ margin-block-start: 5%;    /* relative to the nearest block container's width */  /* Keyword values */ margin-block-start: auto;  /* Global values */ margin-block-start: inherit; margin-block-start: initial; margin-block-start: revert; margin-block-start: unset; 

margin-block-start

The margin-block-start CSS property defines the logical block start margin of an element, which maps to a physical margin depending on the element's writing mode, directionality, and text orientation.

Syntax

/* <length> values */ margin-block-start: 10px;  /* An absolute length */ margin-block-start: 1em;   /* relative to the text size */ margin-block-start: 5%;    /* relative to the nearest block container's width */  /* Keyword values */ margin-block-start: auto;  /* Global values */ margin-block-start: inherit; margin-block-start: initial; margin-block-start: revert; margin-block-start: unset; 

It corresponds to the margin-top, margin-right, margin-bottom, or margin-left property depending on the values defined for writing-mode, direction, and text-orientation.

It relates to margin-block-end, margin-inline-start, and margin-inline-end, which define the other margins of the element.

Values

The margin-block-start property takes the same values as the margin-left property.

Formal definition

Initial value	0
Applies to	same as margin
Inherited	no
Percentages	depends on layout model
Computed value	if specified as a length, the corresponding absolute length; if specified as a percentage, the specified value; otherwise, auto
Animation type	a length

Formal syntax

<'margin-left'>

Examples

Setting block start margin

HTML

<div>   <p class="exampleText">Example text</p> </div> 

CSS

div {   background-color: yellow;   width: 120px;   height: 120px; }  .exampleText {   writing-mode: vertical-lr;   margin-block-start: 20px;   background-color: #c8c800; } 

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Logical Properties and Values Level 1 # margin-properties

See also

The mapped physical properties: margin-top, margin-right, margin-bottom, and margin-left writing-mode, direction, text-orientation

Last modified: Aug 12, 2021, by MDN contributors

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