float

The float CSS property specifies that an element should be placed along the left or right side of its container, allowing text and inline elements to wrap around it. The element is removed from the normal flow of the web page, though still remaining a part of the flow (in contrast to absolute positioning).

A floating element is one where the computed value of float is not none.

/* Keyword values */
float: left;
float: right;
float: none;
float: inline-start;
float: inline-end;

/* Global values */
float: inherit;
float: initial;
float: unset;

As float implies the use of the block layout, it modifies the computed value of the display values, in some cases:

Syntax

The float property is specified as a single keyword, chosen from the list of values below.

Values

left

The element must float on the left side of its containing block.

right

The element must float on the right side of its containing block.

none

The element must not float.

inline-start

The element must float on the start side of its containing block. That is the left side with ltr scripts, and the right side with rtl scripts.

inline-end

The element must float on the end side of its containing block. That is the right side with ltr scripts, and the left side with rtl scripts.

Formal syntax

left | right | none | inline-start | inline-end

Examples

How floated elements are positioned

As mentioned above, when an element is floated, it is taken out of the normal flow of the document (though still remaining part of it). It is shifted to the left, or right, until it touches the edge of its containing box, or another floated element.

In this example, there are three colored squares. Two are floated left, and one is floated right. Note that the second "left" square is placed to the right of the first. Additional squares would continue to stack to the right, until they filled the containing box, after which they would wrap to the next line.

HTML

<section>
  <div class="left">1</div>
  <div class="left">2</div>
  <div class="right">3</div>
  <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
     Morbi tristique sapien ac erat tincidunt, sit amet dignissim
     lectus vulputate. Donec id iaculis velit. Aliquam vel
     malesuada erat. Praesent non magna ac massa aliquet tincidunt
     vel in massa. Phasellus feugiat est vel leo finibus congue.</p>
</section>

CSS

section {
  border: 1px solid blue;
}

div {
  margin: 5px;
  width: 50px;
  height: 50px;
}

.left {
  float: left;
  background: pink;
}

.right {
  float: right;
  background: cyan;
}

Result

Clearing floats

Sometimes you may want to force an item to move below any floated elements. For instance, you may want paragraphs to remain adjacent to floats, but force headings to be on their own line. See clear for examples.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• Block formatting context
• Use clear to force an item to move below a floated element.