How do you center an element horizontally and vertically with CSS?
Jul 24, 2025 am 03:55 AMTo center elements horizontally and vertically, the most common methods include using Flexbox, Grid and absolute positioning to match transform. 1. Use Flexbox: Set the container to flex layout, and set it to center through justify-content and align-items, which is suitable for modern browsers and is simple and efficient; 2. Use Grid: Use display: grid and place-items: center to achieve a row centering, which is concise and clear; 3. Absolute positioning and transform: suitable for old browsers, set it to 50% by left and top and use transform to move half of its width and height back to achieve centering, which is often used in pop-up windows or prompt boxes and other scenarios.
Centering an element both horizontally and vertically in CSS can be done in a few different ways, depending on your layout needs and browser support requirements. Below are some of the most common and reliable methods.

Using Flexbox (Modern and Simple)
Flexbox was designed specifically for aligning elements, and it makes centering a breeze.
How to do it:

.container { display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; height: 100vh; /* Ensures there's vertical space to center in */ }
This works great when you're centering a single item or multiple items inside a container. It respects padding and handles dynamic content well.
-
justify-content: center
centers horizontally. -
align-items: center
centers vertically.
Just wrap your target element in a container with these styles, and you're done.

Using Grid (Another Modern Option)
CSS Grid also offers a very clean way to center things:
.container { display: grid; place-items: center; height: 100vh; }
This shortand sets both alignment properties at once — horizontal and vertical centering in one line. It's concise and readable.
Absolute Positioning with Transform (Older Browsers Friendly)
If you need to support older browsers that don't fully support Flexbox or Grid, this method is still solid:
.centered { position: absolute; left: 50%; top: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); }
This positions the element so its top-left corner is in the center of the parent, then pulls it back by half its width and height using the transform
property.
- Works even if the parent isn't a fixed size.
- Good for overlays, modals, toolstips, etc.
Text Alignment vs. Element Centering
Keep in mind that just using text-align: center
only affects inline content like text or inline elements. If you want to center a block-level element like a <div> or a <code><section></section>
, you'll usually need to combine it with other techniques, or better yet, use Flexbox or Grid.
Also, remember that vertical centering is trickier than horizontal — which is why tools like Flexbox were created in the first place.
In short, Flexbox is usually the best bet unless you have specific constraints. But it's good to know a couple of options so you can pick what fits your project best.
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