`flex-basis` CSS property

The flex-basis CSS property sets the initial main size of a flex item. It sets the size of the content box unless otherwise set with box-sizing.

Try it

flex-basis: auto;

flex-basis: 0;

flex-basis: 200px;

<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">Item One</div>
  <div>Item Two</div>
  <div>Item Three</div>
</section>

.default-example {
  border: 1px solid #c5c5c5;
  width: auto;
  max-height: 300px;
  display: flex;
}

.default-example > div {
  background-color: rgb(0 0 255 / 0.2);
  border: 3px solid blue;
  margin: 10px;
  flex-grow: 1;
  flex-shrink: 1;
  flex-basis: auto;
}

In this example, the flex-grow and flex-shrink properties are both set to 1 on all three items, indicating that the flex item can grow and shrink from the initial flex-basis.

The demo changes the flex-basis value set on the first flex item, causing it to grow or shrink to fill the available space. The other flex items will also change size; they will be at least min-content-sized. For example, when the flex-basis of the first item is set to 200px, it will start at 200px but then shrink to fit the space available.

If flex-basis is set to a value other than auto and there is a width (or height in case of flex-direction: column) set for that same flex item, the flex-basis value takes precedence.

Syntax

/* Specify <'width'> */
flex-basis: 10em;
flex-basis: 3px;
flex-basis: 50%;
flex-basis: auto;

/* Intrinsic sizing keywords */
flex-basis: max-content;
flex-basis: min-content;
flex-basis: fit-content;

/* Automatically size based on the flex item's content */
flex-basis: content;

/* Global values */
flex-basis: inherit;
flex-basis: initial;
flex-basis: revert;
flex-basis: revert-layer;
flex-basis: unset;

The flex-basis property is specified as either the keyword content or a <'width'>.

Values

content

Indicates automatic sizing, based on the flex item's content.

<'width'>

Any of the following units:

• <length> sets an absolute value.
• <percentage> sets a percentage of the width or height of the containing block's content area. Percentage values of flex-basis are resolved against the flex container. If the flex container's size is indefinite, the used value for flex-basis is content.
• auto uses the value of the width in horizontal writing mode, and the value of the height in vertical writing mode; when the corresponding value is also auto, the content value is used instead.
• max-content sets the intrinsic preferred width.
• min-content sets the intrinsic minimum width.
• fit-content sets the maximum possible size of a containing block's content area, bounded by the min-content and max-content values, and calculated based on the content of the current element.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

flex-basis = 
  content |
  <'width'>

Examples

Setting flex item initial sizes

HTML

<ul class="container">
  <li class="flex flex1">1: flex-basis test</li>
  <li class="flex flex2">2: flex-basis test</li>
  <li class="flex flex3">3: flex-basis test</li>
  <li class="flex flex4">4: flex-basis test</li>
  <li class="flex flex5">5: flex-basis test</li>
</ul>

<ul class="container">
  <li class="flex flex6">6: flex-basis test</li>
</ul>

CSS

.container {
  font-family: "Arial", sans-serif;
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  list-style-type: none;
  display: flex;
  flex-wrap: wrap;
}

.flex {
  background: #6ab6d8;
  padding: 10px;
  margin-bottom: 50px;
  border: 3px solid #2e86bb;
  color: white;
  font-size: 14px;
  text-align: center;
  position: relative;
}

.flex::after {
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 1;
  left: 0;
  top: 100%;
  margin-top: 10px;
  width: 100%;
  color: #333333;
  font-size: 12px;
}

.flex1 {
  flex-basis: auto;
}

.flex1::after {
  content: "auto";
}

.flex2 {
  flex-basis: max-content;
}

.flex2::after {
  content: "max-content";
}

.flex3 {
  flex-basis: min-content;
}

.flex3::after {
  content: "min-content";
}

.flex4 {
  flex-basis: fit-content;
}

.flex4::after {
  content: "fit-content";
}

.flex5 {
  flex-basis: content;
}

.flex5::after {
  content: "content";
}

Results

Flex basis 0 vs 0%

This example demonstrates the difference between a flex-basis of 0 versus a flex-basis of 0% when flex-direction is set to column and the flex containers and flex items don't have a set height; while 0 is an absolute length, percentage flex-basis values resolve to content values.

HTML

We include two same-structure flex containers, which will be styled similarly except for their flex-basis values. The containers each have two children: a heading <div> and a <section>. The <section> element has a content <div> child, which will not be set as a flex item but will be given a height.

<div class="container basis-0">
  <div>heading</div>
  <section>
    <div class="content">flex-basis: 0;</div>
  </section>
</div>
<div class="container basis-0-percent">
  <div>heading</div>
  <section>
    <div class="content">flex-basis: 0%;</div>
  </section>
</div>

CSS

We style the containers as inline flex containers that will appear side by side to better enable comparing them. We set the flex-direction to column. The first container's flex items have a flex-basis value of 0, while the second container's flex items have a flex-basis value of 0%. Neither the flex containers nor their flex items have a height explicitly set; however, the heights of section elements must be at least 200px, and their children have a height of 300px.

.container {
  width: 40vw;
  padding: 1rem;
  border: 1px dashed blue;

  display: inline-flex;
  flex-direction: column;
}

section {
  outline: 1px solid red;

  overflow: auto;
  min-height: 200px;
}

.content {
  background: wheat;
  height: 300px;
}

.container.basis-0 > * {
  flex-basis: 0;
}
.container.basis-0-percent > * {
  flex-basis: 0%;
}

Results

In the first container, with flex-basis: 0, the <section> element has an initial main size of zero, and it grows to the 200px minimum height. In the second container, with flex-basis: 0%, the <section> element has an initial main size of 300px because, as the flex container doesn't have a set height, the percentage flex-basis values resolve to the content value.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• flex shorthand
• inline-size
• Basic concepts of flexbox
• Controlling ratios of flex items along the main axis
• CSS flexible box layout module