`grid-auto-flow` CSS property

The grid-auto-flow CSS property controls how the auto-placement algorithm works, specifying exactly how auto-placed items get flowed into the grid.

Try it

grid-auto-flow: row;

grid-auto-flow: column;

grid-auto-flow: row dense;

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

#example-element {
  border: 1px solid #c5c5c5;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: repeat(3, minmax(40px, auto));
  grid-gap: 10px;
  width: 220px;
}

#example-element > div {
  background-color: rgb(0 0 255 / 0.2);
  border: 3px solid blue;
}

#example-element > div:nth-child(1) {
  grid-column: auto / span 2;
}

#example-element > div:nth-child(2) {
  grid-column: auto / span 2;
}

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
grid-auto-flow: row;
grid-auto-flow: column;
grid-auto-flow: dense;
grid-auto-flow: row dense;
grid-auto-flow: column dense;

/* Global values */
grid-auto-flow: inherit;
grid-auto-flow: initial;
grid-auto-flow: revert;
grid-auto-flow: revert-layer;
grid-auto-flow: unset;

This property may take one of two forms:

• a single keyword: one of row, column, or dense.
• two keywords: row dense or column dense.

Values

row

Items are placed by filling each row in turn, adding new rows as necessary. If neither row nor column is provided, row is assumed.

column

Items are placed by filling each column in turn, adding new columns as necessary.

dense

"dense" packing algorithm attempts to fill in holes earlier in the grid, if smaller items come up later. This may cause items to appear out-of-order, when doing so would fill in holes left by larger items.

If it is omitted, a "sparse" algorithm is used, where the placement algorithm only ever moves "forward" in the grid when placing items, never backtracking to fill holes. This ensures that all of the auto-placed items appear "in order", even if this leaves holes that could have been filled by later items.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

grid-auto-flow = 
  [ row | column ] ||
  dense

Examples

Setting grid auto-placement

HTML

<div id="grid">
  <div id="item1"></div>
  <div id="item2"></div>
  <div id="item3"></div>
  <div id="item4"></div>
  <div id="item5"></div>
</div>
<select id="direction">
  <option value="column">column</option>
  <option value="row">row</option>
</select>
<input id="dense" type="checkbox" />
<label for="dense">dense</label>

CSS

#grid {
  height: 200px;
  width: 200px;
  display: grid;
  gap: 10px;
  grid-template: repeat(4, 1fr) / repeat(2, 1fr);
  grid-auto-flow: column; /* or 'row', 'row dense', 'column dense' */
}

#item1 {
  background-color: lime;
  grid-row-start: 3;
}

#item2 {
  background-color: yellow;
}

#item3 {
  background-color: blue;
}

#item4 {
  grid-column-start: 2;
  background-color: red;
}

#item5 {
  background-color: aqua;
}

function changeGridAutoFlow() {
  const grid = document.getElementById("grid");
  const direction = document.getElementById("direction");
  const dense = document.getElementById("dense");
  let gridAutoFlow = direction.value === "row" ? "row" : "column";

  if (dense.checked) {
    gridAutoFlow += " dense";
  }

  grid.style.gridAutoFlow = gridAutoFlow;
}

const selectElem = document.querySelector("select");
const inputElem = document.querySelector("input");
selectElem.addEventListener("change", changeGridAutoFlow);
inputElem.addEventListener("change", changeGridAutoFlow);

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• grid-auto-rows
• grid-auto-columns
• grid
• Auto-placement in grid layout
• Video: Introducing grid auto-placement and order