`outline-offset` CSS property

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It's been available across browsers since April 2017.

The outline-offset CSS property sets the amount of space between an outline and the edge or border of an element.

Try it

outline-offset: 4px;

outline-offset: 0.6rem;

outline-offset: 12px;
outline: 5px dashed blue;

<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <div class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    This is a box with an outline around it.
  </div>
</section>

#example-element {
  border: 2px solid crimson;
  outline: 0.75em solid;
  padding: 0.75em;
  width: 80%;
  height: 100px;
}

Syntax

/* <length> values */
outline-offset: 3px;
outline-offset: 0.2em;

/* Global values */
outline-offset: inherit;
outline-offset: initial;
outline-offset: revert;
outline-offset: revert-layer;
outline-offset: unset;

Values

<length>: The width of the space between the element and its outline. A negative value places the outline inside the element. A value of 0 places the outline so that there is no space between it and the element.

Description

An outline is a line that is drawn around an element, outside the border edge. The space between an element and its outline is transparent. In other words, it is the same as the parent element's background.

Formal definition

Initial value	0
Applies to	all elements
Inherited	no
Computed value	the absolute `<length>`, snapped as a line width
Animation type	a <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/Values/length#interpolation" title="Values of the <length> CSS data type are interpolated as real, floating-point numbers.">length</a>

Formal syntax

outline-offset = 
  <length>

Examples

Setting outline offset in pixels

HTML

<p>Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres.</p>

CSS

p {
  outline: 1px dashed red;
  outline-offset: 10px;
  background: yellow;
  border: 1px solid blue;
  margin: 15px;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Basic User Interface Module Level 4 # outline-offset

Browser compatibility

	Desktop					Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Opera	Safari	Chrome Android	Firefox for Android	Opera Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet	WebView Android	WebView on iOS
`outline-offset`	1	15	1.5 Before Firefox 88, an outline does not follow the shape of `border-radius`.	9.5	1.2	18	4 Before Firefox for Android 88, an outline does not follow the shape of `border-radius`.	14	1	1.0	37	1