`place-self` CSS property

The place-self CSS shorthand property allows you to align an individual item in both the block and inline directions at once (i.e., the align-self and justify-self properties). This property applies to block-level boxes, absolutely-positioned boxes, and grid items. If the second value is not present, the first value is also used for it.

Try it

place-self: stretch center;

place-self: center start;

place-self: start end;

place-self: end center;

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

.example-container {
  border: 1px solid #c5c5c5;
  display: grid;
  width: 220px;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
  grid-auto-rows: 80px;
  grid-gap: 10px;
}

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

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

• align-self
• justify-self

Syntax

/* Positional alignment */
place-self: auto center;
place-self: normal start;
place-self: center normal;
place-self: start auto;
place-self: end normal;
place-self: self-start auto;
place-self: self-end normal;
place-self: flex-start auto;
place-self: flex-end normal;
place-self: anchor-center;

/* Baseline alignment */
place-self: baseline normal;
place-self: first baseline auto;
place-self: last baseline normal;
place-self: stretch auto;

/* Global values */
place-self: inherit;
place-self: initial;
place-self: revert;
place-self: revert-layer;
place-self: unset;

Values

This property is specified as one or two of the following keyword values:

auto

Computes to the parent's align-items value.

normal

The effect of this keyword is dependent of the layout mode we are in:

• In absolutely-positioned layouts, the keyword behaves like start on replaced absolutely-positioned boxes, and as stretch on all other absolutely-positioned boxes.
• In static position of absolutely-positioned layouts, the keyword behaves as stretch.
• For flex items, the keyword behaves as stretch.
• For grid items, this keyword leads to a behavior similar to the one of stretch, except for boxes with an aspect ratio or an intrinsic size where it behaves like start.
• The property doesn't apply to block-level boxes, and to table cells.

self-start

Aligns the items to be flush with the edge of the alignment container corresponding to the item's start side in the cross axis.

self-end

Aligns the items to be flush with the edge of the alignment container corresponding to the item's end side in the cross axis.

flex-start

The cross-start margin edge of the flex item is flushed with the cross-start edge of the line.

flex-end

The cross-end margin edge of the flex item is flushed with the cross-end edge of the line.

center

The flex item's margin box is centered within the line on the cross-axis. If the cross-size of the item is larger than the flex container, it will overflow equally in both directions.

baseline, first baseline. last baseline

Specifies participation in first- or last-baseline alignment: aligns the alignment baseline of the box's first or last baseline set with the corresponding baseline in the shared first or last baseline set of all the boxes in its baseline-sharing group. The fallback alignment for first baseline is start, the one for last baseline is end.

stretch

If the combined size of the items along the cross axis is less than the size of the alignment container and the item is auto-sized, its size is increased equally (not proportionally), while still respecting the constraints imposed by max-height/max-width (or equivalent functionality), so that the combined size of all auto-sized items exactly fills the alignment container along the cross axis.

anchor-center

In the case of anchor-positioned elements, aligns the item to the center of the associated anchor element in the block and inline direction. See Centering on the anchor using anchor-center.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

place-self = 
  <'align-self'> <'justify-self'>?

Examples

Basic demonstration

In the following example we have a 2 x 2 grid layout. Initially the grid container has justify-items and align-items values of stretch — the defaults — which causes the grid items to stretch across the entire width of their cells.

The second, third, and fourth grid items are then given different values of place-self, to show how these override the default placements. These values cause the grid items to span only as wide/tall as their content width/height, and align in different positions across their cells, in the block and inline directions.

HTML

<article class="container">
  <span>First</span>
  <span>Second</span>
  <span>Third</span>
  <span>Fourth</span>
</article>

CSS

html {
  font-family: "Helvetica", "Arial", sans-serif;
  letter-spacing: 1px;
}

article {
  background-color: red;
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
  grid-auto-rows: 80px;
  grid-gap: 10px;
  margin: 20px;
  width: 300px;
}

span:nth-child(2) {
  place-self: start center;
}

span:nth-child(3) {
  place-self: center start;
}

span:nth-child(4) {
  place-self: end;
}

article span {
  background-color: black;
  color: white;
  margin: 1px;
  text-align: center;
}

article,
span {
  padding: 10px;
  border-radius: 7px;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• align-self
• justify-self
• Basic concepts of flexbox
• Aligning items in a flex container
• Box alignment in grid layout
• CSS box alignment module