break-before

Summary

The break-before CSS property describes the page, column or region break behavior before the generated box. If there is no generated box, the property is ignored.

Each possible break point, that is each element boundary, is under the influence of three properties, the break-after value of the previous element, the break-before value of the next element and the break-inside of the containing element.

To define if a break must be done, the following rules are applied:

1. If any of the three concerned values is a forced break value, that is always, left, right, page, column or region, it has precedence. If several of the concerned values is such a break, the one of the element that appears the latest in the flow is taken (that is the break-before value has precedence over the break-after value, which itself has precedence over the break-inside value).
2. If any of the three concerned values is an avoid break value, that is avoid, avoid-page, avoid-region, avoid-column, no such break will be applied at that point.

Once forced breaks have been applied, soft breaks may be added if needed, but not on element boundaries that resolve in a corresponding avoid value.

Syntax

break-before: auto;
break-before: always;
break-before: left;
break-before: right;
break-before: recto;
break-before: verso;
break-before: page;
break-before: column;
break-before: region;
break-before: avoid;
break-before: avoid-page;
break-before: avoid-column;
break-before: avoid-region;

Values

auto

Initial value. Allows, meaning neither forbid nor force, any break (either page, column or region) to be be inserted before the principle box.

always

Always force page breaks before the principle box. This is a synonym of page, it has been kept to facilitate transition from page-break-before which is subset of this property.

avoid

Prevent any break, either page, column or region, to be inserted right before the principle box.

left

Force one or two page breaks right before the principle box so that the next page is formatted as a left page.

right

Force one or two page breaks right before the principle box so that the next page is formatted as a right page.

page

Always force one page break right before the principle box.

column

Always force one column break right before the principle box.

region

Always force one region break right before the principle box.

recto

Force one or two page breaks right before the principle box so that next page is formatted as a recto page, that is a right page in a left-to-right spread or a left page in a right-to-left spread.

verso

Force one or two page breaks right before the principle box so that next page is formatted as a verso page, that is a left page in a left-to-right spread or a right page in a right-to-left spread.

avoid-page

Avoid any page break right before the principle box.

avoid-column

Avoid any column break right before the principle box.

avoid-region

Avoid any region break right before the principle box.

Formal syntax

auto | avoid | avoid-page | page | left | right | recto | verso | avoid-column | column | avoid-region | region

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[*] WebKit and Blink browsers don't support this property, but some have the non-standard -webkit-column-break-before and -webkit-region-break-before with similar parameters as page-break-before.