max-height

Summary

The max-height property is used to set the maximum height of an element. It prevents the used value of the height property from becoming larger than the value specified for max-height.

max-height overrides height, but min-height overrides max-height.

Initial value	`none`
Applies to	all elements but non-replaced inline elements, table columns, and column groups
Inherited	no
Percentages	The percentage is calculated with respect to the height of the generated box's containing block. If the height of the containing block is not specified explicitly (i.e., it depends on content height), and this element is not absolutely positioned, the percentage value is treated as `none`.
Media	visual
Computed value	the percentage as specified or the absolute length or `none`
Animatable	yes, as a length, percentage or calc(); when both values are lengths, they are interpolated as lengths; when both values are percentages, they are interpolated as percentages; otherwise, both values are converted into a `calc()` function that is the sum of a length and a percentage (each possibly zero), and these `calc()` functions have each half interpolated as real numbers.
Canonical order	the unique non-ambiguous order defined by the formal grammar

Syntax

/* <length> value */
max-height: 3.5em;

/* <percentage> value */
max-height: 75%;

/* Keyword values */
max-height: none;
max-height: max-content;
max-height: min-content;
max-height: fit-content;
max-height: fill-available;

/* Global values */
max-height: inherit;
max-height: initial;
max-height: unset;

Values

<length>: A fixed maximum height. See <length> for possible units.
<percentage>: The <percentage> is calculated with respect to the height of the containing block. If the height of the containing block is not specified explicitly, the percentage value is treated as zero.
none: No limit on the height of the box.
max-content: The intrinsic preferred height.
min-content: The intrinsic minimum height.
fill-available: The containing block height minus vertical margin, border and padding. Some browsers implement an ancient name for this keyword, available.
fit-content: The same as max-content.

Formal syntax

<length> | <percentage> | none | max-content | min-content | fit-content | fill-available

Examples

table { max-height: 75%; }

form { max-height: none; }

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Intrinsic & Extrinsic Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'max-height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Adds the `max-content`, `min-content`, `fit-content`, and `fill-available` keywords. Both CSS3 Box and CSS3 Writing Modes drafts defined at some point these keywords. These drafts are superseded by this spec.
CSS Transitions The definition of 'max-height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Defines `max-height` as animatable.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'max-height' in that specification.	Recommendation	Initial definition

Feature	Chrome	Firefox (Gecko)	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari (WebKit)
Basic support	1.0	1.0 (1.7 or earlier)	7.0	7.0	1.0
applies to `<table>` [1]	No support	(Yes)	No support	(Yes)	No support
`max-content`, `min-content`, and `fit-content`	No support [3]	3.0 (1.9)-moz [2]	No support	No support	9[3](bug)
`fill-available`	No support	No support bug 527285	No support	No support	No support

Feature	Android	Firefox Mobile (Gecko)	IE Phone	Opera Mobile	Safari Mobile
Basic support	?	?	?	?	?
applies to `<table>` [1]	?	?	?	?	?
`max-content`, `min-content`, and `fit-content`	?	?	?	?	9[3](bug)
`fill-available`	?	?	?	?	?

[1] CSS 2.1 explicitely leaves the behavior of max-height with <table> undefined. Therefore any behavior is CSS2.1-compliant; newer CSS specifications may define this behavior, so Web developers shouldn't rely on a specific one now.

[2] Gecko experimentally implements the definitions given in CSS3 Basic Box. This one defines available and not fill-available. Also the definition of fit-content is simpler than in CSS3 Sizing.

[3] WebKit implements an earlier proposal for setting the height to an intrinsic height: the keywords intrinsic, instead of max-content, and min-intrinsic, instead of min-content. There is no equivalent for fill-available or fit-content.