display

Summary

The display CSS property specifies the type of rendering box used for an element. In HTML, default display property values are taken from behaviors described in the HTML specifications or from the browser/user default stylesheet. The default value in XML is inline.

In addition to the many different display box types, the value none lets you turn off the display of an element; when you use none, all descendant elements also have their display turned off. The document is rendered as though the element doesn't exist in the document tree.

Syntax

display: none;

display: inline;
display: block;
display: inline-block;
display: contents;
display: list-item;
display: inline-list-item;
display: table;
display: inline-table;
display: table-cell;
display: table-column;
display: table-column-group;
display: table-footer-group;
display: table-header-group;
display: table-row;
display: table-row-group;
display: table-caption;
display: flex;
display: inline-flex;
display: grid;
display: inline-grid;
display: subgrid;
display: ruby;
display: ruby-base;
display: ruby-text;
display: ruby-base-container;
display: ruby-text-container;
display: run-in;

/* Global values */
display: inherit;
display: initial;
display: unset;

Values

display-value

Is a keyword defining the rendering type to apply to the element. Its possible values and their meanings are:

Value set	Value	Description
Basic values (CSS 1)	none	Turns off the display of an element (it has no effect on layout); all descendant elements also have their display turned off. The document is rendered as though the element did not exist. To render an element box's dimensions, yet have its contents be invisible, see the visibility property.
	inline	The element generates one or more inline element boxes.
	block	The element generates a block element box.
	list-item	The element generates a block box for the content and a separate list-item inline box.
Extended values (CSS 2.1)	inline-block	The element generates a block element box that will be flowed with surrounding content as if it were a single inline box (behaving much like a replaced element would)
Table model values (CSS 2.1)	inline-table	The inline-table value does not have a direct mapping in HTML. It behaves like a <table> HTML element, but as an inline box, rather than a block-level box. Inside the table box is a block-level context.
	table	These elements behave like  <table> HTML elements. It defines a block-level box.
	table-caption	These elements behave like <caption> HTML elements.
	table-cell	These elements behave like <td> HTML elements.
	table-column	These elements behave like  <col> HTML elements.
	table-column-group	These elements behave like  <colgroup> HTML elements.
	table-footer-group	These elements behave like <tfoot> HTML elements.
	table-header-group	These elements behave like <thead> HTML elements.
	table-row	These elements behave like <tr> HTML elements.
	table-row-group	These elements behave like <tbody> HTML elements
CSS3 lists values (CSS3)	inline-list-item	The inline-list-item display value makes the element a list item, with the effects described above. Additionally, the outside value of list-style-position computes to inside on this element. Otherwise, this display value is treated identically to inline.
Flexbox model values (CSS3)	flex	The element behaves like a block element and lays out its content according to the flexbox model.
	inline-flex	The element behaves like an inline element and lays out its content according to the flexbox model.
Grid box model values (CSS3)	grid	The element behaves like a block element and lays out its content according to the grid model. As this is experimental, most browsers don't support it. Especially pay attention that -moz-grid is not the prefixed version of this, but a XUL layout model that must not be used on a Web site.
	inline-grid	The element behaves like an inline element and lays out its content according to the grid model.
	subgrid	If the parent element has display:grid, the element itself and its content are laid out according to the grid model.
Ruby formatting model values (CSS3)	ruby	The element behaves like an inline element and lays out its content according to the ruby formatting model. It behaves like the corresponding <ruby> HTML elements.
	ruby-base	These elements behave like <rb> elements.
	ruby-text	These elements behave like <rt> elements.
	ruby-base-container	These elements behave like <rbc> elements generated as anonymous boxes.
	ruby-text-container	These elements behave like <rtc> elements.
Experimental values	run-in	If the run-in box contains a block box, same as block. If a block box follows the run-in box, the run-in box becomes the first inline box of the block box. If an inline box follows, the run-in box becomes a block box.
	contents	These elements don't produce a specific box by themselves. They are replaced by their pseudo-box and their child boxes.
Non-standard values	-moz-box / -webkit-box	The element behaves like a flexible box according to an outdated Flexbox specification.
	-moz-inline-box / -webkit-inline-box	The element behaves like a inline flexible box according to an outdated Flexbox specification.
	-webkit-flex	Alias for flex.
	-webkit-inline-flex	Alias for inline-flex.

Formal syntax

none | inline | block | list-item | inline-list-item | inline-block | inline-table | table | table-cell | table-column | table-column-group | table-footer-group | table-header-group | table-row | table-row-group | flex | inline-flex | grid | inline-grid | run-in | ruby | ruby-base | ruby-text | ruby-base-container | ruby-text-container | contents

Examples

View Live Examples

p.secret  { display: none }
<p style="display:none"> invisible text </p>

Specifications

Browser compatibility

[1] To activate flexbox support, for Firefox 18 and 19, the user has to change the about:config preference "layout.css.flexbox.enabled" to true. Multi-line flexbox are supported since Firefox 28.

[2] In Firefox 36, it the preference governing this feature was off by default.

[3] CSS Ruby support is behind pref "layout.css.ruby.enabled". The user has to change this pref to true to activate this.

[4] Natural inline elements only

[5] Not before inline-elements

[6] See bug 1105868

[7] CSS Grid support is unprefixed in Nightly/Alpha builds and behind pref "layout.css.grid.enabled" in Beta/release builds

See also

• visibility, float, position
• flex