min-height

Summary

The min-height property is used to set the minimum height of a given element. It prevents the used value of the height property from becoming smaller than the value specified for min-height.

The value of min-height overrides both max-height and height.

Initial value	`0`
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 `0`.
Media	visual
Computed value	the percentage as specified or the absolute length
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 */
min-height: 3.5em;

/* <percentage> value */
min-height: 10%;

/* Keyword values */
min-height: max-content;
min-height: min-content;
min-height: fit-content;
min-height: fill-available;

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

Values

<length>: The fixed minimum height. See <length> for possible units. Negative values make the declaration invalid.
<percentage>: The fixed minimum height expressed as a <percentage> of containing block's height. Negative values make the declaration invalid.

auto: The default minimum size for flex items, providing a more reasonable default than 0 for other layouts.

max-content: The intrinsic preferred height.
min-content: The intrinsic minimum height.
fill-available: The containing block height minus horizontal margin, border and padding. Some browsers implement an ancient name for this keyword, available.
fit-content: According CSS3 Box, this is a synonym of min-content. CSS3 Sizing defines a more complex algorithm, but no browser implements it, even in an experimental way.

Formal syntax

<length> | <percentage> | auto | max-content | min-content | fit-content | fill-available

Examples

table { min-height: 75%; }

form { min-height: 0; }

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Intrinsic & Extrinsic Sizing Module Level 3 The definition of 'min-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 Flexible Box Layout Module The definition of 'min-height' in that specification.	Candidate Recommendation	Added the `auto` keyword and used it as the initial value.
CSS Transitions The definition of 'min-height' in that specification.	Working Draft	Defines `min-height` as animatable.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of 'min-height' in that specification.	Recommendation	Initial definition

Feature	Chrome	Firefox (Gecko)	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari (WebKit)
Basic support	1.0	3.0 (1.9)	7.0 [3]	4.0	1.0 2.0.2 (416) for positioned elements
applies to `<table>` [1]	No support	(Yes)	No support	(Yes)	No support
`max-content`, `min-content`, `fit-content`, and `fill-available`	No support	No support	No support	No support	9
`auto`Obsolete since Gecko 22	21.0	16.0 (16.0)	No support	12.10	No support
`auto` as initial valueObsolete since Gecko 22	21.0	18.0 (18.0)	No support	12.10	No support

Feature	Android	Firefox Mobile (Gecko)	IE Phone	Opera Mobile	Safari Mobile
Basic support	?	?	?	?	9

[1] CSS 2.1 explicitly leaves the behavior of min-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] Due to bug (bug 307866) Firefox doesn't handle min-height on elements with display: table-*.

[3] In Internet Explorer 10-11 (but not 12+), a min-height declaration on a column-direction flex container doesn't apply to the container's flex items. See Flexbug #3 for more info.