CSS overflow

The CSS overflow module properties enable you to handle scrollable overflow in visual media.

Overflow happens when the content in an element box extends past one or more of the box's edges. Scrollable overflow is the content that appears outside the element box for which you might want to add a scrolling mechanism. CSS overflow properties let you control what happens when content overflows an element box.

Painting effects that overflow the content but do not participate in the CSS box model do not affect layout. This type of overflow is also known as ink overflow. Examples of ink overflows include box shadows, border images, text decoration, overhanging glyphs, and outlines. Ink overflows do not extend the scrollable overflow region.

Overflow in action

Try the following example to see the effects of various overflow property values on the content overflow and scrollbars in the adjacent fixed-size box.

The example includes options to change the values for the overflow-clip-margin and width properties, as well as to programmatically scroll the content if the overflow property creates a scroll container. Select overflow: clip and see the effect of different overflow-clip-margin values. Select overflow: hidden or overflow: scroll to check out the various ScrollLeft and ScrollTop slider settings.

A link is included in the content box above to demonstrate the effects of keyboard focus on overflow and scroll behaviors. Try tabbing to the link or programmatically scrolling the content: the content will scroll only if the enumerated <overflow> value creates a scroll container.

Reference

CSS properties

Note: The CSS overflow module level 4 introduces the block-ellipsis, continue, line-clamp, and max-lines properties. These have not yet been implemented.

Data types

<overflow> enumerated values

Guides

Overflowing content: CSS building block: learn what overflow is and how to manage it.
Creating a named scroll progress timeline animation: The CSS scroll timeline scroll-timeline-name and scroll-timeline-axis properties, along with the scroll-timeline shorthand, create animations tied to the scroll offset of a scroll container.

Related concepts

scrollbar-width CSS property
scrollbar-color CSS property
scrollbar-gutter CSS property
scroll-behavior CSS property
scroll-margin CSS shorthand property
scroll-padding CSS shorthand property
scroll-snap-align CSS property
scroll-snap-stop CSS property
scroll-snap-type CSS property
text-overflow CSS property
::-webkit-scrollbar pseudo-element
scrollbar ARIA role
Element scroll() method
Element scrollBy() method
Element scrollIntoView() method
Element scrollTo() method
Element scrollTop property
Element scrollLeft property
Element scrollWidth property
Element scrollHeight property
Document scroll event
Scroll container glossary term
Ink overflow glossary term

Specifications

Specification
Unknown specification
Unknown specification