description: Quickly manage the layout, alignment, and sizing of grid columns, navigation, components, and more with a full suite of responsive flexbox utilities. For more complex implementations, custom CSS may be necessary.
group: utilities
toc: true
---
## Enable flex behaviors
Apply `display` utilities to create a flexbox container and transform **direct children elements** into flex items. Flex containers and items are able to be modified further with additional flex properties.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex p-2">I'm a flexbox container!</div>
{{</example>}}
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-inline-flex p-2">I'm an inline flexbox container!</div>
{{</example>}}
Responsive variations also exist for `.d-flex` and `.d-inline-flex`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.d{{ .abbr }}-flex`
-`.d{{ .abbr }}-inline-flex`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Direction
Set the direction of flex items in a flex container with direction utilities. In most cases you can omit the horizontal class here as the browser default is `row`. However, you may encounter situations where you needed to explicitly set this value (like responsive layouts).
Use `.flex-row` to set a horizontal direction (the browser default), or `.flex-row-reverse` to start the horizontal direction from the opposite side.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex flex-row mb-3">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 1</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 2</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 3</div>
</div>
<divclass="d-flex flex-row-reverse">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 1</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 2</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 3</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Use `.flex-column` to set a vertical direction, or `.flex-column-reverse` to start the vertical direction from the opposite side.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex flex-column mb-3">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 1</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 2</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 3</div>
</div>
<divclass="d-flex flex-column-reverse">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 1</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 2</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item 3</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Responsive variations also exist for `flex-direction`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-row`
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-row-reverse`
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-column`
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-column-reverse`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Justify content
Use `justify-content` utilities on flexbox containers to change the alignment of flex items on the main axis (the x-axis to start, y-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from `start` (browser default), `end`, `center`, `between`, `around`, or `evenly`.
Responsive variations also exist for `justify-content`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-start`
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-end`
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-center`
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-between`
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-around`
-`.justify-content{{ .abbr }}-evenly`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Align items
Use `align-items` utilities on flexbox containers to change the alignment of flex items on the cross axis (the y-axis to start, x-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from `start`, `end`, `center`, `baseline`, or `stretch` (browser default).
Responsive variations also exist for `align-items`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.align-items{{ .abbr }}-start`
-`.align-items{{ .abbr }}-end`
-`.align-items{{ .abbr }}-center`
-`.align-items{{ .abbr }}-baseline`
-`.align-items{{ .abbr }}-stretch`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Align self
Use `align-self` utilities on flexbox items to individually change their alignment on the cross axis (the y-axis to start, x-axis if `flex-direction: column`). Choose from the same options as `align-items`: `start`, `end`, `center`, `baseline`, or `stretch` (browser default).
Responsive variations also exist for `align-self`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.align-self{{ .abbr }}-start`
-`.align-self{{ .abbr }}-end`
-`.align-self{{ .abbr }}-center`
-`.align-self{{ .abbr }}-baseline`
-`.align-self{{ .abbr }}-stretch`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Fill
Use the `.flex-fill` class on a series of sibling elements to force them into widths equal to their content (or equal widths if their content does not surpass their border-boxes) while taking up all available horizontal space.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex">
<divclass="p-2 flex-fill">Flex item with a lot of content</div>
<divclass="p-2 flex-fill">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2 flex-fill">Flex item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Responsive variations also exist for `flex-fill`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-fill`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Grow and shrink
Use `.flex-grow-*` utilities to toggle a flex item's ability to grow to fill available space. In the example below, the `.flex-grow-1` elements uses all available space it can, while allowing the remaining two flex items their necessary space.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex">
<divclass="p-2 flex-grow-1">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Third flex item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Use `.flex-shrink-*` utilities to toggle a flex item's ability to shrink if necessary. In the example below, the second flex item with `.flex-shrink-1` is forced to wrap its contents to a new line, "shrinking" to allow more space for the previous flex item with `.w-100`.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex">
<divclass="p-2 w-100">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2 flex-shrink-1">Flex item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Responsive variations also exist for `flex-grow` and `flex-shrink`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-0`
-`.flex{{ .abbr }}-{grow|shrink}-1`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Auto margins
Flexbox can do some pretty awesome things when you mix flex alignments with auto margins. Shown below are three examples of controlling flex items via auto margins: default (no auto margin), pushing two items to the right (`.me-auto`), and pushing two items to the left (`.ms-auto`).
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex mb-3">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
</div>
<divclass="d-flex mb-3">
<divclass="me-auto p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
</div>
<divclass="d-flex mb-3">
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="p-2">Flex item</div>
<divclass="ms-auto p-2">Flex item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
### With align-items
Vertically move one flex item to the top or bottom of a container by mixing `align-items`, `flex-direction: column`, and `margin-top: auto` or `margin-bottom: auto`.
Change how flex items wrap in a flex container. Choose from no wrapping at all (the browser default) with `.flex-nowrap`, wrapping with `.flex-wrap`, or reverse wrapping with `.flex-wrap-reverse`.
Change the _visual_ order of specific flex items with a handful of `order` utilities. We only provide options for making an item first or last, as well as a reset to use the DOM order. As `order` takes any integer value from 0 to 5, add custom CSS for any additional values needed.
{{<exampleclass="bd-example-flex">}}
<divclass="d-flex flex-nowrap">
<divclass="order-3 p-2">First flex item</div>
<divclass="order-2 p-2">Second flex item</div>
<divclass="order-1 p-2">Third flex item</div>
</div>
{{</example>}}
Responsive variations also exist for `order`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $bp := $.Site.Data.breakpoints -}}
{{- range (seq 0 5) }}
-`.order{{ $bp.abbr }}-{{ . }}`
{{- end -}}
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
Additionally there are also responsive `.order-first` and `.order-last` classes that change the `order` of an element by applying `order: -1` and `order: 6`, respectively.
Use `align-content` utilities on flexbox containers to align flex items _together_ on the cross axis. Choose from `start` (browser default), `end`, `center`, `between`, `around`, or `stretch`. To demonstrate these utilities, we've enforced `flex-wrap: wrap` and increased the number of flex items.
Responsive variations also exist for `align-content`.
{{<markdown>}}
{{<flex.inline>}}
{{- range $.Site.Data.breakpoints }}
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-start`
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-end`
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-center`
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-between`
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-around`
-`.align-content{{ .abbr }}-stretch`
{{- end -}}
{{</flex.inline>}}
{{</markdown>}}
## Media object
Looking to replicate the [media object component](https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.6/components/media-object/) from Bootstrap 4? Recreate it in no time with a few flex utilities that allow even more flexibility and customization than before.
Flexbox utilities are declared in our utilities API in `scss/_utilities.scss`. [Learn how to use the utilities API.]({{< docsref "/utilities/api#using-the-api" >}})
