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# Spacing

Bootstrap includes a wide range of shorthand responsive margin, padding, and gap utility classes to modify an element’s appearance.

## Margin and padding

Assign responsive-friendly `margin` or `padding` values to an element or a subset of its sides with shorthand classes. Includes support for individual properties, all properties, and vertical and horizontal properties. Classes are built from a default Sass map ranging from `.25rem` to `3rem`.

Using the CSS Grid layout module? Consider using the gap utility.

### Notation

Spacing utilities that apply to all breakpoints, from `xs` to `xxl`, have no breakpoint abbreviation in them. This is because those classes are applied from `min-width: 0` and up, and thus are not bound by a media query. The remaining breakpoints, however, do include a breakpoint abbreviation.

The classes are named using the format `{property}{sides}-{size}` for `xs` and `{property}{sides}-{breakpoint}-{size}` for `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `xl`, and `xxl`.

Where property is one of:

- `m` - for classes that set `margin`
- `p` - for classes that set `padding`

Where sides is one of:

- `t` - for classes that set `margin-top` or `padding-top`
- `b` - for classes that set `margin-bottom` or `padding-bottom`
- `s` - (start) for classes that set `margin-left` or `padding-left` in LTR, `margin-right` or `padding-right` in RTL
- `e` - (end) for classes that set `margin-right` or `padding-right` in LTR, `margin-left` or `padding-left` in RTL
- `x` - for classes that set both `*-left` and `*-right`
- `y` - for classes that set both `*-top` and `*-bottom`
- blank - for classes that set a `margin` or `padding` on all 4 sides of the element

Where size is one of:

- `0` - for classes that eliminate the `margin` or `padding` by setting it to `0`
- `1` - (by default) for classes that set the `margin` or `padding` to `$spacer * .25`
- `2` - (by default) for classes that set the `margin` or `padding` to `$spacer * .5`
- `3` - (by default) for classes that set the `margin` or `padding` to `$spacer`
- `4` - (by default) for classes that set the `margin` or `padding` to `$spacer * 1.5`
- `5` - (by default) for classes that set the `margin` or `padding` to `$spacer * 3`
- `auto` - for classes that set the `margin` to auto

(You can add more sizes by adding entries to the `$spacers` Sass map variable.)

### Examples

Here are some representative examples of these classes:

    .mt-0 {
      margin-top: 0 !important;
    }

    .ms-1 {
      margin-left: ($spacer * .25) !important;
    }

    .px-2 {
      padding-left: ($spacer * .5) !important;
      padding-right: ($spacer * .5) !important;
    }

    .p-3 {
      padding: $spacer !important;
    }

### Horizontal centering

Additionally, Bootstrap also includes an `.mx-auto` class for horizontally centering fixed-width block level content—that is, content that has `display: block` and a `width` set—by setting the horizontal margins to `auto`.

Centered element

    <div class="mx-auto" style="width: 200px;">
      Centered element
    </div>

## Negative margin

In CSS, `margin` properties can utilize negative values (`padding` cannot). These negative margins are disabled by default, but can be enabled in Sass by setting `$enable-negative-margins: true`.

The syntax is nearly the same as the default, positive margin utilities, but with the addition of `n` before the requested size. Here’s an example class that’s the opposite of `.mt-1`:

    .mt-n1 {
      margin-top: -0.25rem !important;
    }

## Gap

When using `display: grid`, you can make use of `gap` utilities on the parent grid container. This can save on having to add margin utilities to individual grid items (children of a `display: grid` container). Gap utilities are responsive by default, and are generated via our utilities API, based on the `$spacers` Sass map.

Grid item 1
Grid item 2
Grid item 3

    <div class="d-grid gap-3">
      <div class="p-2 bg-light border">Grid item 1</div>
      <div class="p-2 bg-light border">Grid item 2</div>
      <div class="p-2 bg-light border">Grid item 3</div>
    </div>

Support includes responsive options for all of Bootstrap’s grid breakpoints, as well as six sizes from the `$spacers` map (`0`–`5`). There is no `.gap-auto` utility class as it’s effectively the same as `.gap-0`.

## Sass

### Maps

Spacing utilities are declared via Sass map and then generated with our utilities API.

    $spacer: 1rem;
    $spacers: (
      0: 0,
      1: $spacer * .25,
      2: $spacer * .5,
      3: $spacer,
      4: $spacer * 1.5,
      5: $spacer * 3,
    );

    $negative-spacers: if($enable-negative-margins, negativify-map($spacers), null);

### Utilities API

Spacing utilities are declared in our utilities API in `scss/_utilities.scss`. Learn how to use the utilities API.

        "margin": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin,
          class: m,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-x": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-right margin-left,
          class: mx,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-y": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-top margin-bottom,
          class: my,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-top": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-top,
          class: mt,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-end": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-right,
          class: me,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-bottom": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-bottom,
          class: mb,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        "margin-start": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-left,
          class: ms,
          values: map-merge($spacers, (auto: auto))
        ),
        // Negative margin utilities
        "negative-margin": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin,
          class: m,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-x": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-right margin-left,
          class: mx,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-y": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-top margin-bottom,
          class: my,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-top": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-top,
          class: mt,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-end": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-right,
          class: me,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-bottom": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-bottom,
          class: mb,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        "negative-margin-start": (
          responsive: true,
          property: margin-left,
          class: ms,
          values: $negative-spacers
        ),
        // Padding utilities
        "padding": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding,
          class: p,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-x": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-right padding-left,
          class: px,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-y": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-top padding-bottom,
          class: py,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-top": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-top,
          class: pt,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-end": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-right,
          class: pe,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-bottom": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-bottom,
          class: pb,
          values: $spacers
        ),
        "padding-start": (
          responsive: true,
          property: padding-left,
          class: ps,
          values: $spacers
        ),