Box

The box component provides a generic, flexible container for custom designs and layouts. Use box to apply styling like backgrounds, padding, borders, or border radius when existing components don't meet your needs, or to nest and group other components.

Box contents maintain their natural size, making it especially useful within layout components that would otherwise stretch their children. For structured layouts, use stack or grid.

Anchor to PropertiesProperties

Configure the following properties on the box component.

Anchor to accessibilityRole accessibilityRole Default: 'generic' required: The semantic meaning of the component’s content. When set, the role will be used by assistive technologies to help users navigate the page.
Anchor to background background Default: 'transparent' required: The background color of the component.
Anchor to blockSize blockSize Default: 'auto' required: The vertical size of the element in standard layouts (height in left-to-right or right-to-left writing modes).

Block size adjusts based on the writing direction: in horizontal layouts, it controls the height; in vertical layouts, it controls the width. This ensures consistent behavior across different text directions.

Learn more about block-size.
Anchor to minBlockSize minBlockSize Default: '0' required: The minimum height in horizontal writing modes, or minimum width in vertical writing modes. Prevents the element from shrinking below this size.

Learn more about min-block-size.
Anchor to maxBlockSize maxBlockSize Default: 'none' required: The maximum height in horizontal writing modes, or maximum width in vertical writing modes. Prevents the element from growing beyond this size.

Learn more about max-block-size.
Anchor to inlineSize inlineSize Default: 'auto' required: The width in horizontal writing modes, or height in vertical writing modes. Use this for flow-relative sizing that adapts to text direction. Learn more about inline-size.
Anchor to minInlineSize minInlineSize Default: '0' required: The minimum width in horizontal writing modes, or minimum height in vertical writing modes. Prevents the element from shrinking below this size.

Learn more about min-inline-size.
Anchor to maxInlineSize maxInlineSize Default: 'none' required: The maximum width in horizontal writing modes, or maximum height in vertical writing modes. Prevents the element from growing beyond this size.

Learn more about max-inline-size.
Anchor to overflow overflow "visible" | "hidden" Default: 'visible' required: The overflow behavior of the element.

visible: the content that extends beyond the element’s container is visible.

hidden: clips the content when it is larger than the element’s container. The element will not be scrollable and the users will not be able to access the clipped content by dragging or using a scroll wheel on a mouse.
Anchor to padding padding <<>> Default: 'none' required: The padding applied to all edges of the component.

Supports 1-to-4-value syntax using flow-relative values:

1 value applies to all sides

2 values apply to block (top/bottom) and inline (left/right)

3 values apply to block-start (top), inline (left/right), and block-end (bottom)

4 values apply to block-start (top), inline-end (right), block-end (bottom), and inline-start (left)

Examples: base, large none, base large-100 base small

Use auto to inherit padding from the nearest container with removed padding. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingBlock paddingBlock <"" | <>> Default: '' - meaning no override required: The block-direction padding (top and bottom in horizontal writing modes).

Accepts a single value for both sides or two space-separated values for block-start and block-end.

Example: large none applies large to the top and none to the bottom.

Overrides the block value from padding. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingBlockStart paddingBlockStart <"" | > Default: '' - meaning no override required: The block-start padding (top in horizontal writing modes).

Overrides the block-start value from paddingBlock. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingBlockEnd paddingBlockEnd <"" | > Default: '' - meaning no override required: The block-end padding (bottom in horizontal writing modes).

Overrides the block-end value from paddingBlock. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingInline paddingInline <"" | <>> Default: '' - meaning no override required: The inline-direction padding (left and right in horizontal writing modes).

Accepts a single value for both sides or two space-separated values for inline-start and inline-end.

Example: large none applies large to the left and none to the right.

Overrides the inline value from padding. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingInlineStart paddingInlineStart <"" | > Default: '' - meaning no override required: The inline-start padding (left in LTR writing modes, right in RTL).

Overrides the inline-start value from paddingInline. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to paddingInlineEnd paddingInlineEnd <"" | > Default: '' - meaning no override required: The inline-end padding (right in LTR writing modes, left in RTL).

Overrides the inline-end value from paddingInline. Also accepts a responsive value string with the supported PaddingKeyword as a query value.
Anchor to border border Default: 'none' - equivalent to `none base auto`. required: A border applied using shorthand syntax to specify width, color, and style in a single property.
Anchor to borderWidth borderWidth "" | <"small" | "small-100" | "base" | "large" | "large-100" | "none"> Default: '' - meaning no override required: The thickness of the border on all sides. When set, this overrides the width value specified in the border property.
Anchor to borderStyle borderStyle "" | <> Default: '' - meaning no override required: The visual style of the border on all sides, such as solid, dashed, or dotted. When set, this overrides the style value specified in the border property.
Anchor to borderColor borderColor "" | Default: '' - meaning no override required: The color of the border using the design system's color scale. When set, this overrides the color value specified in the border property.
Anchor to borderRadius borderRadius <> Default: 'none' required: The roundedness of the element's corners using the design system's radius scale.
Anchor to accessibilityLabel accessibilityLabel string required: A label that describes the purpose or content of the component for assistive technologies like screen readers. Use this to provide additional context when the visible content alone doesn't clearly convey the component's purpose.
Anchor to accessibilityVisibility accessibilityVisibility "visible" | "hidden" | "exclusive" Default: 'visible' required: The visibility mode of the element for both visual and assistive technology users.

visible: The element is visible to all users (both sighted users and screen readers).

hidden: The element is visually visible but hidden from screen readers. Use this for decorative elements that don't provide meaningful information.

exclusive: The element is visually hidden but announced by screen readers. Use this for screen-reader-only content like skip links or additional context.
Anchor to display display <"auto" | "none"> Default: 'auto' required: The outer display type of the component. The outer type sets a component's participation in flow layout.

auto the component's initial value. The actual value depends on the component and context.

none hides the component from display and removes it from the accessibility tree, making it invisible to screen readers.

AccessibilityRole

Defines the semantic role of a component for assistive technologies like screen readers. Accessibility roles help users with disabilities understand the purpose and structure of content. These roles map to HTML elements and ARIA roles, providing semantic meaning beyond visual presentation. Use these roles to: - Improve navigation for screen reader users - Provide semantic structure to your UI - Ensure proper interpretation by assistive technologies Learn more about [ARIA roles](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Accessibility/ARIA/Roles) in the MDN web docs. - `main`: Indicates the primary content area of the page. - `header`: Marks a component as a header containing introductory content or navigation. - `footer`: Designates content containing information like copyright, navigation links, or privacy statements. - `section`: Defines a generic thematic grouping of content that should have a heading or accessible label. - `aside`: Marks supporting content that relates to but is separate from the main content. - `navigation`: Identifies major groups of navigation links for moving around the site or page. - `ordered-list`: Represents a list where the order of items is meaningful. - `list-item`: Identifies an individual item within a list. - `list-item-separator`: Acts as a visual and semantic divider between items in a list. - `unordered-list`: Represents a list where the order of items is not meaningful. - `separator`: Creates a divider that separates and distinguishes sections of content. - `status`: Defines a live region for advisory information that is not urgent enough to be an alert. - `alert`: Marks important, time-sensitive information that requires the user's immediate attention. - `generic`: Creates a semantically neutral container element with no inherent meaning. - `presentation`: Removes semantic meaning from an element while preserving its visual appearance. - `none`: Synonym for `presentation`, removes semantic meaning while keeping visual styling.

'main' | 'header' | 'footer' | 'section' | 'aside' | 'navigation' | 'ordered-list' | 'list-item' | 'list-item-separator' | 'unordered-list' | 'separator' | 'status' | 'alert' | 'generic' | 'presentation' | 'none'

BackgroundColorKeyword

Defines the background color intensity or emphasis level for UI elements. - `transparent`: No background, allowing the underlying surface to show through. - `ColorKeyword`: Applies color intensity levels (subdued, base, strong) to create spatial emphasis and containment.

'transparent' | ColorKeyword

ColorKeyword

Defines the color intensity or emphasis level for text and UI elements. - `subdued`: Deemphasized color for secondary text, supporting labels, and less critical interface elements. - `base`: Primary color for body text, standard UI elements, and general content with good readability. - `strong`: Emphasized color for headings, key labels, and interactive elements that need prominence.

'subdued' | 'base' | 'strong'

SizeUnitsOrAuto

Represents size values that can also be set to `auto` for automatic sizing. - `SizeUnits`: Specific size values in pixels, percentages, or zero for precise control. - `auto`: Automatically sizes based on content and layout constraints.

SizeUnits | 'auto'

SizeUnits

Represents size values in pixels, percentages, or zero. - `${number}px`: Absolute size in pixels for fixed dimensions (such as `100px`, `24px`). - `${number}%`: Relative size as a percentage of the parent container (such as `50%`, `100%`). - `0`: Zero size, equivalent to no dimension.

`${number}px` | `${number}%` | `0`

SizeUnitsOrNone

Represents size values that can also be set to `none` to remove the size constraint. - `SizeUnits`: Specific size values in pixels, percentages, or zero for precise control. - `none`: No size constraint, allowing unlimited growth.

SizeUnits | 'none'

MaybeResponsive

Makes a property responsive by allowing it to be set conditionally based on container query conditions. The value can be either a base value or a container query string. - `T`: Base value that applies in all conditions. - `@container${string}`: Container query string for conditional responsive styling based on container size.

T | `@container${string}`

MaybeAllValuesShorthandProperty

Represents CSS shorthand properties that accept one to four values. Supports specifying values for all four sides: top, right, bottom, and left. - `T`: Single value that applies to all four sides. - `${T} ${T}`: Two values for block axis (top/bottom) and inline axis (left/right). - `${T} ${T} ${T}`: Three values for block-start (top), inline axis (left/right), and block-end (bottom). - `${T} ${T} ${T} ${T}`: Four values for block-start (top), inline-end (right), block-end (bottom), and inline-start (left).

T | `${T} ${T}` | `${T} ${T} ${T}` | `${T} ${T} ${T} ${T}`

PaddingKeyword

Defines the padding size for elements, using the standard size scale or `none` for no padding. - `SizeKeyword`: Standard padding sizes from the size scale for consistent spacing. - `none`: No padding.

SizeKeyword | 'none'

SizeKeyword

Defines component sizes using a consistent scale from extra small to extra large. - `small-500` through `small-100`: Extra small to small sizes, progressively increasing. - `small`: Standard small size. - `base`: Default medium size that works well in most contexts. - `large`: Standard large size. - `large-100` through `large-500`: Large to extra large sizes, progressively increasing.

'small-500' | 'small-400' | 'small-300' | 'small-200' | 'small-100' | 'small' | 'base' | 'large' | 'large-100' | 'large-200' | 'large-300' | 'large-400' | 'large-500'

MaybeTwoValuesShorthandProperty

Represents CSS shorthand properties that accept one or two values. Supports specifying the same value for both dimensions or different values. - `T`: Single value that applies to both dimensions. - `${T} ${T}`: Two values for block axis (vertical) and inline axis (horizontal).

T | `${T} ${T}`

BorderShorthand

Represents a shorthand for defining a border. It can be a combination of size, optionally followed by color, optionally followed by style.

BorderSizeKeyword | `${BorderSizeKeyword} ${ColorKeyword}` | `${BorderSizeKeyword} ${ColorKeyword} ${BorderStyleKeyword}`

BorderSizeKeyword

Defines the width of borders, using the standard size scale or `none` for no border. - `SizeKeyword`: Standard border widths from the size scale for consistent thickness. - `none`: No border width (removes the border).

SizeKeyword | 'none'

BorderStyleKeyword

Defines the visual style of borders. - `none`: No border is displayed. - `solid`: A single solid line. - `dashed`: A series of short dashes. - `dotted`: A series of dots. - `auto`: Automatically determined based on context.

'none' | 'solid' | 'dashed' | 'dotted' | 'auto'

BoxBorderStyles

Represents the subset of border style values supported by the box component. - `auto`: Default border style determined by the system. - `none`: No border style (removes the border). - `solid`: Continuous line border. - `dashed`: Border made up of dashes.

'auto' | 'none' | 'solid' | 'dashed'

BoxBorderRadii

Represents the subset of border radius values supported by the component. - `small-200`: Extra small radius for subtle rounding. - `small-100`: Small radius for minimal corner rounding. - `small`: Standard small radius. - `base`: Medium radius for moderate corner rounding. - `large`: Standard large radius for pronounced rounding. - `large-100`: Large radius for more prominent corner rounding. - `large-200`: Extra large radius for maximum rounding. - `none`: No border radius (sharp corners).

'small' | 'small-200' | 'small-100' | 'base' | 'large' | 'large-100' | 'large-200' | 'none'

Anchor to SlotsSlots

The box component supports slots for additional content placement within the component. Learn more about using slots.

Anchor to children children HTMLElement: The content displayed within the box component, which serves as a flexible container for organizing and styling other components.

Anchor to ExamplesExamples

Anchor to Add a content containerAdd a content container

Create a container with padding and optional visual styling. This example shows a plain box and a styled box with background, border, and rounded corners.

Preview

html

<s-box padding="base">Available for iPad, iPhone, and Android.</s-box>

<s-box padding="base" background="subdued" border="base" borderRadius="base">

Available for iPad, iPhone, and Android.

</s-box>

Anchor to Adapt spacing with responsive paddingAdapt spacing with responsive padding

Use responsive padding values with container queries to adapt spacing based on available width. This example shows a shipping notice that adjusts its padding depending on the container size.

Preview

html

<s-query-container>

<s-box

padding="@container (inline-size > 400px) base, large-200"

background="base"

borderWidth="base"

borderColor="base"

<s-paragraph>Your order will be processed within 2-3 business days</s-paragraph>

</s-box>

</s-query-container>

Anchor to Announce dynamic updates with a live regionAnnounce dynamic updates with a live region

Set the accessibilityRole property to status to create a live region. When your code updates the text inside this box , screen readers automatically announce the new content. Use this for any content that updates dynamically.

Preview

html

<s-box

accessibilityRole="status"

padding="base"

background="strong"

borderRadius="base"

<s-paragraph>Syncing inventory: 3 of 10 products updated</s-paragraph>

</s-box>

Anchor to Add screen-reader-only contentAdd screen-reader-only content

Set the accessibilityVisibility property to exclusive to hide content visually while keeping it available to screen readers. This example shows a box with pricing context that only assistive technology users can access.

Preview

html

<s-box accessibilityVisibility="exclusive">

<s-paragraph>Price includes tax and shipping</s-paragraph>

</s-box>

Anchor to Build nested card layoutsBuild nested card layouts

Nest boxes to create hierarchical layouts with distinct visual sections. This example shows an inventory status section and a product sales section organized as cards within a vertical stack.

Preview

html

<s-stack gap="base">

<s-box

padding="base"

background="base"

borderRadius="base"

borderWidth="base"

borderColor="base"

<s-stack gap="base">

<s-box padding="small-100" background="subdued" borderRadius="small">

<s-paragraph>In stock: 45 units</s-paragraph>

</s-box>

<s-box padding="small-100" background="subdued" borderRadius="small">

<s-paragraph>Low stock alert: 5 units</s-paragraph>

</s-box>

</s-stack>

</s-box>

<s-box

padding="base"

background="base"

borderRadius="base"

borderWidth="base"

borderColor="base"

<s-stack gap="base">

<s-heading>Product sales</s-heading>

<s-paragraph color="subdued">No recent sales of this product</s-paragraph>

<s-link>View details</s-link>

</s-stack>

</s-box>

</s-stack>

Anchor to Best practicesBest practices

Use for layout and grouping: The component provides spacing, borders, and backgrounds for organizing content. When you need specific layout patterns like rows or columns, use stack or grid instead. The component works best as a general-purpose container.
Consider semantic alternatives first: Before using the component, check whether a more specific component like section or banner better describes your content's purpose. Semantic components provide better accessibility and clearer intent.
Design for different screen sizes: Layouts that work on desktop might not work on mobile. Use responsive properties to adjust spacing and layout based on available space rather than creating fixed layouts.
Make interactive containers accessible: When boxes contain interactive content or represent distinct regions, provide appropriate ARIA roles and labels so screen reader users can navigate and understand the interface structure.
Avoid excessive nesting: Deep nesting of boxes creates complex DOM structures and makes styling harder to manage. Look for opportunities to simplify your layout or use more appropriate layout components.

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