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CSS z-index
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="keywords" content="CSS z-index, CSS layers, in front of, behind, examples, stylesheets"> <meta name="Description" content="CSS z-index - CSS property used to layer elements in front or behind each other."> <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.quackit.com/css/properties/css_z-index.cfm"> <title>CSS z-index</title> <script src="//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/pix/favicon96.png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/pix/apple-touch-icon.png"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Lato:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="/common/css/master.45.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <script async src="https://cdn.fuseplatform.net/publift/tags/2/3499/fuse.js"></script> <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics --> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-Q3H025ZKLN"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-Q3H025ZKLN'); </script> </head> <body> <header class="site-header"> <div class="site-header-base"> <div class="site-logo"> <a title="Quackit Homepage" target="_top" href="/"><img src="/pix/quackit_logo_watermark.png" width="87" height="33" alt="Quackit Logo"></a> </div> <button id="site-nav-toggler" class="site-nav-toggler" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="site-nav"> <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span> ☰ </button> </div> <nav id="site-nav" class="site-nav"> <div class="site-links"> <ul> <li><a href="/"><i class="fa fa-home"></i> <span class="sr-only">Home</span></a></li> <li><a href="/html/">HTML</a></li> <li><a href="/css/">CSS</a></li> <li><a href="/scripting/">Scripting</a></li> <li><a href="/database/">Database</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="site-search-top"> <form action="/search/" id="cse-search-box-bottom" class="site-search"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-6331358926293806:98x0fk-bbgi"> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:10"> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1"> <input type="text" name="q" size="20" class="site-search-input"> <button type="submit" name="sa" class="site-search-button"><i class="fa fa-search"></i></button> </div> </form> </div> </nav> </header> <div class="main"> <article class="content"> <h1 class="page-title">CSS z-index</h1> <div class="ad ad-top"> <!-- GAM 71161633/QCKIT_quackit/article_header --> <div data-fuse="23059883623"></div> </div> <script src="/common/js/codemirror/lib/codemirror.js"></script> <script src="/common/js/codemirror/mode/css/css.js"></script> <div class="code-only"> <textarea id="example1" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false"><!doctype html>
<title>Example</title>
<style>
div {
 width: 200px;
 height: 80px;
 position: relative;
 padding: 10px;
 font-family: sans-serif;
 }
.infront {
 background-color: limegreen;
 top: 70px;
 left: 120px;
 z-index: 2;
}
.behind {
 background-color: gold;
 top: -80px;
 left: 35px;
 z-index: 1;
}
</style>
<div class="infront">
 z-index: 2
</div>
<div class="behind">
 z-index: 1
</div></textarea> <p> <a class="btn btn-default" href="/html/html_editors/scratchpad/?example=/css/properties/css_z-index" target="_blank" title="Full-page editor. Opens this example in the full-page editor."><i class="fa fa-pencil-square-o"></i> View Output</i></a> </p> </div> <script> var exampleCode1 = CodeMirror.fromTextArea(document.getElementById("example1"), { mode: "text/css", tabMode: "indent", styleActiveLine: false, lineNumbers: false, lineWrapping: true, theme: "q-dark" }); </script> <p class="lead">The CSS <code>z-index</code> property is used to layer elements in front or behind each other along a "z-axis".</p> <p>This is referred to as the 'stack level'. By using the <code>z-index</code> property, we can specify the stack level of a box in within its current stacking context. </p> <p>Generally speaking, you can position an element in front of another by giving it a higher <code>z-index</code>.</p> <p>For example, an element with a <code>z-index</code> of <code>200</code> will render in front of an element with a <code>z-index</code> of <code>100</code> (or even <code>199</code> for that matter). And likewise, an element of <code>100</code> will render in front of an element of say <code>50</code> (or even <code>99</code>).</p> <p>The <code>z-index</code> property only applies to positioned elements.</p> <div class="ad"> <!-- GAM 71161633/QCKIT_quackit/article_incontent_1 --> <div data-fuse="23059883629"></div> </div> <h2>Syntax</h2> <script src="/common/js/codemirror/mode/text/css/text/css.js"></script> <div class="code-only"> <textarea id="example2" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false">z-index: auto | <integer></textarea> </div> <script> var exampleCode2 = CodeMirror.fromTextArea(document.getElementById("example2"), { mode: "text/css", tabMode: "indent", styleActiveLine: false, lineNumbers: false, lineWrapping: true, theme: "q-dark" }); </script> <h2>Possible Values</h2> <dl> <dt><dfn><code>auto</code></dfn></dt> <dd>Specifies that the stack level of the generated box in the current stacking context is <code>0</code>. The box does not establish a new stacking context unless it is the root element.</dd> <dt><dfn><a href="/css/data_types/css_integer_data_type.cfm"><var class="css-data-type">integer</var></a></dfn></dt> <dd>Specifies the stack level of the generated box in the current stacking context. The box also establishes a new stacking context.</dd> </dl> <p>In addition, all CSS properties also accept the following CSS-wide keyword values as the sole component of their property value: </p> <dl> <dt><code>initial</code></dt> <dd>Represents the value specified as the property's initial value.</dd> <dt><code>inherit</code></dt> <dd>Represents the computed value of the property on the element's parent.</dd> <dt><code>unset</code></dt> <dd>This value acts as either <code>inherit</code> or <code>initial</code>, depending on whether the property is inherited or not. In other words, it sets all properties to their parent value if they are inheritable or to their initial value if not inheritable.</dd> </dl> <h2>General Information</h2> <div class="specifications"> <dl> <dt>Initial Value</dt> <dd><code>auto</code></dd> <dt>Applies To</dt> <dd>Positioned elements</dd> <dt>Inherited?</dt> <dd>No</dd> <dt>Media</dt> <dd>Visual</dd> <dt>Animatable</dt> <dd>Yes (<a href="/html/html_editors/scratchpad/?example=/css/css3/animations/animatable_properties/css_z-index" target="_blank">see example</a>)</dd> </dl> </div> <h2>Example Code</h2> <div class="code-only"> <textarea id="example3" autocomplete="off" spellcheck="false">.menu { 
 position: absolute;
 top: 10px;
 left:10px;
 z-index: 3;
 }</textarea> </div> <script> var exampleCode3 = CodeMirror.fromTextArea(document.getElementById("example3"), { mode: "text/css", tabMode: "indent", styleActiveLine: false, lineNumbers: false, lineWrapping: true, theme: "q-dark" }); </script> <h2>Official Specifications</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/css-position-3/#propdef-z-index">CSS Positioned Layout Module Level 3</a> (W3C Working Draft, 17 May 2016)</li> <li><a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/CSS21/visuren.html#z-index">CSS Level 2.1</a> (W3C Recommendation 07 June 2011)</li> </ul> </article> <div class="sidebar"> <nav> <ul> <li> <h3><a href="/css/properties/">CSS Properties</a></h3> <ul> <li><a href="/css/css3/properties/css_animation.cfm">animation</a></li> <li><a href="/css/properties/css_background.cfm">background</a></li> <li><a href="/css/css3/properties/css_bleed.cfm">bleed</a></li> <li><a href="/css/css3/properties/css_border-radius.cfm">border-radius</a></li> <li><a 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