align-items
Flexbox and grid
Aligns items along the cross axis; center is the usual vertical centring.
| How to write it | align-items: stretch; |
|---|---|
| Common values | stretch, center, flex-start, flex-end, baseline |
| Inherited | No — it stops at this element |
| Part of | place-items |
| Category | Flexbox and grid |
How to read this
- An inherited property only needs writing once on the parent — every child picks it up. Most text properties work this way.
- A shorthand resets whatever you leave out. Writing background: red alone also wipes a background image you set earlier.
- When rules collide, the more specific selector wins; only when specificity ties does source order decide.
- Animate transform and opacity for smoothness. Changing width or top forces the layout to be recalculated.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is the CSS align-items property?
Aligns items along the cross axis; center is the usual vertical centring.
Q. How do you write align-items?
As align-items: stretch; Common values include stretch, center, flex-start, flex-end.
Q. Is align-items inherited?
No. It applies only where you write it, so each element needs its own declaration.
Q. Which shorthand sets align-items?
place-items can set it in one line.