Understand CSS scroll-padding-left for Better Layouts

Learn about the CSS scroll-padding-left property, which helps manage the left padding in scroll containers.

Discover its use cases and available options like lengths, percentages, and auto.

Using `scroll-padding-left` Property

The scroll-padding-left property in CSS helps control the left padding within a scroll container. Let’s see how to use it with some practical examples.

Example: Basic Usage

Create a simple scroll container with a few items and set the scroll-padding-left property to ensure content isn’t obscured by a fixed sidebar.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .container {
            width: 300px;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid green;
            text-align: center;
            overflow-x: auto;
            overflow-y: hidden;
            white-space: nowrap;
            scroll-snap-type: x mandatory;
            scroll-padding-left: 80px;
        }
        .item {
            width: 275px;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid red;
            display: inline-block;
            margin-right: 10px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <div class="item">Item 1</div>
        <div class="item">Item 2</div>
        <div class="item">Item 3</div>
        <div class="item">Item 4</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

In this example, scroll-padding-left is set to 80px, ensuring the left side of the scroll container has 80 pixels of padding.

Example: Using Percentages

Use a percentage value for scroll-padding-left to create a responsive design that adjusts the padding based on the container’s width.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .container {
            width: 50%;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid green;
            text-align: center;
            overflow-x: auto;
            overflow-y: hidden;
            white-space: nowrap;
            scroll-snap-type: x mandatory;
            scroll-padding-left: 10%;
        }
        .item {
            width: 275px;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid red;
            display: inline-block;
            margin-right: 10px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <div class="item">Item 1</div>
        <div class="item">Item 2</div>
        <div class="item">Item 3</div>
        <div class="item">Item 4</div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Here, scroll-padding-left is set to 10%, making the padding 10% of the container’s width.

Example: Using Global Values

Use global values like inherit, initial, and unset to control the scroll-padding-left property.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .parent {
            scroll-padding-left: 50px;
        }
        .container {
            width: 300px;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid green;
            text-align: center;
            overflow-x: auto;
            overflow-y: hidden;
            white-space: nowrap;
            scroll-snap-type: x mandatory;
            scroll-padding-left: inherit;
        }
        .item {
            width: 275px;
            height: 300px;
            border: 2px solid red;
            display: inline-block;
            margin-right: 10px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="parent">
        <div class="container">
            <div class="item">Item 1</div>
            <div class="item">Item 2</div>
            <div class="item">Item 3</div>
            <div class="item">Item 4</div>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Here, the scroll-padding-left property of the .container element is set to inherit, meaning it will inherit the value from the .parent element.

When using scroll-padding-left, consider these related CSS properties to manage scrolling behavior and layout control:

scroll-padding-right: Defines the padding on the right side of a scroll container.
```
scroll-padding-right: 20px;
```
scroll-padding-top: Defines the padding at the top of a scroll container.
```
scroll-padding-top: 15px;
```
scroll-padding-bottom: Defines the padding at the bottom of a scroll container.
```
scroll-padding-bottom: 10px;
```
scroll-padding: Shorthand property to set padding for all sides of a scroll container.
```
scroll-padding: 10px 20px 15px 5px; /* top, right, bottom, left */
```
scroll-snap-type: Defines the type of scroll snap behavior for a scroll container.
```
scroll-snap-type: x mandatory;
```
scroll-snap-align: Defines the alignment of scroll snap points for individual elements.
```
scroll-snap-align: start;
```

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