The top property specifies the vertical position of a positioned element.
Positioned elements have a position, such as absolute, sticky and others.
The effect of the top setting depends on the position value.
The inner element is positioned 40px from the top of the container.
<style>
.relative {
position: relative;
width: 400px;
height: 200px;
background-color: paleturquoise;
}
.absolute {
position: absolute;
top: 40px;
left: 20px;
width: 200px;
height: 90px;
background-color: teal;
}
</style>
<div class="relative">
<div class="absolute">
</div>
</div>
The effect of the top setting depends on the position value:
fixed or absolute - the top position is measured from its containing element.relative - the top is measured from its normal top position.sticky - the top specifies the sticky top position relative to the viewport.static - the top value has no effect.The top property has no effect on non-positioned elements.
top: auto | length | initial | inherit;
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| auto | Default. The browser calculates the top position. |
| length | Sets the top position with any valid CSS length value. Negative values are allowed. |
| % | Sets the top position in % of the containing element. Negative values are allowed |
| initial | Sets the value to its default value. |
| inherit | Inherits the value from its parent. |
Click the buttons to see the different top values.
<style>
.top-relative {
position: relative;
width: 350px;
height: 200px;
background-color: firebrick;
}
.top-absolute {
position: absolute;
top: -20px;
left: 15px;
width: 250px;
height: 90px;
background-color: orangered;
transition: top 1s ease .2s;
}
</style>
<div class="top-relative">
<div class="top-absolute"></div>
</div>
This table shows when top support started for each browser.
 Chrome
|
1.0 | Dec 2008 |
 Firefox
|
1.0 | Nov 2004 |
 IE/Edge
|
5.5 | Jul 2000 |
 Opera
|
5.0 | Dec 2000 |
 Safari
|
1.0 | Jun 2003 |
