CSS outline Property

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Example

Set an outline around a <h2> element and a <div> element:

h2 {
outline: 5px dotted green;
}

div.a {
outline: 2px dashed blue;
}

Try it Yourself »

Definition and Usage

An outline is a line that is drawn around elements, outside the borders, to make the element "stand out".

The outline property is a shorthand property for:

If outline-color is omitted, the color applied will be the color of the text.

Note: Outlines differ from borders! Unlike border, the outline is drawn outside the element's border, and may overlap other content. Also, the outline is NOT a part of the element's dimensions; the element's total width and height is not affected by the width of the outline.

Show demo ❯

Default value:	medium invert color
Inherited:	no
Animatable:	yes, see individual properties. Read about animatable Try it
Version:	CSS2
JavaScript syntax:	object.style.outline="#0000FF dotted 5px" Try it

Browser Support

The numbers in the table specify the first browser version that fully supports the property.

Property
outline	1.0	8.0	1.5	1.2	7.0

CSS Syntax

outline: outline-width outline-style outline-color|initial|inherit;

Property Values

Value	Description	Demo
outline-width	Specifies the width of outline	Try it »
outline-style	Specifies the style of the outline	Try it »
outline-color	Specifies the color of the outline	Try it »
initial	Sets this property to its default value. Read about initial
inherit	Inherits this property from its parent element. Read about inherit

CSS tutorial: CSS Outline

HTML DOM reference: outline property