line-clamp CSS property
Limited availability
This feature is not Baseline because it does not work in some of the most widely-used browsers.
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The line-clamp CSS property allows limiting of the contents of a block to the specified number of lines. Optionally, it also allows inserting content into the last line to indicate that content was truncated.
Syntax
/* Keyword value */
line-clamp: none;
/* <integer> value only */
line-clamp: 3;
line-clamp: 10;
/* <integer> and <'block-ellipsis'> values */
line-clamp: 3 no-ellipsis;
line-clamp: 10 "… (there is extra content)";
/* <'block-ellipsis'> value only */
line-clamp: no-ellipsis;
line-clamp: "… (there is extra content)";
/* Global values */
line-clamp: inherit;
line-clamp: initial;
line-clamp: revert;
line-clamp: revert-layer;
line-clamp: unset;
Values
This property is specified as one or two space-separated values from the following list:
none-
Specifies that content is not clamped. This keyword cannot be combined with the other values. This is the default.
<integer>Optional-
Specifies the number of lines after which content is clamped. It must be greater than 0.
<’block-ellipsis’>Optional-
Specifies the content inserted into the last line. It can take one of the following values:
no-ellipsis: No ellipsis (character U+2026) is added if the text is truncated due to the number of line specified.auto: Renders an ellipsis character (U+2026) if the text is truncated.<string>: Renders the specified string at the end of the affected line. Browsers may truncate this string if it is very long. An empty string behaves like theno-ellipsisvalue.
Note:
If <’block-ellipsis’> is specified without an <integer>, it applies only when content is clamped by the height of the container.
Description
In most cases you will also want to set overflow to hidden, otherwise the contents won't be clipped but an ellipsis will still be shown after the specified number of lines.
When applied to anchor elements, the truncating can happen in the middle of the text, not necessarily at the end.
Note:
For legacy support, the vendor-prefixed -webkit-line-clamp property only works in combination with the display property set to -webkit-box or -webkit-inline-box and the -webkit-box-orient property set to vertical. Despite these prefixed properties being deprecated, the co-dependency of these three properties is a fully specified behavior and will continue to be supported.
Formal definition
| Initial value | none |
|---|---|
| Applies to | Block containers except multi-column containers |
| Inherited | no |
| Computed value | as specified |
| Animation type | an integer |
Formal syntax
line-clamp =
none |
[ <integer [1,∞]> || <'block-ellipsis'> ] -webkit-legacy?
<integer> =
<number-token>
<block-ellipsis> =
no-ellipsis |
auto |
<string>
Examples
Truncating content with an ellipsis or a custom string
In this example, there are three cards, each with a different line-clamp value:
- The first has only an
<integer>to restrict the number of lines. - The second has an
<integer>and theno-ellipsisvalue. - The third has an
<integer>and a custom<string>.
HTML
<section>
<div class="card">
<h2>number of lines</h2>
<p class="integer">
In this card, the <em>number of lines</em> is specified by an
<code><integer></code>. Any content that does not fit is truncated
and an ellipsis is shown.
</p>
</div>
<div class="card">
<h2>no ellipsis</h2>
<p class="no-ellipsis">
In this card, an <code><integer></code> and a
<em>no-ellipsis</em> value are specified. Any content that does not fit is
truncated and no ellipsis is shown.
</p>
</div>
<div class="card">
<h2>custom string</h2>
<p class="string">
In this card, an <code><integer></code> and a <em>string</em> value
are specified. Any content that does not fit is truncated and the custom
string is shown instead of an ellipsis.
</p>
</div>
</section>
CSS
.integer {
line-clamp: 2;
overflow: hidden;
}
.no-ellipsis {
line-clamp: 2 no-ellipsis;
overflow: hidden;
}
.string {
line-clamp: 2 "… (my custom text)";
overflow: hidden;
}
Result
Truncating a paragraph with the legacy property
This example uses the legacy -webkit-line-clamp property with display set to -webkit-box.
Note:
When using the legacy -webkit-line-clamp property, you will also want to set overflow to hidden, otherwise the content is not clipped, although an ellipsis is still shown after the specified number of lines.
HTML
<p>
In this example the <code>-webkit-line-clamp</code> property is set to
<code>3</code>, which means the text is clamped after three lines. An ellipsis
will be shown at the point where the text is clamped.
</p>
CSS
p {
width: 300px;
display: -webkit-box;
-webkit-box-orient: vertical;
-webkit-line-clamp: 3;
overflow: hidden;
}
Result
Specifications
| Specification |
|---|
| CSS Overflow Module Level 4 # propdef-line-clamp |