CSS Grid: Complete Guide to Grid Layout

Defining a grid

display: grid turns an element into a grid container. grid-template-columns and grid-template-rows define the tracks.

.grid {
    display: grid;

    /* 3 equal columns */
    grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;

    /* or using repeat() */
    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);

    /* mixed units */
    grid-template-columns: 250px 1fr 2fr;

    /* rows */
    grid-template-rows: 80px 1fr 60px;

    gap: 16px;        /* all gaps */
    column-gap: 24px; /* horizontal gaps only */
    row-gap: 16px;    /* vertical gaps only */
}

Placing items

Grid items can be placed explicitly using column and row start/end positions.

.header {
    grid-column: 1 / 4;  /* spans columns 1-3 */
    grid-row: 1 / 2;
}

/* Shorthand */
.sidebar {
    grid-column: 1;         /* occupies column 1 */
    grid-row: 2 / 4;        /* spans rows 2-3 */
}

/* Span keyword */
.wide {
    grid-column: span 2;    /* span 2 columns from current */
}

Named grid areas

grid-template-areas defines a visual ASCII-art layout. Items are placed by name.

.layout {
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: 240px 1fr;
    grid-template-rows: 64px 1fr 48px;
    grid-template-areas:
        "header  header"
        "sidebar main"
        "footer  footer";
    min-height: 100vh;
}

header  { grid-area: header; }
aside   { grid-area: sidebar; }
main    { grid-area: main; }
footer  { grid-area: footer; }

auto-fill and auto-fit

These create responsive grids without media queries.

/* auto-fill: creates as many columns as fit */
.cards {
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr));
    gap: 24px;
}
/* At 900px: 3 columns. At 600px: 2 columns. etc. */

/* auto-fit vs auto-fill:
   auto-fill: keeps empty tracks, doesn't stretch items
   auto-fit: collapses empty tracks, items stretch to fill */

Grid vs Flexbox — when to use which

Grid is for two-dimensional layouts (rows AND columns). Flexbox is for one-dimensional layouts (row OR column).

/* Use GRID for: */
/* - Page layouts with both rows and columns */
/* - Card grids / galleries */
/* - Anything that needs precise 2D control */

.page-layout {
    display: grid;
    grid-template: "header" 64px "main" 1fr "footer" 48px / 1fr;
}

/* Use FLEXBOX for: */
/* - Navigation bars */
/* - Centering a single item */
/* - One-dimensional lists */

.navbar {
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: space-between;
}

Exam tip

The most common Grid interview question: "When do you use Grid vs Flexbox?" — Grid for 2D layout (you need to control both rows and columns simultaneously). Flexbox for 1D layout (items in a single row or column).