Grid Column or Row

Introduction

CSS Grid Layout is a powerful system that allows web designers to create structured, responsive layouts using rows and columns. When working with Grid, two key building blocks are columns and rows. These define the basic structure of a grid and control how content is placed and aligned on a web page.

Understanding grid columns and grid rows is essential for using CSS Grid effectively. Whether you’re designing a photo gallery, blog layout, or web app interface, knowing how to set up and manage columns and rows gives you precision and flexibility in layout design.

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What Are Grid Columns and Rows?

• Grid Columns are the vertical sections of a grid layout.
• Grid Rows are the horizontal sections of a grid layout.

When you create a CSS Grid container, you define the number of columns and rows it has. These define where elements (called grid items) will be placed. Each grid item can span across one or multiple rows or columns depending on your layout needs.

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How to Create Columns and Rows

To use grid columns and rows, you first define a grid container:

  .container {
  display: grid;
}

Then you specify the number and size of columns and rows:

  .container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;  /* 3 equal-width columns */
  grid-template-rows: 100px 200px;     /* 2 rows of fixed height */
}

• 1fr means one fraction of available space.
• You can mix units like px, %, em, fr, or auto based on layout needs.

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Grid Column Explained

Grid columns define the number and size of vertical divisions in the layout. You set them using the grid-template-columns property.

Example:

grid-template-columns: 100px 2fr 1fr;

• The first column is fixed at 100px.
• The second column takes up twice as much space as the third.
• fr (fraction) units distribute remaining space proportionally.

You can also use repeat() to simplify column creation:

grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);

This creates 4 equal columns.

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Grid Row Explained

Grid rows define the number and height of horizontal divisions. Use the grid-template-rows property to set them.

Example:

grid-template-rows: 100px auto 200px;

• The first row has a height of 100px.
• The second row will grow based on content (auto).
• The third row is 200px tall.

You can also use repeat() for rows:

 grid-template-rows: repeat(3, auto);

Creates 3 auto-sized rows.

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Placing Items into Columns and Rows

Each item inside the grid container can be placed in a specific row or column using:

• grid-column-start
• grid-column-end
• grid-row-start
• grid-row-end

Or shorthand:

• grid-column: 1 / 3; → span from column 1 to 3
• grid-row: 2 / 4; → span from row 2 to 4

This gives you full control over where items appear in your layout.

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Spanning Multiple Columns or Rows

You can make an item span across multiple columns or rows:

  .item {
  grid-column: span 2;
  grid-row: span 1;
}

This tells the item to take space of 2 columns and 1 row.

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Auto and Flexible Sizing

CSS Grid columns and rows can have:

• Fixed size: 100px, 300px
• Flexible size: 1fr, 2fr (proportional to available space)
• Auto size: auto adapts based on content
• Minmax: Controls the size range
  Example: minmax(200px, 1fr) means the column can be at least 200px, and grow as needed.

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Responsive Design with Columns and Rows

CSS Grid is naturally responsive. You can:

• Use flexible units like fr or auto-fit to create fluid columns.
• Combine with media queries to change column or row layout on different screen sizes.

Responsive Example:

  .container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(150px, 1fr));
}

This layout automatically adjusts the number of columns based on available space, maintaining a minimum of 150px per column.

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Key Features

• Two-dimensional layout: Manage both rows and columns simultaneously.
• Flexible sizing: Use fixed, flexible, or auto sizes.
• Easy alignment: Align content using built-in properties.
• Precise control: Place and span items with exact row/column settings.
• Responsive ready: Grid columns and rows adapt beautifully on all devices.

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Summary

In CSS Grid, columns and rows form the foundation of layout structure. Columns run vertically, and rows run horizontally. You can define their size, number, and behavior using properties like grid-template-columns and grid-template-rows.

Grid makes it easy to place, align, and span items across any part of your layout. With responsive units and powerful placement features, CSS Grid columns and rows give you full control to build clean, flexible, and modern web designs.

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Conclusion

CSS Grid columns and rows are essential tools for building structured and responsive web layouts. By mastering how to define and control them, you unlock the full power of CSS Grid. Whether you’re designing a simple card layout or a full-page dashboard, understanding grid rows and columns will help you create efficient, adaptive designs that work on all screen sizes.

Start small, experiment with different units like fr, auto, and minmax, and you’ll soon be building professional layouts with ease using CSS Grid.