columns

Utilities for controlling the number of columns within an element.

Quick reference

Class	Styles
columns-<number>	columns: <number>;
columns-3xs	columns: var(--container-3xs); /* 16rem (256px) */
columns-2xs	columns: var(--container-2xs); /* 18rem (288px) */
columns-xs	columns: var(--container-xs); /* 20rem (320px) */
columns-sm	columns: var(--container-sm); /* 24rem (384px) */
columns-md	columns: var(--container-md); /* 28rem (448px) */
columns-lg	columns: var(--container-lg); /* 32rem (512px) */
columns-xl	columns: var(--container-xl); /* 36rem (576px) */
columns-2xl	columns: var(--container-2xl); /* 42rem (672px) */
columns-3xl	columns: var(--container-3xl); /* 48rem (768px) */
columns-4xl	columns: var(--container-4xl); /* 56rem (896px) */
columns-5xl	columns: var(--container-5xl); /* 64rem (1024px) */
columns-6xl	columns: var(--container-6xl); /* 72rem (1152px) */
columns-7xl	columns: var(--container-7xl); /* 80rem (1280px) */
columns-auto	columns: auto;
columns-(<custom-property>)	columns: var(<custom-property>);
columns-[<value>]	columns: <value>;

Source: https://tailwindcss.com/guide/columns

Examples

Setting by number

Use columns-<number> utilities like columns-3 to set the number of columns that should be created for the content within an element:

<div class="columns-3 ...">
  <img class="aspect-3/2 ..." src="/img/mountains-1.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-2.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-3.jpg" />
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

The column width will automatically adjust to accommodate the specified number of columns.

Setting by width

Use utilities like columns-xs and columns-sm to set the ideal column width for the content within an element:

Resize the example to see the expected behavior

<div class="columns-3xs ...">
  <img class="aspect-3/2 ..." src="/img/mountains-1.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-2.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-3.jpg" />
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

When setting the column width, the number of columns automatically adjusts to ensure they don't get too narrow.

Setting the column gap

Use the gap-<width> utilities to specify the width between columns:

<div class="columns-3 gap-8 ...">
  <img class="aspect-3/2 ..." src="/img/mountains-1.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-2.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-3.jpg" />
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

Learn more about the gap utilities in the gap documentation.

Using a custom value

Use the columns-[<value>] syntax to set the columns based on a completely custom value:

<div class="columns-[30vw] ...">
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

For CSS variables, you can also use the columns-(<custom-property>) syntax:

<div class="columns-(--my-columns) ...">
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

This is just a shorthand for columns-[var(<custom-property>)] that adds the var() function for you automatically.

Responsive design

Prefix a columns utility with a breakpoint variant like sm: to only apply the utility at small screen sizes and above:

Resize the example to see the expected behavior

<div class="columns-2 gap-4 sm:columns-3 sm:gap-8 ...">
  <img class="aspect-3/2 ..." src="/img/mountains-1.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-2.jpg" />
  <img class="aspect-square ..." src="/img/mountains-3.jpg" />
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

Learn more about using variants in the variants documentation.

Customizing your theme

Use the --container-* theme variables to customize the fixed-width column utilities in your project:

@theme {
  --container-4xs: 14rem;
}

Now the columns-4xs utility can be used in your markup:

<div class="columns-4xs">
  <!-- ... -->
</div>

Learn more about customizing your theme in the theme documentation.