// build scroll snap containers with live preview
Build horizontal or vertical CSS scroll snap containers visually. Configure snap type, alignment, and item count — copy clean CSS instantly. Free, browser-based.
Choose horizontal or vertical scrolling, then pick mandatory or proximity snap behavior.
Adjust alignment, item count, size, gap, and scroll padding using the sliders.
See live snap behavior in the preview, then copy the generated CSS and HTML.
The CSS Scroll Snap API lets browsers snap the scroll position to specific points in a container after the user finishes scrolling. This creates a smooth, controlled UX without any JavaScript. The generator produces both the container and item CSS for any layout you need.
CSS scroll snap is a native browser feature that locks scrolling to specific positions in a container. It gives you carousel-like behavior using only CSS — no JavaScript required. You define a container with scroll-snap-type and child items with scroll-snap-align.
Mandatory always snaps to a snap point after scrolling — even if you were in the middle between two items. Proximity only snaps if the scroll position is near a snap point. Mandatory is great for full-page layouts; proximity is better for lists where partial visibility is acceptable.
It controls which part of each child element is used as the snap target: start aligns the item's leading edge to the container, center aligns the item's center, and end aligns the item's trailing edge. Use center for carousels, start for most other layouts.
scroll-padding adds an offset to the container's snap port — the area where snapping occurs. This is useful when you have a sticky header: set scroll-padding-top equal to the header height so items snap into the visible area rather than underneath it.
Yes. CSS scroll snap has excellent browser support across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — including iOS Safari and Android Chrome. It was designed with touch scrolling in mind, so snap behavior feels particularly natural on mobile devices.
By default, when you reach the end of a scrollable container, the scroll event "chains" to the parent element. overscroll-behavior: contain prevents this — the scroll stays inside the container. This is especially useful for nested scroll areas and modals.
Absolutely. Scroll snap works on any scroll container, regardless of its internal layout system. Using flexbox (with flex-direction: row or column) combined with scroll snap is the most common pattern for carousels and paged layouts.
Yes. Set the container to height: 100vh; overflow-y: scroll; scroll-snap-type: y mandatory and each child section to height: 100vh; scroll-snap-align: start. This creates a full-page scrolling presentation entirely in CSS.
The CSS Scroll Snap Generator is a free, browser-based tool that lets you visually configure and preview scroll snap containers. Adjust the direction, snap type, alignment, item size, gap, and scroll padding — then copy the ready-to-use CSS in one click. No JavaScript required for the output, and no account needed to use this tool.
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Introduced in the CSS Scroll Snap specification (Level 1 is now a W3C Candidate Recommendation), scroll snap gives developers declarative control over scroll positions. Before scroll snap, achieving this effect required JavaScript libraries, IntersectionObserver hacks, or heavy frameworks. Today, two CSS properties are all you need:
Browser support is excellent. Chrome 69+, Firefox 68+, Safari 11+, and Edge 79+ all support the specification. iOS Safari has supported scroll snap since iOS 11, making it safe for production use across virtually all modern devices.
The scroll-snap-type property takes two values: the axis and the strictness.
The axis can be x (horizontal), y (vertical), or both (both axes, useful for 2D scroll layouts). You can also use the logical values inline and block for writing-mode-aware layouts.
The strictness can be mandatory or proximity. With mandatory, the browser always snaps to a snap point after any scroll — even if the scroll was very short. This is ideal for full-page presentations and carousels where you always want complete items visible. With proximity, snapping only occurs when the scroll position is close enough to a snap point, giving users more control and allowing partial visibility of off-screen items.
The scroll-snap-align property is applied to each scrollable child and defines where on the item the snap point is. The three values are:
The scroll-padding property modifies the scroll container's "snapport" — the rectangular region used when calculating snap positions. This is particularly useful in layouts with fixed or sticky headers. If your header is 60px tall, adding scroll-padding-top: 60px to the container ensures items snap into the visible area below the header, not underneath it.
The property accepts the same values as padding and supports the longhand variants: scroll-padding-top, scroll-padding-right, scroll-padding-bottom, and scroll-padding-left.
When a user reaches the end of a scrollable container and continues scrolling, the default browser behavior "chains" the scroll to the nearest scrollable parent. This can be jarring in nested scroll layouts. The overscroll-behavior: contain property prevents this chaining, keeping scroll events isolated to the container.
This property is especially important for modals, sidebars, chat message lists, and embedded scroll snap sections within a larger page.
Horizontal image carousel: Use scroll-snap-type: x mandatory on a flex container with overflow-x: scroll and scroll-snap-align: center on each image item. Set a fixed width on items to prevent them from stretching. Add -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch if you need to support very old iOS versions.
Full-page vertical sections: Set the container to height: 100vh; overflow-y: scroll; scroll-snap-type: y mandatory and each section to height: 100vh; scroll-snap-align: start. This replicates the fullPage.js effect entirely in CSS.
Paged mobile list: A common mobile pattern is a horizontal-scrolling list of cards where exactly one card is visible at a time. Use scroll-snap-type: x mandatory with scroll-snap-align: start and set each card to width: 100% (or flex-shrink: 0; width: calc(100% - 2rem) to peek at the next item).
Always test scroll snap on real touch devices. The behavior can feel different on touch vs. mouse, especially with proximity snapping. Make sure items have a clear visual indication of which is active, since browsers don't add active states automatically.
Combine scroll snap with the scroll-behavior: smooth property for programmatic scrolling (e.g., when clicking navigation dots). Note that scroll-behavior only affects programmatic scrolls — it doesn't affect user-initiated touch or wheel scrolling.
Avoid mixing overflow: hidden on parent elements with scroll snap containers — this can prevent scrolling entirely. Also, nested scroll snap containers (scroll snap within scroll snap) are technically supported but can lead to confusing UX if not carefully designed.