CSS flexShrink Property: CSS Flex Shrink

Table of Contents

CSS `flexShrink` Property: Controlling the Shrink Factor of Flex Items

The CSS flexShrink property is a crucial component of the Flexbox layout model, allowing you to specify how much a flex item will shrink relative to the other flex items in the flex container when there isn’t enough space. It dictates the item’s ability to shrink to prevent overflow. This guide explores the syntax, values, and practical applications of the flexShrink property to help you create more responsive and flexible layouts.

What is the `flexShrink` Property?

The flexShrink property defines the shrink factor of a flex item. It determines how much the item will shrink relative to the other items in the flex container when the total width of flex items exceeds the width of the flex container. A higher flexShrink value means the item will shrink more.

Syntax

The flexShrink property is specified as a single value:

.item {
  flex-shrink: <number>;
}

Values

Value	Description
`number`	A non-negative number that specifies the shrink factor. When the total size of flex items exceeds the flex container size, items shrink to fit according to this factor. A value of `0` prevents the item from shrinking. The default value is `1`.
`initial`	Sets the property to its default value, which is `1`.
`inherit`	Inherits this property from its parent element.
`auto`	Computes to `1` if the `flex-basis` is set to `auto` or `content`; otherwise, it computes to `0`.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Basic Usage

In this example, we have three flex items. The flexShrink property is set to 1 for the first item, 2 for the second, and 3 for the third. This means the second item will shrink twice as much as the first, and the third item will shrink three times as much as the first when there’s not enough space.

<div class="container_flexShrink_1">
  <div class="item_flexShrink_1 item-1_flexShrink_1">Item 1</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_1 item-2_flexShrink_1">Item 2</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_1 item-3_flexShrink_1">Item 3</div>
</div>

<style>
  .container_flexShrink_1 {
    display: flex;
    width: 300px;
    border: 1px solid black;
  }

  .item_flexShrink_1 {
    width: 150px;
    text-align: center;
  }

  .item-1_flexShrink_1 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    background-color: #f0f8ff;
  }

  .item-2_flexShrink_1 {
    flex-shrink: 2;
    background-color: #e6e6fa;
  }

  .item-3_flexShrink_1 {
    flex-shrink: 3;
    background-color: #d8bfd8;
  }
</style>

<div
  class="container_flexShrink_1"
  style="display: flex; width: 300px; border: 1px solid black;"
>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_1 item-1_flexShrink_1"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 1; background-color: #f0f8ff;"
  >
    Item 1
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_1 item-2_flexShrink_1"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 2; background-color: #e6e6fa;"
  >
    Item 2
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_1 item-3_flexShrink_1"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 3; background-color: #d8bfd8;"
  >
    Item 3
  </div>
</div>

Explanation:

The container has a fixed width of 300px.
Each item has an initial width of 150px.
Since the total width of the items (450px) exceeds the container width, they need to shrink.
Item 2 shrinks twice as much as Item 1, and Item 3 shrinks three times as much as Item 1, relative to each other.

Example 2: Preventing Shrinking with `flexShrink: 0`

Setting flexShrink to 0 prevents an item from shrinking. In this example, the second item is set to flexShrink: 0, so it maintains its original width while the other items shrink to fit the container.

<div class="container_flexShrink_2">
  <div class="item_flexShrink_2 item-1_flexShrink_2">Item 1</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_2 item-2_flexShrink_2">Item 2</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_2 item-3_flexShrink_2">Item 3</div>
</div>

<style>
  .container_flexShrink_2 {
    display: flex;
    width: 300px;
    border: 1px solid black;
  }

  .item_flexShrink_2 {
    width: 150px;
    text-align: center;
  }

  .item-1_flexShrink_2 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    background-color: #f0f8ff;
  }

  .item-2_flexShrink_2 {
    flex-shrink: 0;
    background-color: #e6e6fa;
  }

  .item-3_flexShrink_2 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    background-color: #d8bfd8;
  }
</style>

<div
  class="container_flexShrink_2"
  style="display: flex; width: 300px; border: 1px solid black;"
>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_2 item-1_flexShrink_2"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 1; background-color: #f0f8ff;"
  >
    Item 1
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_2 item-2_flexShrink_2"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 0; background-color: #e6e6fa;"
  >
    Item 2
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_2 item-3_flexShrink_2"
    style="width: 150px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 1; background-color: #d8bfd8;"
  >
    Item 3
  </div>
</div>

Explanation:

The container has a fixed width of 300px.
Each item has an initial width of 150px.
Item 2 is set to flex-shrink: 0, so it does not shrink and maintains its original width of 150px.
Items 1 and 3 shrink to share the remaining space in the container.

Example 3: Using `flexShrink` with `flexBasis`

The flexShrink property works in conjunction with flexBasis. Here’s how they interact:

<div class="container_flexShrink_3">
  <div class="item_flexShrink_3 item-1_flexShrink_3">Item 1</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_3 item-2_flexShrink_3">Item 2</div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_3 item-3_flexShrink_3">Item 3</div>
</div>

<style>
  .container_flexShrink_3 {
    display: flex;
    width: 400px;
    border: 1px solid black;
  }

  .item_flexShrink_3 {
    flex-basis: 200px;
    text-align: center;
  }

  .item-1_flexShrink_3 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    background-color: #f0f8ff;
  }

  .item-2_flexShrink_3 {
    flex-shrink: 2;
    background-color: #e6e6fa;
  }

  .item-3_flexShrink_3 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    background-color: #d8bfd8;
  }
</style>

<div
  class="container_flexShrink_3"
  style="display: flex; width: 400px; border: 1px solid black;"
>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_3 item-1_flexShrink_3"
    style="flex-basis: 200px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 1; background-color: #f0f8ff;"
  >
    Item 1
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_3 item-2_flexShrink_3"
    style="flex-basis: 200px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 2; background-color: #e6e6fa;"
  >
    Item 2
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_3 item-3_flexShrink_3"
    style="flex-basis: 200px; text-align: center; flex-shrink: 1; background-color: #d8bfd8;"
  >
    Item 3
  </div>
</div>

Explanation:

The container has a fixed width of 400px.
Each item has a flex-basis of 200px, so their combined size is 600px.
Since the items’ combined size exceeds the container’s width, they need to shrink.
Item 2 shrinks twice as much as Items 1 and 3, relative to each other.

Example 4: Responsive Layout

Using flexShrink in responsive layouts can help manage content effectively on different screen sizes.

<div class="container_flexShrink_4">
  <div class="item_flexShrink_4 item-1_flexShrink_4">
    Longer Item 1 with more content
  </div>
  <div class="item_flexShrink_4 item-2_flexShrink_4">Item 2</div>
</div>

<style>
  .container_flexShrink_4 {
    display: flex;
    width: 300px;
    border: 1px solid black;
  }

  .item_flexShrink_4 {
    text-align: center;
    padding: 10px;
  }

  .item-1_flexShrink_4 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    flex-basis: 200px;
    background-color: #f0f8ff;
  }

  .item-2_flexShrink_4 {
    flex-shrink: 1;
    flex-basis: 100px;
    background-color: #e6e6fa;
  }

  /* Media query for smaller screens */
  @media (max-width: 400px) {
    .container_flexShrink_4 {
      width: 100%; /* Adjust container width */
    }
  }
</style>

<div
  class="container_flexShrink_4"
  style="display: flex; width: 300px; border: 1px solid black;"
>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_4 item-1_flexShrink_4"
    style="text-align: center; padding: 10px; flex-shrink: 1; flex-basis: 200px; background-color: #f0f8ff;"
  >
    Longer Item 1 with more content
  </div>
  <div
    class="item_flexShrink_4 item-2_flexShrink_4"
    style="text-align: center; padding: 10px; flex-shrink: 1; flex-basis: 100px; background-color: #e6e6fa;"
  >
    Item 2
  </div>
</div>

Explanation:

The container has a fixed width of 300px.
Item 1 has a flex-basis of 200px, and Item 2 has a flex-basis of 100px.
When the screen size is smaller than 400px, the container adjusts to 100% width.
The items shrink proportionally to fit the container, maintaining a responsive layout.

Common Use Cases

Navigation Menus: Ensuring menu items shrink gracefully on smaller screens.
Form Layouts: Adjusting the size of form elements in responsive designs.
Dashboard Layouts: Managing the size of widgets in a dashboard.

Tips and Best Practices

Combine with flexBasis and flexGrow: Use flexShrink in conjunction with flexBasis and flexGrow for more comprehensive control over flex item sizing.
Test on Different Screens: Always test your layouts on various screen sizes to ensure they respond as expected.
Use Media Queries: Apply different flexShrink values based on screen size using media queries for responsive designs.
Consider Content Length: Account for varying content lengths when setting flexShrink values.

Browser Support

The flexShrink property is well-supported across all modern browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Conclusion

The flexShrink property is a powerful tool in CSS Flexbox for managing how flex items shrink within a container. By understanding and utilizing flexShrink effectively, you can create more flexible and responsive layouts that adapt gracefully to different screen sizes and content lengths.