Background

Background utilities paint an element with a theme colour, a subtle tint, the body surface or a gradient. Combine bg-{colour} with bg-opacity-* or the --ui-bg-opacity variable to fade it, and prefer the text-bg-* helpers or -emphasis text colours so contrast stays readable in light and dark mode.

1Theme colour backgrounds

bg-primary to bg-dark fill an element with a theme colour. Pair them with a readable text colour.

bg-primary

bg-secondary

bg-success

bg-danger

bg-warning

bg-info

bg-light

bg-dark

<div class="row g-2 small">
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-primary text-white rounded-md p-4">
      bg-primary
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-secondary text-white rounded-md p-4">
      bg-secondary
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-success text-white rounded-md p-4">
      bg-success
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-danger text-white rounded-md p-4">
      bg-danger
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-warning text-dark rounded-md p-4">
      bg-warning
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-info text-dark rounded-md p-4">
      bg-info
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-light text-dark rounded-md p-4 border">
      bg-light
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-dark text-white rounded-md p-4">
      bg-dark
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

2Subtle backgrounds

The -subtle variants are soft tints that work in light and dark mode; use the matching -emphasis text colour.

bg-primary-subtle

bg-success-subtle

bg-warning-subtle

bg-danger-subtle

bg-info-subtle

<div class="grid gap-2">
  <div class="bg-primary-subtle text-primary-emphasis rounded-lg px-4 py-2">
    bg-primary-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success-subtle text-success-emphasis rounded-lg px-4 py-2">
    bg-success-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-warning-subtle text-warning-emphasis rounded-lg px-4 py-2">
    bg-warning-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-danger-subtle text-danger-emphasis rounded-lg px-4 py-2">
    bg-danger-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-info-subtle text-info-emphasis rounded-lg px-4 py-2">
    bg-info-subtle
  </div>
</div>

3Body backgrounds

bg-body, bg-body-secondary and bg-body-tertiary follow the page surface and adapt to colour mode.

bg-body - the page itself

bg-body-secondary - side panels

bg-body-tertiary - wells and inputs

<div class="border rounded-xl overflow-hidden">
  <div class="bg-page p-4 border-b">
    <code>bg-body</code> - the page itself
  </div>
  <div class="bg-surface-2 p-4 border-b">
    <code>bg-body-secondary</code> - side panels
  </div>
  <div class="bg-surface-3 p-4">
    <code>bg-body-tertiary</code> - wells and inputs
  </div>
</div>

4Text and background together

text-bg-{colour} sets the background and a contrasting text colour in one class.

text-bg-primary text-bg-warning text-bg-info text-bg-light text-bg-dark

<div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
  <span class="text-bg-primary rounded-full px-4 py-1">text-bg-primary</span> <span class="text-bg-warning rounded-full px-4 py-1">text-bg-warning</span> <span class="text-bg-info rounded-full px-4 py-1">text-bg-info</span> <span class="text-bg-light rounded-full px-4 py-1 border">text-bg-light</span> <span class="text-bg-dark rounded-full px-4 py-1">text-bg-dark</span> 
</div>

5Background opacity steps

bg-opacity-10, -25, -50, -75 and -100 fade a theme background in fixed steps.

100

<div class="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
  <div class="bg-success/100 text-white rounded-lg p-4 small">
    100
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success/75 text-white rounded-lg p-4 small">
    75
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success/50 rounded-lg p-4 small">
    50
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success/25 rounded-lg p-4 small">
    25
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success/10 rounded-lg p-4 small">
    10
  </div>
</div>

6Gradient overlay

bg-gradient adds a soft white-to-transparent gradient on top of any bg-{colour}.

bg-primary bg-gradient

Award-winning team

bg-dark bg-gradient

Senior designers only

<div class="row g-2">
  <div class="col-sm-6">
    <div class="bg-primary bg-gradient text-white rounded-xl p-6">
      <div class="font-semibold">
        bg-primary bg-gradient
      </div>
      <div class="small text-white/50">
        Award-winning team
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-6">
    <div class="bg-dark bg-gradient text-white rounded-xl p-6">
      <div class="font-semibold">
        bg-dark bg-gradient
      </div>
      <div class="small text-white/50">
        Senior designers only
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

7Transparent background

bg-transparent removes a fill, useful when a component's default background must disappear.

bg-white

bg-transparent

<div class="bg-surface-3 rounded-lg p-4 flex flex-wrap gap-2">
  <div class="bg-white border rounded-md px-4 py-2 small">
    bg-white
  </div>
  <div class="bg-transparent border rounded-md px-4 py-2 small">
    bg-transparent
  </div>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-light bg-transparent border-0"><i class="bi bi-three-dots" aria-hidden="true"></i> Ghost button</button>
</div>

8Black and white

bg-black and bg-white are fixed colours that do not change with colour mode, unlike bg-body.

bg-black

bg-white

<div class="flex rounded-lg overflow-hidden border">
  <div class="bg-black text-white flex-auto p-4 text-center small">
    bg-black
  </div>
  <div class="bg-white text-black flex-auto p-4 text-center small">
    bg-white
  </div>
</div>

9Highlighted table row

Background utilities on a table cell or row mark a selection without extra CSS.

Order	Customer	Total
#ORD-4911	Mateo Morgan	$335.42
#INV-6592	Ethan Ashford	$297.77
#TX-7911	Chloe Delgado	$106.74

<div class="table-responsive">
  <table class="table table-sm mb-0 align-middle">
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th scope="col">Order</th>
        <th scope="col">Customer</th>
        <th scope="col" class="text-end">Total</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>#ORD-4911</td>
        <td>Mateo Morgan</td>
        <td class="text-end">$335.42</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle">#INV-6592</td>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle">Ethan Ashford</td>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle text-end font-semibold">$297.77</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>#TX-7911</td>
        <td>Chloe Delgado</td>
        <td class="text-end">$106.74</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>

10Feature icons on tinted circles

A subtle background with rounded-circle and fixed size gives each icon a soft colour badge.

Fast turnaround

Award-winning team

Global clients

<div class="row g-3">
  <div class="col-sm-4 flex gap-2 items-center">
    <span class="bg-primary-subtle text-primary rounded-full inline-flex items-center justify-center text-lg" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-lightning-charge-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small font-medium">Fast turnaround</span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-4 flex gap-2 items-center">
    <span class="bg-success-subtle text-success rounded-full inline-flex items-center justify-center text-lg" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-shield-check" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small font-medium">Award-winning team</span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-4 flex gap-2 items-center">
    <span class="bg-danger-subtle text-danger rounded-full inline-flex items-center justify-center text-lg" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-heart-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small font-medium">Global clients</span>
  </div>
</div>

11Section bands

Alternating bg-body and bg-body-tertiary bands separate page sections.

Digital products with personality

Our ux research makes you focused on what matters from the very first day.

Strategy, design and code under one roof

The new award-winning team brings every detail in view from the very first day.

We design brands people remember

The new fast turnaround gives time back in your day wherever you are.

<div class="border rounded-xl overflow-hidden">
  <section class="bg-page p-6">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">Digital products with personality</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-muted">Our ux research makes you focused on what matters from the very first day.</p>
  </section>
  <section class="bg-surface-3 p-6">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">Strategy, design and code under one roof</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-muted">The new award-winning team brings every detail in view from the very first day.</p>
  </section>
  <section class="bg-page p-6">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">We design brands people remember</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-muted">The new fast turnaround gives time back in your day wherever you are.</p>
  </section>
</div>

12Dark footer strip

bg-dark with text-white-50 and link-light builds a compact footer.

<footer class="bg-dark text-white/50 rounded-lg p-4 flex flex-col sm:flex-row justify-between gap-2 small">
  <span>&copy; Brand name 4</span> <span class="flex gap-4"><a href="#" class="link-light">Privacy</a><a href="#" class="link-light">Terms</a><a href="#" class="link-light">Contact</a></span> 
</footer>

13Alert-like message

A message strip built from bg-danger-subtle, a matching border and emphasis text.

Payment failed. This flexible experience gives customers coming back at a fair price.

<div class="bg-danger-subtle border border-danger/30 text-danger-emphasis rounded-lg p-4 flex gap-2" role="alert">
  <span class="text-lg"><i class="bi bi-exclamation-octagon-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span> 
  <div>
    <strong>Payment failed.</strong> <span class="small">This flexible experience gives customers coming back at a fair price.</span>
  </div>
</div>

14Background on hoverable list

List items with bg-body-tertiary for the active one; other rows stay on bg-body.

Inbox
Starred
Sent
Archive

<ul class="list-unstyled border rounded-lg mb-0 overflow-hidden" style="max-width:20rem">
  <li class="px-4 py-2 bg-page border-b"><i class="bi bi-inbox-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Inbox</li>
  <li class="px-4 py-2 bg-surface-3 border-b font-semibold"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Starred</li>
  <li class="px-4 py-2 bg-page border-b"><i class="bi bi-send-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Sent</li>
  <li class="px-4 py-2 bg-page"><i class="bi bi-archive-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Archive</li>
</ul>

15Progress made from backgrounds

A bg-body-secondary track and a bg-success fill with a width utility form a simple meter.

Storage75 of 100 GB

Seats5 of 20

<div class="grid gap-4">
  <div>
    <div class="flex justify-between small mb-1">
      <span>Storage</span><span>75 of 100 GB</span>
    </div>
    <div class="bg-surface-2 rounded-full" style="height:8px">
      <div class="bg-success rounded-full h-full w-3/4">
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="flex justify-between small mb-1">
      <span>Seats</span><span>5 of 20</span>
    </div>
    <div class="bg-surface-2 rounded-full" style="height:8px">
      <div class="bg-warning rounded-full h-full w-1/4">
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

16Pricing highlight

The recommended plan gets bg-primary and white text; the others stay on bg-body-tertiary.

Basic

$6.49

Pro

$35.61

Team

$50.32

<div class="row g-2 text-center">
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="bg-surface-3 rounded-lg p-4">
      <div class="small">
        Basic
      </div>
      <div class="text-lg font-bold">
        $6.49
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="bg-primary text-white rounded-lg p-4">
      <div class="small">
        Pro
      </div>
      <div class="text-lg font-bold">
        $35.61
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="bg-surface-3 rounded-lg p-4">
      <div class="small">
        Team
      </div>
      <div class="text-lg font-bold">
        $50.32
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

17Colour swatches

Square swatches with bg-{colour} and a caption below, as used in a style guide.

Primary

Secondary

Success

Warning

Surface

<div class="flex flex-wrap gap-4">
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-primary rounded-lg" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Primary</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-secondary rounded-lg" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Secondary</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-success rounded-lg" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Success</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-warning rounded-lg" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Warning</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-surface-2 border rounded-lg" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Surface</figcaption>
  </figure>
</div>

18Card header and footer tints

bg-body-tertiary on the header and footer of a card, bg-body in the middle.

Goal notes for clients

Our motion graphics keeps new ideas to life with friendly support.

Updated just now

<div class="border rounded-lg overflow-hidden" style="max-width:24rem">
  <div class="bg-surface-3 px-4 py-2 border-b font-semibold small">
    Goal notes for clients
  </div>
  <div class="bg-page p-4 small">
    Our motion graphics keeps new ideas to life with friendly support.
  </div>
  <div class="bg-surface-3 px-4 py-2 border-t small text-muted">
    Updated just now
  </div>
</div>

19Image scrim with bg-black

A bg-black layer at reduced --ui-bg-opacity makes white text readable over a photo.

Bold ideas, beautifully executed

<div class="relative rounded-xl overflow-hidden" style="max-width:28rem">
  <img src="../assets/img/wide-9.svg" alt="Bold ideas, beautifully executed" class="w-full block"> 
  <div class="absolute top-0 start-0 w-full h-full bg-black flex items-center justify-center" style="--ui-bg-opacity:.45">
    <span class="text-white text-lg font-semibold text-center px-4">Bold ideas, beautifully executed</span> 
  </div>
</div>

20Chat bubbles

Incoming messages on bg-body-tertiary, outgoing on bg-primary, each with a rounded corner set.

This calm community makes your work organised on any device.

The new award-winning team turns data easy to understand from the very first day.

This secure routine turns you focused on what matters all year round.

<div class="flex flex-col gap-2" style="max-width:24rem">
  <div class="self-start bg-surface-3 rounded-xl rounded-b-none px-4 py-2 small">
    This calm community makes your work organised on any device.
  </div>
  <div class="self-end bg-primary text-white rounded-xl rounded-b-none px-4 py-2 small">
    The new award-winning team turns data easy to understand from the very first day.
  </div>
  <div class="self-start bg-surface-3 rounded-xl rounded-b-none px-4 py-2 small">
    This secure routine turns you focused on what matters all year round.
  </div>
</div>