Z-index

Z-index utilities change the stacking order of positioned elements: z-n1 sends an element behind its context, z-0 creates a base layer and z-1, z-2 and z-3 bring elements forward. They only apply to elements with a position, so pair them with position-relative or position-absolute.

1Z-index scale

z-n1, z-0, z-1, z-2 and z-3 stack positioned elements from back to front.

z-3

z-2

z-1

z-0

z-n1

<div class="position-relative" style="height:170px">
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-body-secondary z-3" style="top:0;left:0;width:150px;height:90px">
    z-3
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-primary-subtle z-2" style="top:20px;left:40px;width:150px;height:90px">
    z-2
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-success-subtle z-1" style="top:40px;left:80px;width:150px;height:90px">
    z-1
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-warning-subtle z-0" style="top:60px;left:120px;width:150px;height:90px">
    z-0
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-danger-subtle z-n1" style="top:80px;left:160px;width:150px;height:90px">
    z-n1
  </div>
</div>

2Order without z-index

Without z-index, later elements paint on top of earlier ones.

first

second (on top)

<div class="position-relative" style="height:130px">
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-primary-subtle" style="top:0;left:0;width:160px;height:90px">
    first
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-info-subtle" style="top:30px;left:60px;width:160px;height:90px">
    second (on top)
  </div>
</div>

3Bring the first one forward

z-1 on the first element puts it above its later sibling.

first, z-1

second

<div class="position-relative" style="height:130px">
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-primary-subtle z-1" style="top:0;left:0;width:160px;height:90px">
    first, z-1
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute rounded-3 p-2 small fw-semibold border bg-info-subtle" style="top:30px;left:60px;width:160px;height:90px">
    second
  </div>
</div>

4Background shape behind content

z-n1 places a decorative shape behind the text of its positioned parent, which uses z-0 to form a stacking context.

Ideas worth talking about

From logo to launch campaign, everything is designed to work together.

<div class="position-relative z-0 p-4">
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 bg-primary-subtle rounded-circle z-n1" style="width:120px;height:120px">
  </div>
  <h3 class="h5 fw-semibold">Ideas worth talking about</h3>
  <p class="small mb-0">From logo to launch campaign, everything is designed to work together.</p>
</div>

5Overlapping avatars

Decreasing z-index keeps the first avatar on top of the stack.

<div class="d-flex">
  <img src="../assets/img/avatar-6.svg" alt="Maya Tanaka" width="44" height="44" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white position-relative z-3"> <img src="../assets/img/avatar-7.svg" alt="Leo Ortega" width="44" height="44" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white position-relative z-2" style="margin-left:-14px"> <img src="../assets/img/avatar-8.svg" alt="Samir Larsen" width="44" height="44" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white position-relative z-1" style="margin-left:-14px"> <img src="../assets/img/avatar-9.svg" alt="Ivy Duarte" width="44" height="44" class="rounded-circle border border-2 border-white position-relative z-0" style="margin-left:-14px"> 
</div>

6Active button above its neighbours

In joined button rows the active one gets z-1 so its border is not hidden.

<div class="d-flex">
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary rounded-0 rounded-start position-relative">Day</button>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-primary rounded-0 position-relative z-1 active" style="margin-left:-1px" aria-pressed="true">Week</button>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-outline-secondary rounded-0 rounded-end position-relative" style="margin-left:-1px">Month</button>
</div>

7Badge over a card image

The badge uses z-2 so it stays above an overlay with z-1.

tutorial

<div class="position-relative rounded-4 overflow-hidden" style="max-width:20rem">
  <img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1752650736677-94fe8cdb9d5c?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1200&h=800&q=70" alt="How we ran a rebrand in eight weeks" class="w-100 d-block"> 
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 bg-dark bg-opacity-25 z-1">
  </div>
  <span class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 m-2 badge text-bg-warning z-2">tutorial</span> 
</div>

8Floating label above a chart

A z-3 label stays above grid lines and bars.

Peak 217

<div class="position-relative border rounded-3 p-3" style="height:150px">
  <div class="position-absolute start-0 end-0 border-top z-0" style="top:50px">
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute start-0 end-0 border-top z-0" style="top:100px">
  </div>
  <div class="d-flex align-items-end gap-2 h-100 position-relative z-1">
    <div class="bg-primary-subtle flex-fill h-50 rounded-top">
    </div>
    <div class="bg-primary flex-fill h-75 rounded-top">
    </div>
    <div class="bg-primary-subtle flex-fill h-25 rounded-top">
    </div>
  </div>
  <span class="position-absolute top-0 start-50 translate-middle-x mt-2 badge text-bg-dark z-3">Peak 217</span> 
</div>

9Sticky header layer

A sticky header with z-2 stays above rows that have their own positioned badges.

Team

Liam Mensah new

Mia Kim

Lucas Novak

Priya Ibrahim

Ava Morgan

<div class="border rounded-3 overflow-auto" style="height:160px">
  <div class="sticky-top z-2 bg-body-secondary px-3 py-2 small fw-semibold">
    Team
  </div>
  <div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom position-relative">
    Liam Mensah <span class="badge text-bg-success position-relative z-1">new</span>
  </div>
  <div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">
    Mia Kim
  </div>
  <div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">
    Lucas Novak
  </div>
  <div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">
    Priya Ibrahim
  </div>
  <div class="px-3 py-2">
    Ava Morgan
  </div>
</div>

10Cards in a fan

Rotated cards stacked with z-1 to z-3.

z-1

z-2

z-3

<div class="position-relative mx-auto" style="height:170px;max-width:18rem">
  <div class="position-absolute top-50 start-50 bg-body border rounded-3 shadow-sm p-3 z-1" style="width:140px;transform:translate(-80%,-50%) rotate(-10deg)">
    <div class="small">
      <code class="small">z-1</code>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute top-50 start-50 bg-body border rounded-3 shadow-sm p-3 z-2" style="width:140px;transform:translate(-50%,-50%)">
    <div class="small">
      <code class="small">z-2</code>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute top-50 start-50 bg-body border rounded-3 shadow-sm p-3 z-3" style="width:140px;transform:translate(-20%,-50%) rotate(10deg)">
    <div class="small fw-bold">
      <code class="small">z-3</code>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

11Image behind a heading

The hero image sits on z-n1 inside a z-0 context, the text sits on top.

Bold ideas, beautifully executed

Senior designers lead every project from the first sketch to the final file.

<div class="position-relative z-0 rounded-4 overflow-hidden p-4 text-white bg-dark" style="min-height:180px">
  <img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1752650736677-94fe8cdb9d5c?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&h=700&q=70" alt="" class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 object-fit-cover z-n1"> 
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 bg-dark bg-opacity-50 z-n1">
  </div>
  <h3 class="h4 fw-bold">Bold ideas, beautifully executed</h3>
  <p class="mb-0 small">Senior designers lead every project from the first sketch to the final file.</p>
</div>

12Focus ring over siblings

List group items lift their active item with z-1 so its border shows on both edges.

Social
Web
Print

<ul class="list-unstyled mb-0" style="max-width:18rem">
  <li class="border px-3 py-2 rounded-top position-relative">Social</li>
  <li class="border border-primary bg-primary-subtle px-3 py-2 position-relative z-1" style="margin-top:-1px">Web</li>
  <li class="border px-3 py-2 rounded-bottom position-relative" style="margin-top:-1px">Print</li>
</ul>

13Notification over a header

A count badge on z-3 overlaps the next header item.

<div class="d-flex gap-3 border rounded-3 p-3 align-items-center">
  <span class="position-relative fs-4"><i class="bi bi-bell-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="position-absolute top-0 start-100 translate-middle badge rounded-pill text-bg-danger z-3 fs-6">21</span></span> <span class="position-relative fs-4 bg-body rounded-2 px-2"><i class="bi bi-chat-dots-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span> 
</div>

14Stacked paper effect

Two layers on z-n1 behind a card look like a pile of pages.

Social

16 documents

<div class="position-relative z-0 mx-auto" style="max-width:20rem">
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 bg-body-secondary border rounded-3 z-n1" style="transform:translate(8px,8px)">
  </div>
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 bg-body-tertiary border rounded-3 z-n1" style="transform:translate(4px,4px)">
  </div>
  <div class="bg-body border rounded-3 p-3">
    <div class="fw-semibold">
      Social
    </div>
    <div class="small text-body-secondary">
      16 documents
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

15Overlapping sections

A card with z-1 overlaps the coloured band above it via a negative top offset.

We make good brands great

We have helped more than a hundred companies launch, rebrand and grow online.

<div>
  <div class="text-bg-primary rounded-top-4 p-4 pb-5">
    <h3 class="h5 mb-0">We make good brands great</h3>
  </div>
  <div class="position-relative z-1 bg-body border rounded-4 shadow-sm p-3 mx-3" style="margin-top:-2rem">
    We have helped more than a hundred companies launch, rebrand and grow online.
  </div>
</div>

16Corner ribbon above a border

A z-2 ribbon overlaps the card border.

Overdue

Motion graphics

Small teams, short feedback loops and no handoffs lost in translation.

<div class="position-relative border border-2 rounded-4 p-4" style="max-width:18rem">
  <span class="position-absolute top-0 end-0 translate-middle-y me-3 badge text-bg-success z-2">Overdue</span> 
  <div class="fw-semibold">
    Motion graphics
  </div>
  <div class="small text-body-secondary">
    Small teams, short feedback loops and no handoffs lost in translation.
  </div>
</div>

17Hover card layer (static preview)

A preview popover on z-3 overlapping a list.

Mateo Kowalski
Hana Haddad
Amara Tanaka

Fixed prices and weekly demos keep you in control from start to finish.

<div class="position-relative" style="height:150px">
  <ul class="list-unstyled border rounded-3 mb-0">
    <li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Mateo Kowalski</li>
    <li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Hana Haddad</li>
    <li class="px-3 py-2">Amara Tanaka</li>
  </ul>
  <div class="position-absolute bg-body border rounded-3 shadow p-3 z-3 small" style="top:20px;left:40%;width:13rem">
    Fixed prices and weekly demos keep you in control from start to finish.
  </div>
</div>

18Z-index needs a position

z-* only works on positioned elements: the left box has no position, the right one has position-relative.

z-3, static (ignored)

z-3, position-relative

<div class="row g-2">
  <div class="col-6">
    <div class="bg-info-subtle border rounded-3 p-3 z-3 small">
      z-3, static (ignored)
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6">
    <div class="bg-info-subtle border rounded-3 p-3 z-3 position-relative small">
      z-3, position-relative
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

19Price tag over a product

A z-1 price tag over the product image and a z-2 heart button above it.

$38.60

<div class="position-relative rounded-4 overflow-hidden border" style="max-width:16rem">
  <img src="../assets/img/product-11.svg" alt="Packaging design" class="w-100 d-block"> <span class="position-absolute bottom-0 start-0 m-2 badge text-bg-dark z-1">$38.60</span> 
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-light btn-sm rounded-circle position-absolute top-0 end-0 m-2 z-2" aria-label="Save"><i class="bi bi-heart-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></button>
</div>

20Dropdown above content

An open menu at z-3 overlaps the panel below it.

Newest
Price low to high
Rating

We measure success by how many clients come back and tell their friends. We listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.

<div class="position-relative" style="height:170px">
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-secondary"><i class="bi bi-sort-down" aria-hidden="true"></i> Sort</button>
  <ul class="position-absolute list-unstyled bg-body border rounded-3 shadow py-1 mt-1 z-3 small mb-0" style="width:11rem">
    <li class="px-3 py-1">Newest</li>
    <li class="px-3 py-1 bg-primary-subtle">Price low to high</li>
    <li class="px-3 py-1">Rating</li>
  </ul>
  <div class="bg-body-tertiary border rounded-3 p-3 mt-2 small">
    We measure success by how many clients come back and tell their friends. We listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.
  </div>
</div>