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 --bs-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 - text-bg-primary picks the one that reads on your brand 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="text-bg-primary rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-primary
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="text-bg-secondary rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-secondary
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-success text-white rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-success
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-danger text-white rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-danger
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-warning text-dark rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-warning
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-info text-dark rounded-2 p-3">
      bg-info
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="bg-light text-dark rounded-2 p-3 border">
      bg-light
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-6 col-md-3">
    <div class="text-bg-dark rounded-2 p-3">
      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="d-grid gap-2">
  <div class="bg-primary-subtle text-primary-emphasis rounded-3 px-3 py-2">
    bg-primary-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-success-subtle text-success-emphasis rounded-3 px-3 py-2">
    bg-success-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-warning-subtle text-warning-emphasis rounded-3 px-3 py-2">
    bg-warning-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-danger-subtle text-danger-emphasis rounded-3 px-3 py-2">
    bg-danger-subtle
  </div>
  <div class="bg-info-subtle text-info-emphasis rounded-3 px-3 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-4 overflow-hidden">
  <div class="bg-body p-3 border-bottom">
    <code>bg-body</code> - the page itself
  </div>
  <div class="bg-body-secondary p-3 border-bottom">
    <code>bg-body-secondary</code> - side panels
  </div>
  <div class="bg-body-tertiary p-3">
    <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="d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
  <span class="text-bg-primary rounded-pill px-3 py-1">text-bg-primary</span> <span class="text-bg-warning rounded-pill px-3 py-1">text-bg-warning</span> <span class="text-bg-info rounded-pill px-3 py-1">text-bg-info</span> <span class="text-bg-light rounded-pill px-3 py-1 border">text-bg-light</span> <span class="text-bg-dark rounded-pill px-3 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. White text needs the full colour; the labels sit under the lighter steps.

100

<div class="d-flex flex-wrap gap-3 small text-center">
  <div>
    <div class="bg-success bg-opacity-100 rounded-3 mb-1" style="width:4rem;height:3rem">
    </div>
    100
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="bg-success bg-opacity-75 rounded-3 mb-1" style="width:4rem;height:3rem">
    </div>
    75
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="bg-success bg-opacity-50 rounded-3 mb-1" style="width:4rem;height:3rem">
    </div>
    50
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="bg-success bg-opacity-25 rounded-3 mb-1" style="width:4rem;height:3rem">
    </div>
    25
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="bg-success bg-opacity-10 rounded-3 mb-1" style="width:4rem;height:3rem">
    </div>
    10
  </div>
</div>

6Gradient overlay

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

bg-primary bg-gradient

Volunteer network

bg-dark bg-gradient

Tax receipts

<div class="row g-2">
  <div class="col-sm-6">
    <div class="bg-primary bg-gradient text-white rounded-4 p-4">
      <div class="fw-semibold">
        bg-primary bg-gradient
      </div>
      <div class="small text-white-50">
        Volunteer network
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-6">
    <div class="bg-dark bg-gradient text-white rounded-4 p-4">
      <div class="fw-semibold">
        bg-dark bg-gradient
      </div>
      <div class="small text-white-50">
        Tax receipts
      </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-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-3 d-flex flex-wrap gap-2">
  <div class="bg-white text-dark border rounded-2 px-3 py-2 small">
    bg-white
  </div>
  <div class="bg-transparent border rounded-2 px-3 py-2 small">
    bg-transparent
  </div>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-light bg-transparent border-0 text-body"><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="d-flex rounded-3 overflow-hidden border">
  <div class="bg-black text-white flex-fill p-3 text-center small">
    bg-black
  </div>
  <div class="bg-white text-black flex-fill p-3 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
#TX-4421	Diego Ibrahim	$50.07
#INV-3039	Lucas Harlow	$22.13
#INV-3164	Kai Kowalski	$138.65

<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>#TX-4421</td>
        <td>Diego Ibrahim</td>
        <td class="text-end">$50.07</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle">#INV-3039</td>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle">Lucas Harlow</td>
        <td class="bg-primary-subtle text-end fw-semibold">$22.13</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>#INV-3164</td>
        <td>Kai Kowalski</td>
        <td class="text-end">$138.65</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.

Tax receipts

Secure giving

Transparent reports

<div class="row g-3">
  <div class="col-sm-4 d-flex gap-2 align-items-center">
    <span class="bg-primary-subtle text-primary rounded-circle d-inline-flex align-items-center justify-content-center fs-5" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-lightning-charge-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small fw-medium">Tax receipts</span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-4 d-flex gap-2 align-items-center">
    <span class="bg-success-subtle text-success rounded-circle d-inline-flex align-items-center justify-content-center fs-5" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-shield-check" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small fw-medium">Secure giving</span>
  </div>
  <div class="col-sm-4 d-flex gap-2 align-items-center">
    <span class="bg-danger-subtle text-danger rounded-circle d-inline-flex align-items-center justify-content-center fs-5" style="width:44px;height:44px"><i class="bi bi-heart-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="small fw-medium">Transparent reports</span>
  </div>
</div>

11Section bands

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

Change one life, change a community

Clean water wells are built with and maintained by local communities.

Together we can change lives

Companies can match employee donations and double their impact.

Hope starts with you

Local partners know their communities and make sure help arrives where it matters.

<div class="border rounded-4 overflow-hidden">
  <section class="bg-body p-4">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">Change one life, change a community</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-body-secondary">Clean water wells are built with and maintained by local communities.</p>
  </section>
  <section class="bg-body-tertiary p-4">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">Together we can change lives</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-body-secondary">Companies can match employee donations and double their impact.</p>
  </section>
  <section class="bg-body p-4">
    <h3 class="h6 mb-1">Hope starts with you</h3>
    <p class="small mb-0 text-body-secondary">Local partners know their communities and make sure help arrives where it matters.</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-3 p-3 d-flex flex-column flex-sm-row justify-content-between gap-2 small">
  <span>&copy; Sageio</span> <span class="d-flex gap-3"><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. Our annual report is independently audited and published in full.

<div class="bg-danger-subtle border border-danger-subtle text-danger-emphasis rounded-3 p-3 d-flex gap-2" role="alert">
  <span class="fs-5"><i class="bi bi-exclamation-octagon-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i></span> 
  <div>
    <strong>Payment failed.</strong> <span class="small">Our annual report is independently audited and published in full.</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-3 mb-0 overflow-hidden" style="max-width:20rem">
  <li class="px-3 py-2 bg-body border-bottom"><i class="bi bi-inbox-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Inbox</li>
  <li class="px-3 py-2 bg-body-tertiary border-bottom fw-semibold"><i class="bi bi-star-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Starred</li>
  <li class="px-3 py-2 bg-body border-bottom"><i class="bi bi-send-fill" aria-hidden="true"></i> Sent</li>
  <li class="px-3 py-2 bg-body"><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="d-grid gap-3">
  <div>
    <div class="d-flex justify-content-between small mb-1">
      <span>Storage</span><span>75 of 100 GB</span>
    </div>
    <div class="bg-body-secondary rounded-pill" style="height:8px">
      <div class="bg-success rounded-pill h-100 w-75">
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div>
    <div class="d-flex justify-content-between small mb-1">
      <span>Seats</span><span>5 of 20</span>
    </div>
    <div class="bg-body-secondary rounded-pill" style="height:8px">
      <div class="bg-warning rounded-pill h-100 w-25">
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

16Pricing highlight

The recommended plan gets text-bg-primary (the brand colour with the text colour that reads on it); the others stay on bg-body-tertiary.

Basic

$13.25

Pro

$34.17

Team

$73.78

<div class="row g-2 text-center">
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-3">
      <div class="small">
        Basic
      </div>
      <div class="fs-5 fw-bold">
        $13.25
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="text-bg-primary rounded-3 p-3">
      <div class="small">
        Pro
      </div>
      <div class="fs-5 fw-bold">
        $34.17
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="col-4">
    <div class="bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-3">
      <div class="small">
        Team
      </div>
      <div class="fs-5 fw-bold">
        $73.78
      </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="d-flex flex-wrap gap-3">
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-primary rounded-3" 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-3" 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-3" 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-3" style="width:56px;height:56px">
    </div>
    <figcaption class="small mt-1">Warning</figcaption>
  </figure>
  <figure class="mb-0 text-center">
    <div class="bg-body-secondary border rounded-3" 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.

How your donations built three new classrooms

We listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.

Updated 13 min ago

<div class="border rounded-3 overflow-hidden" style="max-width:24rem">
  <div class="bg-body-tertiary px-3 py-2 border-bottom fw-semibold small">
    How your donations built three new classrooms
  </div>
  <div class="bg-body p-3 small">
    We listen first, then build a plan around what you actually need.
  </div>
  <div class="bg-body-tertiary px-3 py-2 border-top small text-body-secondary">
    Updated 13 min ago
  </div>
</div>

19Image scrim with bg-black

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

Be part of the change

<div class="position-relative rounded-4 overflow-hidden" style="max-width:28rem">
  <img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1706806595136-5afefb45da1a?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&h=700&q=70" alt="Help us build a kinder world" class="w-100 d-block"> 
  <div class="position-absolute top-0 start-0 w-100 h-100 bg-black d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center" style="--bs-bg-opacity:.45">
    <span class="text-white fs-5 fw-semibold text-center px-3">Be part of the change</span> 
  </div>
</div>

20Chat bubbles

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

Ninety cents of every dollar goes directly to the projects you support.

Every donation is tax-deductible, and receipts arrive by email instantly.

We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you.

<div class="d-flex flex-column gap-2" style="max-width:24rem">
  <div class="align-self-start bg-body-tertiary rounded-4 rounded-bottom-0 px-3 py-2 small">
    Ninety cents of every dollar goes directly to the projects you support.
  </div>
  <div class="align-self-end text-bg-primary rounded-4 rounded-bottom-0 px-3 py-2 small">
    Every donation is tax-deductible, and receipts arrive by email instantly.
  </div>
  <div class="align-self-start bg-body-tertiary rounded-4 rounded-bottom-0 px-3 py-2 small">
    We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you.
  </div>
</div>