Overflow
Overflow utilities control what happens when content is bigger than its box: overflow-auto scrolls when needed, overflow-hidden clips, overflow-visible lets content spill and overflow-scroll always shows scrollbars. overflow-x-* and overflow-y-* handle each axis separately, ideal for wide tables and side-scrolling rows.
1The four overflow values
overflow-auto, overflow-hidden, overflow-visible and overflow-scroll on boxes of fixed height.
overflow-autooverflow-hiddenoverflow-visibleoverflow-scroll<div class="row g-3 small">
<div class="col-6 col-md-3">
<code>overflow-auto</code>
<div class="overflow-auto border rounded-3 p-2 bg-body-tertiary" style="height:100px">
Early bird tickets save you up to forty percent until the end of the month. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. The venue is a short walk from the station and fully accessible. We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends.
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-6 col-md-3">
<code>overflow-hidden</code>
<div class="overflow-hidden border rounded-3 p-2 bg-body-tertiary" style="height:100px">
Early bird tickets save you up to forty percent until the end of the month. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. The venue is a short walk from the station and fully accessible. We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends.
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-6 col-md-3">
<code>overflow-visible</code>
<div class="overflow-visible border rounded-3 p-2 bg-body-tertiary mb-5" style="height:100px">
Early bird tickets save you up to forty percent until the end of the month. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. The venue is a short walk from the station and fully accessible. We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends.
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-6 col-md-3">
<code>overflow-scroll</code>
<div class="overflow-scroll border rounded-3 p-2 bg-body-tertiary" style="height:100px">
Early bird tickets save you up to forty percent until the end of the month. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. The venue is a short walk from the station and fully accessible. We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends.
</div>
</div>
</div>2Horizontal scroll only
overflow-x-auto with flex-nowrap scrolls a row of cards sideways.
<div class="d-flex flex-nowrap gap-2 overflow-x-auto pb-2">
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 flex-shrink-0" style="width:160px">
<div class="fw-semibold small">
Speaker management
</div>
</div>
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 flex-shrink-0" style="width:160px">
<div class="fw-semibold small">
Venue booking
</div>
</div>
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 flex-shrink-0" style="width:160px">
<div class="fw-semibold small">
Speaker management
</div>
</div>
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 flex-shrink-0" style="width:160px">
<div class="fw-semibold small">
Ticketing
</div>
</div>
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 flex-shrink-0" style="width:160px">
<div class="fw-semibold small">
Sponsorship
</div>
</div>
</div>3Vertical scroll only
overflow-y-auto and a max-height make a scrolling list.
- Freya Carter
- Lucas Morgan
- Theo Ortega
- Mia Sato
- Maya Hughes
- Chloe Fischer
<ul class="list-unstyled border rounded-3 overflow-y-auto mb-0" style="max-height:150px">
<li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Freya Carter</li>
<li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Lucas Morgan</li>
<li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Theo Ortega</li>
<li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Mia Sato</li>
<li class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom">Maya Hughes</li>
<li class="px-3 py-2">Chloe Fischer</li>
</ul>4Hidden to clip rounded corners
overflow-hidden on a rounded card clips the image corners.
<div class="row g-3">
<div class="col-6">
<div class="border rounded-4">
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1773828755374-0ee802d9f44b?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1200&h=800&q=70" alt="Not clipped" class="w-100 d-block">
<div class="p-2 small">
without
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-6">
<div class="border rounded-4 overflow-hidden">
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1773829020694-413e879d2957?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1200&h=800&q=70" alt="Clipped" class="w-100 d-block">
<div class="p-2 small">
overflow-hidden
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>5Wide table
A wide table inside overflow-x-auto scrolls instead of breaking the page.
| Order | Customer | City | Date | Status | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #TX-1504 | Ella Ashford | Dublin | Nov 3, 2025 | Active | $858.40 |
| #ORD-2760 | Finn Haddad | Auckland | Apr 5, 2026 | On hold | $116.89 |
<div class="overflow-x-auto border rounded-3">
<table class="table table-sm mb-0 text-nowrap">
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Order</th>
<th scope="col">Customer</th>
<th scope="col">City</th>
<th scope="col">Date</th>
<th scope="col">Status</th>
<th scope="col">Total</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>#TX-1504</td>
<td>Ella Ashford</td>
<td>Dublin</td>
<td>Nov 3, 2025</td>
<td>Active</td>
<td>$858.40</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>#ORD-2760</td>
<td>Finn Haddad</td>
<td>Auckland</td>
<td>Apr 5, 2026</td>
<td>On hold</td>
<td>$116.89</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>6Code block that scrolls
Long lines in a pre with overflow-x-auto stay on one line.
npm run build -- --mode production --out-dir dist/sageis-flow --base ./ --sourcemap false --emptyOutDir<pre class="overflow-x-auto bg-body-tertiary border rounded-3 p-3 small mb-0"><code>npm run build -- --mode production --out-dir dist/sageis-flow --base ./ --sourcemap false --emptyOutDir</code></pre>7Chat window
A fixed height message area with overflow-y-auto above a fixed input.
<div class="border rounded-4 d-flex flex-column" style="height:220px;max-width:22rem">
<div class="overflow-y-auto p-3 d-flex flex-column gap-2 flex-grow-1">
<div class="align-self-start bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 px-2 py-1 small">
Three days of keynotes, hands-on workshops and evening meetups.
</div>
<div class="align-self-end text-bg-primary rounded-3 px-2 py-1 small">
Virtual passes let you join the main stage live from anywhere.
</div>
<div class="align-self-start bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 px-2 py-1 small">
The networking app helps you meet the right people before you arrive.
</div>
<div class="align-self-end text-bg-primary rounded-3 px-2 py-1 small">
Friendly people answer your questions quickly, by phone, chat or email.
</div>
</div>
<div class="border-top p-2">
<label class="visually-hidden" for="ut-msg-1253">Message</label>
<input id="ut-msg-1253" type="text" class="form-control form-control-sm" placeholder="Type a message">
</div>
</div>8Scrollable tab strip
Pills in a flex-nowrap row with overflow-x-auto for many categories.
<nav class="d-flex flex-nowrap gap-2 overflow-x-auto pb-1" aria-label="Categories">
<a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-primary rounded-pill text-nowrap">All</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">Webinar</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">how-to</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">Webinar</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">release</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">workflow</a> <a href="#" class="btn btn-sm btn-light border rounded-pill text-nowrap">simple</a>
</nav>9Terms box
A long text inside a bordered box with overflow-auto, like a licence agreement.
Terms of use
Clear prices, honest advice and no surprises along the way. Group tickets include a private meeting room for your team. Workshops are limited to thirty seats, so everyone gets hands-on time. Every attendee receives a certificate of participation.
We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you. More than eighty speakers share what they have learned the hard way. Sponsors meet decision-makers in a relaxed, friendly setting. Our team has done this many times, so you never have to guess.
We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends. Sponsors meet decision-makers in a relaxed, friendly setting. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you.
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3 overflow-auto small bg-body-tertiary" style="height:130px">
<h3 class="h6">Terms of use</h3>
<p>Clear prices, honest advice and no surprises along the way. Group tickets include a private meeting room for your team. Workshops are limited to thirty seats, so everyone gets hands-on time. Every attendee receives a certificate of participation.</p>
<p>We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you. More than eighty speakers share what they have learned the hard way. Sponsors meet decision-makers in a relaxed, friendly setting. Our team has done this many times, so you never have to guess.</p>
<p class="mb-0">We measure success by how many attendees come back and tell their friends. Sponsors meet decision-makers in a relaxed, friendly setting. Every session is recorded, so you can catch up on anything you missed. We keep things simple, so you can focus on what matters to you.</p>
</div>10Visible overflow for a badge
overflow-visible lets a badge stick out of a box that would otherwise clip it.
<div class="d-flex gap-4 pt-2">
<div class="position-relative overflow-hidden border rounded-3 p-3 small">
overflow-hidden<span class="position-absolute top-0 start-100 translate-middle badge rounded-pill text-bg-danger">5</span>
</div>
<div class="position-relative overflow-visible border rounded-3 p-3 small">
overflow-visible<span class="position-absolute top-0 start-100 translate-middle badge rounded-pill text-bg-danger">1</span>
</div>
</div>11Hidden overflow for a cropped title
overflow-hidden with a fixed height clips long text to two lines worth of space.
<div class="border rounded-3 p-3" style="max-width:20rem">
<div class="overflow-hidden fw-semibold lh-sm" style="height:2.5em">
Learn, connect and get inspired - Workshops are limited to thirty seats, so everyone gets hands-on time.
</div>
<div class="small text-body-secondary mt-1">
Jul 15, 2026
</div>
</div>12Sidebar that scrolls separately
The nav column scrolls with overflow-y-auto while the content stays put.
<div class="d-flex border rounded-3" style="height:180px">
<nav class="overflow-y-auto border-end p-2 small flex-shrink-0" style="width:130px" aria-label="Chapters">
<a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Intro</a><a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Setup</a><a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Layout</a> <a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Colours</a><a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Forms</a><a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Tables</a> <a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Charts</a><a href="#" class="d-block py-1">Deploy</a>
</nav>
<div class="p-3 small">
Group tickets include a private meeting room for your team. More than eighty speakers share what they have learned the hard way.
</div>
</div>13Image pan area
A large image in an overflow-auto box can be scrolled in both directions.
<div class="overflow-auto border rounded-3" style="height:160px;max-width:26rem">
<img src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1560523159-94c9d18bcf27?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&h=700&q=70" alt="What we learned from last year's feedback" width="900" height="394" class="d-block">
</div>14Kanban columns
Columns side by side in overflow-x-auto, each column scrolls with overflow-y-auto.
<div class="d-flex gap-2 overflow-x-auto pb-1">
<div class="bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-2 flex-shrink-0 overflow-y-auto" style="width:170px;max-height:180px">
<div class="small fw-semibold mb-2">
To do
</div>
<div class="bg-body border rounded-2 p-2 small mb-2">
Ticketing
</div>
<div class="bg-body border rounded-2 p-2 small mb-2">
Ticketing
</div>
<div class="bg-body border rounded-2 p-2 small">
Ticketing
</div>
</div>
<div class="bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-2 flex-shrink-0 overflow-y-auto" style="width:170px;max-height:180px">
<div class="small fw-semibold mb-2">
Doing
</div>
<div class="bg-body border rounded-2 p-2 small">
Networking app
</div>
</div>
<div class="bg-body-tertiary rounded-3 p-2 flex-shrink-0 overflow-y-auto" style="width:170px;max-height:180px">
<div class="small fw-semibold mb-2">
Done
</div>
<div class="bg-body border rounded-2 p-2 small">
Speaker management
</div>
</div>
</div>15Overflow-x hidden
overflow-x-hidden hides content that slides in from the side, like an off-screen panel.
<div class="position-relative overflow-x-hidden border rounded-3 p-3" style="height:110px">
<div class="small">
Thousands of attendees already trust us, and we work hard to keep it that way.
</div>
<div class="position-absolute top-0 bg-primary-subtle h-100 p-2 small" style="left:90%;width:200px">
Panel partly off the edge
</div>
</div>16Overflow-y scroll always
overflow-y-scroll always shows the vertical scrollbar, so the width never jumps.
<div class="overflow-y-scroll border rounded-3 p-2 small" style="height:90px">
Every attendee receives a certificate of participation.
</div>17Notification panel
A dropdown-like panel with header, scrolling body and footer.
<div class="border rounded-3 shadow-sm d-flex flex-column" style="max-width:20rem;height:220px">
<div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom fw-semibold small">
Notifications
</div>
<div class="overflow-y-auto flex-grow-1">
<div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom small">
Friendly people answer your questions quickly, by phone, chat or email.
</div>
<div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom small">
The venue is a short walk from the station and fully accessible.
</div>
<div class="px-3 py-2 border-bottom small">
Early bird tickets save you up to forty percent until the end of the month.
</div>
<div class="px-3 py-2 small">
Three days of keynotes, hands-on workshops and evening meetups.
</div>
</div>
<a href="#" class="px-3 py-2 border-top small text-center">View all</a>
</div>18Clip a decorative shape
A big circle partly outside its panel is cut off by overflow-hidden.
Talks, workshops and new friendships
Start in minutes and get help from a real person whenever you need it.
<div class="position-relative overflow-hidden text-bg-primary rounded-4 p-4">
<div class="position-absolute bg-white bg-opacity-25 rounded-circle" style="width:180px;height:180px;right:-60px;top:-60px">
</div>
<h3 class="h5 position-relative">Talks, workshops and new friendships</h3>
<p class="small mb-0 position-relative">Start in minutes and get help from a real person whenever you need it.</p>
</div>19Long word handling
overflow-hidden plus text-truncate versus text-break for an unbreakable string.
<div class="row g-2 small">
<div class="col-sm-6">
<div class="border rounded-3 p-2 text-truncate">
downloads/sageis-flow/assets/very-long-file-name-without-any-spaces-at-all.zip
</div>
</div>
<div class="col-sm-6">
<div class="border rounded-3 p-2 text-break">
downloads/sageis-flow/assets/very-long-file-name-without-any-spaces-at-all.zip
</div>
</div>
</div>20Responsive table wrapper
table-responsive is the helper made of overflow-x-auto for tables.
| Plan | Users | Storage | Support | API | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | 30 | 242 GB | Email and chat | Unlimited | $74.75 |
<div class="table-responsive border rounded-3">
<table class="table table-sm mb-0 text-nowrap">
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Plan</th>
<th scope="col">Users</th>
<th scope="col">Storage</th>
<th scope="col">Support</th>
<th scope="col">API</th>
<th scope="col">Price</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Pro</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>242 GB</td>
<td>Email and chat</td>
<td>Unlimited</td>
<td>$74.75</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>