CSS Grid Generator
Generate CSS Grid layouts visually
CSS Grid Generator tool
CSS Grid Generator: key facts
- What it does
- Generate CSS Grid layouts visually
- Category
- Developer Tools
- Cost
- Free, with no account, sign-up, or install.
- Your data
- Runs entirely in your browser — the files and text you enter are never uploaded to a server.
- Last reviewed
- . Report an incorrect result.
What this tool is for
CSS Grid is powerful, but writing grid-template-columns: repeat(...) by hand and guessing at gaps slows down quick layout work. CSS Grid Generator gives you simple controls for columns, rows, and gap, then hands back clean, copy-ready CSS alongside a live preview of the layout.
It fits the prototyping moment: roughing out a gallery, a dashboard, or a card layout and wanting the boilerplate CSS without typing it from memory. Adjust the numbers, watch the preview grid update with numbered cells, and paste the generated rules straight into your stylesheet.
How to use the CSS Grid Generator
- Set the number of columns (1–12) and rows (1–12).
- Enter a gap value — any valid CSS length such as 16px or 1rem.
- Click Generate Grid.
- Check the live preview of the grid, then Copy the generated .grid-container CSS into your stylesheet.
Tracks, gaps, and the generated rule
The tool emits a grid container rule from your chosen column and row counts, using the repeat notation with fractional units so the tracks divide the available space equally. The fractional unit is what makes grid layout straightforward: it distributes leftover space after fixed sizes and gaps are accounted for, so tracks stay proportional without any percentage arithmetic.
Gap is a property of the container rather than of the items, which is a genuine improvement on older approaches. Margins on children required negative margins on the wrapper to cancel the outer edge; a gap applies only between tracks, so nothing needs cancelling.
Copy the generated rule and apply it to a container element. Its direct children become grid items automatically, filling the cells in order, which is often all a layout needs.
- repeat(3, 1fr) creates three equal columns that share the container width.
- A gap applies between tracks only, not around the outside of the grid.
- Children are placed into cells automatically in source order with no per-item rules needed.
What the CSS Grid Generator gets right
- A live preview renders the actual grid as you configure it, so you see the layout before touching your codebase.
- It outputs clean, standard grid CSS using repeat() and fractional units, ready to paste without editing.
- The gap field accepts any CSS length unit, so you are not locked into pixels.
- It runs entirely in the browser, free and without sign-up.
Responsive grids without media queries
The most useful pattern grid offers is a layout that reflows on its own. Combining auto-fit with a minmax track definition lets the browser decide how many columns fit: each track is at least a minimum width and at most a fraction of the space, and the count changes with the container. That single line replaces a stack of breakpoints for card layouts and galleries.
Choosing between grid and flexbox is mostly a question of dimensionality. Grid controls rows and columns together and is the right tool when alignment across both axes matters. Flexbox distributes items along one axis and handles content-driven sizing well. Neither replaces the other, and real layouts frequently use grid for the page and flexbox inside components.
Two things worth knowing as layouts grow. Named grid areas let you describe a layout as a visual map in the stylesheet, which is far more legible than line numbers for anything complex. And because grid placement is independent of source order, it is possible to produce a visual order that diverges from the DOM order — which breaks keyboard navigation and screen reader flow, so keep the two aligned.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the fr unit in the generated CSS mean?
fr stands for "fraction" and distributes available space proportionally. repeat(3, 1fr) creates three columns that each take an equal share of the container's width, which is the most common way to build a responsive, evenly divided grid.
Can I use rem or percentages for the gap?
Yes. The gap field accepts any valid CSS length, so 16px, 1rem, 2%, or similar all work. The value you enter is placed directly into the gap property of the generated CSS.
How do I place items within the grid?
The generated CSS sets up the container and even columns and rows; items flow into cells automatically. To position a specific item across multiple cells, add grid-column or grid-row rules to that item — the generator gives you the container foundation to build on.
Will this grid be responsive on mobile?
A fixed column count stays fixed at every screen size. To make it adapt, wrap the grid in a media query that reduces the column count on narrow screens, or replace repeat(N, 1fr) with repeat(auto-fit, minmax(...)) so columns wrap automatically — both build directly on the CSS this tool generates.
