CSS padding-top Property

Last Updated : 28 May, 2026

The padding-top property in CSS is used to add space between the content and the top border of an element. Padding helps improve the appearance and readability of webpage elements.

  • It sets the width of the top padding area of an element.
  • Padding is the space between the content and the border.
  • The value can be specified using units like px, %, or em.

Syntax:

padding-top: length | percentage | initial | inherit;

Property Values:

  • length: This mode is used to specify the size of padding as a fixed value. The size can be set in form of px, cm etc. The default value is 0. It must be non-negative. 
  • percentage: This mode is used to set the top padding in percentage of the width of the element. It must be non-negative.
  • initial: It is used to set the padding-top property to its default value. 
  • inherit: It is used to inherit the padding-top property from its parent element.

Example: Here, we are using padding-top: length; property.

html
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>
        padding-top Property
    </title>

<!--Driver Code Ends-->

    <style>
        .geek {
            padding-top: 100px;
            width: 50%;
            font-size: 18px;
            border: 1px solid black;
        }
    </style>

<!--Driver Code Starts-->
</head>

<body>
    <h2>
        padding-top Property
    </h2>

    <!-- padding property used here -->
    <p class="geek">
        This paragraph has a padding-top: 100px;
    </p>
</body>
</html>
<!--Driver Code Ends-->

Example: Here, we are using the padding-top: percentage (%) property.

html
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>
        padding-top Property
    </title>

<!--Driver Code Ends-->

    <style>
        .geek {
            padding-top: 10%;
            width: 50%;
            font-size: 18px;
            border: 1px solid black;
        }
    </style>

<!--Driver Code Starts-->
</head>

<body>
    <h2>
        padding-top Property
    </h2>

    <!-- padding property used here -->
    <p class="geek">
        This paragraph has a padding-top: 10%;
    </p>
</body>
</html>
<!--Driver Code Ends-->

Example: Here, we use padding-top: initial; property.

html
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>
        padding-top Property
    </title>

<!--Driver Code Ends-->

    <style>
        .geek {
            padding-top: initial;
            width: 50%;
            font-size: 18px;
            border: 1px solid black;
        }
    </style>

<!--Driver Code Starts-->
</head>

<body>
    <h2>
        padding-top Property
    </h2>

    <!-- padding property used here -->
    <p class="geek">
        This paragraph has a padding-top: initial;
    </p>
</body>
</html>
<!--Driver Code Ends-->
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