`caption-side` CSS property

The caption-side CSS property puts the content of a table’s <caption> on the specified side. The values are relative to the writing-mode of the table.

caption-side: top;

caption-side: bottom;

<section class="default-example" id="default-example">
  <table class="transition-all" id="example-element">
    <caption>
      Famous animals
    </caption>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <th>Name</th>
        <th>Location</th>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Giraffe</td>
        <td>Africa</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Penguin</td>
        <td>Antarctica</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Sloth</td>
        <td>South America</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Tiger</td>
        <td>Asia</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</section>

table {
  font-size: 1.2rem;
  text-align: left;
  color: black;
}

th,
td {
  padding: 0.2rem 1rem;
}

caption {
  background: #ffcc33;
  padding: 0.5rem 1rem;
}

tr {
  background: #eeeeee;
}

tr:nth-child(even) {
  background: #cccccc;
}

Syntax

/* Directional values */
caption-side: top;
caption-side: bottom;

/* Global values */
caption-side: inherit;
caption-side: initial;
caption-side: revert;
caption-side: revert-layer;
caption-side: unset;

Values

This property is specified as one of the following keyword values:

• top
  • : The caption box should be positioned at the block start side of the table.
• bottom
  • : The caption box should be positioned at the block end side of the table.

[!NOTE] The CSS logical properties and values module defines two logical values, inline-start and inline-end, to position the caption box at the inline start edge and inline end edge of the table, respectively. These values are not supported in any browsers.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

Examples

Setting captions above and below

HTML

<table class="top">
  <caption>
    Caption ABOVE the table
  </caption>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Some data</td>
      <td>Some more data</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<br />

<table class="bottom">
  <caption>
    Caption BELOW the table
  </caption>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Some data</td>
      <td>Some more data</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

CSS

.top caption {
  caption-side: top;
}

.bottom caption {
  caption-side: bottom;
}

table {
  border: 1px solid red;
}

td {
  border: 1px solid blue;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• <caption>
• CSS table module
• CSS logical properties and values module