How does the order property in Flexbox work?
Jun 30, 2025 am 01:15 AM
The order property in Flexbox controls the visual order of flex items independently of their HTML source order by assigning numerical values, where lower numbers appear first. 1. By default, all items have order: 0. 2. Items are sorted visually based on ascending numerical values. 3. Items with the same order value retain their original source order. 4. It is useful for reordering elements across screen sizes, improving accessibility and SEO, and creating dynamic layouts without changing HTML structure. 5. Best practices include maintaining accessibility, organizing order values systematically, and using it sparingly in complex designs. 6. Remember that screen readers and tab navigation follow source order, not visual order dictated by the order property.
The order property in Flexbox is a simple but powerful tool that lets you control the visual order of flex items, regardless of their source order in the HTML. By default, all flex items are laid out in the same order they appear in the document. But with order, you can rearrange them however you like — without changing the HTML structure.
Here’s how it actually works and when you might want to use it.
What Does the order Property Do?
Every flex item has an order value, which defaults to 0. When you assign different numbers to different items, they get sorted in ascending numerical order. So if one item has order: 1, another has order: -1, and a third has order: 0, the one with -1 will come first, then 0, then 1.
This means:
- Lower values come first
- Higher values come later
- Items with the same
ordervalue maintain their original source order among themselves
It's especially handy for reordering elements on different screen sizes or layouts without duplicating content or using JavaScript.
How to Use order in Practice
Using order is straightforward:
.item-a {
order: 2;
}
.item-b {
order: 1;
}
.item-c {
order: 3;
}In this case, .item-b will show up first, followed by .item-a, then .item-c.
Here’s where this becomes useful:
- Reordering navigation links on mobile vs desktop
- Placing a sidebar before main content visually, while keeping main content first in HTML for accessibility or SEO
- Creating unique layouts without changing markup
Just remember: All flex items need to be direct children of the same flex container for order to affect their layout together.
Common Pitfalls and Things to Watch For
While order is easy to apply, there are a few gotchas:
- Don’t forget accessibility: Screen readers still follow the source order, so if you visually reorder content, make sure it still makes sense for assistive technologies.
- Keep your values organized: It's tempting to throw random numbers around, but sticking to a pattern (like multiples of 10) gives you room to insert items later without rewriting everything.
-
Use sparingly in complex layouts: If you're constantly adjusting
orderacross many breakpoints, it might be a sign that your layout strategy needs reconsidering.
Also, order doesn't affect the tab order of focusable elements — that still follows the DOM structure.
When Should You Actually Use It?
You don’t need order every day, but it comes in handy in specific cases:
- Visually swapping content blocks between desktop and mobile (like putting a call-to-action above or below text)
- Maintaining a logical reading flow in HTML while creating a more dynamic visual layout
- Prototyping or quickly testing different UI arrangements
It's not a replacement for thoughtful layout design, but it’s a great helper when used appropriately.
That's basically how order works in Flexbox — not complicated, but often overlooked.
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