How to span columns or rows in html tables?
Jul 04, 2025 am 02:34 AMIn HTML tables, using colspan and rowspan lets cells span multiple columns or rows. 1. colspan is used to merge cells horizontally, with a value of span columns, such as colspan="3" to make the cell occupy three columns wide; 2. rowspan is used to merge cells vertically, with a value of span rows, such as rowspan="2" to make the cell account for two rows high; 3. Colspan and rowspan can be used at the same time to achieve cross-row cross-column merging, but attention should be paid to avoid overlapping, suitable for complex typesetting and careful use to keep the structure clear.
In HTML tables, if you want a cell to span multiple columns or rows, you can use the properties of colspan
and rowspan
. They give you the flexibility to merge cells and enable more complex table layouts.

Use colspan to span multiple columns
When you want a cell to span multiple columns, use colspan
. This property tells the browser how many column widths this cell should occupy.

For example, if you want the header cell to occupy three columns:
<table border="1"> <tr> <th colspan="3">Total title</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Content 1</td> <td>Content 2</td> <td>Content 3</td> </tr> </table>
In this way, the "Total Title" will cover the width of the following three columns, and the second row will display three cells normally.

- Commonly used for header merging
- It will not affect the structure of the next row, but subsequent rows need to be adjusted according to the actual number of columns.
- The value cannot exceed the total number of columns in the current row
Use rowspan to span multiple rows
If you want a cell to span multiple rows vertically, you can use rowspan
. It defines how many rows a cell should occupy vertically.
For example:
<table border="1"> <tr> <td rowspan="2">Content across two lines</td> <td>The right side of the first line</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The right side of the second line</td> </tr> </table>
In this example, "content across two lines" will start from the first line, occupying the height of the two lines, and the second line does not need to write that cell.
- Suitable for vertical classified data display
- It is necessary to pay attention to whether the cells in the corresponding position in the subsequent row should be omitted
- The value of rowspan should be less than or equal to the remaining number of rows
Use colspan and rowspan at the same time
Sometimes you may need a cell that spans both rows and columns. Although this situation is a bit more complicated, it can also be achieved:
<table border="1"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" colspan="2">Span two rows and two columns</td> <td>Normal Cell</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cells in another row</td> </tr> </table>
The key here is: the merged area can no longer overlap other cells. You need to carefully arrange the structure of subsequent lines to avoid misalignment.
- Suitable for complex reporting or special typesetting needs
- Prone to errors, it is recommended to draw sketches to help understand the layout
- After merging, the number of other cells should be reduced accordingly.
Basically that's it. As long as you master the basic usage of colspan
and rowspan
, you can meet the needs of most table merging. But don't be too complicated, clear structure is the most important thing.
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