CSS Grid Generator
Build complex CSS Grid layouts visually with draggable cells, named areas, and instant code export. Generate production-ready CSS, HTML, or Tailwind classes.
Column Tracks
Row Tracks
How It Works
- Set columns and rows or pick a layout template
- Edit track sizes (1fr, auto, 200px, minmax())
- Click cells to name grid areas for semantic layouts
- Use arrow buttons on cells to span across columns or rows
- Copy the generated CSS, HTML, or Tailwind code
Features
- 7 production layout templates (Holy Grail, Dashboard, Magazine, etc.)
- Visual cell spanning with click controls
- Named grid areas with grid-template-areas output
- CSS, HTML, and Tailwind code generation
- Editable track sizes with live preview
- Gap, alignment, and justify controls
- One-click copy to clipboard
- Responsive mobile layout
What is the CSS Grid Generator?
The CSS Grid Generator is a free visual tool for building CSS Grid layouts without memorizing grid syntax. You set columns, rows, and gaps visually, click cells to name grid areas, span cells across rows and columns, and get production-ready CSS, HTML, or Tailwind code instantly.
CSS Grid is the most powerful layout system in CSS, but its syntax (grid-template-areas, grid-template-columns, span notation) is hard to write from memory. This tool lets you design the layout visually and export the exact code.
How to Use This Tool
Follow these steps to build a CSS Grid layout visually:
- Pick a template or start custom - Choose from 7 templates (Holy Grail, Sidebar, Dashboard, Magazine, Footer, Masonry, Cards) or start with a blank 3x3 grid.
- Set grid dimensions - Adjust columns, rows, column gap, and row gap. Edit individual track sizes (1fr, auto, 200px, minmax()) in the track editor.
- Name and span cells - Click a cell to name it (creates grid-template-areas). Use the arrow buttons on hover to span cells across columns or rows.
- Copy the code - Switch between CSS, HTML, and Tailwind tabs. Click "Copy Code" or press Ctrl+Enter.
Key Features
- 7 layout templates - Holy Grail, Sidebar, Cards, Dashboard, Magazine, Footer, and Masonry. One click to load production-ready grid structures.
- Named grid areas - Click any cell to name it. The tool automatically generates grid-template-areas CSS with proper dot notation for empty cells.
- Visual cell spanning - Hover over a cell to reveal arrow controls for expanding or shrinking across columns and rows.
- Triple output format - Get CSS with grid-template properties, semantic HTML with class names, or Tailwind utility classes with grid-cols/rows brackets.
- Editable track sizes - Each column and row track is independently editable. Use any valid CSS value: fr units, px, auto, minmax(), min-content, max-content.
Common Use Cases
Frontend developers use this to build page layouts (header, sidebar, main, footer patterns) without trial-and-error CSS writing. It is especially useful for complex layouts like dashboards with mixed-size panels, magazine-style grids with spanning hero images, and masonry layouts. The named areas feature makes it easy to communicate layout intent to team members since the generated grid-template-areas CSS reads like a visual map of the page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between CSS Grid and Flexbox?
CSS Grid is two-dimensional (rows and columns simultaneously), while Flexbox is one-dimensional (either a row or a column). Use Grid for page-level layouts and complex panel arrangements. Use Flexbox for component-level alignment like navigation bars, card content, and centering. They work well together: Grid for the outer structure, Flexbox for inner component alignment.
What does 1fr mean in CSS Grid?
1fr means one fraction of the available space. If you have three columns set to 1fr 1fr 1fr, each column gets one-third of the container width. If you set them to 1fr 2fr 1fr, the middle column gets twice as much space as the others. The fr unit is flexible and distributes space after fixed-size tracks (px, rem) are allocated.
How do grid-template-areas work?
grid-template-areas lets you name regions of your grid using a visual text map. Each quoted string represents one row, and each word represents a column. Repeating a name across adjacent cells creates a spanning area. A dot (.) marks an empty cell. For example, "header header" / "nav main" creates a header spanning two columns with a nav and main below it. Click cells in the preview to name them and the tool generates this syntax automatically.
Can I make a cell span multiple rows or columns?
Yes. Hover over any cell in the preview to reveal four arrow buttons. Click the right arrow to expand across another column, the down arrow to expand across another row, and the left/up arrows to shrink back. The tool generates the correct grid-column: span N and grid-row: span N CSS automatically.
Is CSS Grid supported in all browsers?
Yes. CSS Grid has been supported in all major browsers since 2017, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Global browser support is over 97%. The generated code uses standard grid properties with no vendor prefixes needed. It is safe to use in production for any modern web project.