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How can I center a flex item both vertically and horizontally within its container?

Asked on Oct 07, 2025

Answer

To center a flex item both vertically and horizontally within its container, you can use the CSS Flexbox properties `justify-content` and `align-items` set to "center". This ensures that the item is perfectly centered in the flex container.
<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    <div class="flex-container">
      <div class="flex-item">Centered Item</div>
    </div>

    <style>
      .flex-container {
        display: flex;
        justify-content: center; /* Centers horizontally */
        align-items: center;    /* Centers vertically */
        height: 200px;          /* Example height for vertical centering */
        border: 1px solid #ccc; /* Optional styling for visibility */
      }
      .flex-item {
        padding: 10px;
        background-color: #f0f0f0; /* Optional styling for visibility */
      }
    </style>
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->
Additional Comment:
  • The `display: flex;` property on the container enables Flexbox layout.
  • `justify-content: center;` aligns items horizontally in the center of the container.
  • `align-items: center;` aligns items vertically in the center of the container.
  • Ensure the container has a defined height to see vertical centering in action.
  • This method is widely supported in modern browsers.
✅ Answered with CSS best practices.

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