How can I center an absolutely positioned element within a relative parent container?
Asked on Oct 23, 2025
Answer
To center an absolutely positioned element within a relative parent container, you can use a combination of CSS properties like `position`, `top`, `left`, and `transform`. Here's a concise example to demonstrate this approach.
<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
<div style="position: relative; width: 200px; height: 200px; background-color: lightgray;">
<div style="position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); background-color: lightblue; width: 100px; height: 100px;">
Centered
</div>
</div>
<!-- END COPY / PASTE -->Additional Comment:
- The parent container must have `position: relative` to establish a positioning context for the child.
- The child element uses `position: absolute` to allow it to be positioned within the parent.
- `top: 50%` and `left: 50%` move the child element's top-left corner to the center of the parent.
- `transform: translate(-50%, -50%)` shifts the child element back by half of its own width and height, centering it perfectly.
- This method works regardless of the size of the parent or child elements.
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