midCSS
Explain CSS Grid Areas.
Updated Apr 28, 2026
Short answer
Grid areas allow you to name sections of your grid and position elements using those names, creating visually descriptive layouts.
Deep explanation
By defining a grid-template-areas property on the container, you essentially draw an ASCII art map of your layout. Child elements are then assigned to these areas using the grid-area property. This makes complex responsive re-ordering trivial.
Real-world example
Reordering a layout for mobile by simply changing the grid-template-areas string inside a media query.
Common mistakes
- Leaving empty spaces without using the '.' syntax in the grid-template-areas map, which breaks the grid declaration.
Follow-up questions
- How do you leave an empty cell in grid-template-areas?