CSS text-overflow Property
Specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user
Syntax
text-overflow: clip | ellipsis | <string>;Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| clip | Clips the content (default) |
| ellipsis | Shows an ellipsis (…) |
| <string> | Custom string to indicate clipped text |
Example
.truncate {
white-space: nowrap;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
}Understanding CSS text-overflow
The CSS text-overflow property specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user. As part of the Typography module in CSS, it is one of the most commonly used properties for controlling the visual presentation of web pages.
You can set text-overflow to values such as clip, ellipsis, <string>, among others. Each value changes how the browser renders the affected element, giving you fine-grained control over your page layout and design. Choosing the right value depends on the specific design requirements of your project.
Common use cases for the text-overflow property include responsive web design, component-based layouts, and creating visually consistent interfaces across devices. It works closely with related properties like overflow, white-space, word-break to achieve complex styling effects. Understanding how these properties interact helps you write cleaner, more maintainable stylesheets.
Browser support for text-overflow is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For older browsers, consider using fallback values or progressive enhancement strategies. The property can also be set dynamically via JavaScript using element.style.textOverflow or the CSS custom properties (variables) approach for theming.
Related Properties
overflowControls what happens to content that overflows an element's box
white-spaceControls how whitespace inside an element is handled
word-breakSpecifies how words should break when reaching the end of a line
overflow-wrapControls whether the browser can break at normally unbreakable points to prevent overflow
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