CSS anchor-name Property

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Description

The CSS anchor-name property is part of the CSS Scroll Snap Module and is primarily used to give a scroll container a named anchor that can be referenced for linking and navigation purposes. It allows sections of content within a scrollable container to be targeted, often in combination with smooth scrolling or programmatically controlling scroll positions.

Think of it as a way to assign a label or identifier to a scrollable element so that it can be referenced elsewhere in CSS or JavaScript. This is especially useful in creating scroll snapping layouts or single-page navigation patterns, where you want certain content areas to align neatly or respond to anchor links.

When an element has an anchor-name, it can be scrolled into view automatically when that name is used in a scroll-snap context or in fragment identifiers in URLs. For example, a user might click a link like #section3, and the browser can scroll the container so that the element with anchor-name: section3 becomes visible.

Essentially, the property provides a semantic handle to scrollable content, decoupling the scroll behavior from structural IDs or classes. It’s a way to name scroll positions explicitly, improving accessibility, navigation, and dynamic content control.

Key concepts:

Useful for scroll-snapping containers or smooth-scrolling interfaces.
Works as a reference point for linking to specific parts of a scrollable container.
Helps organize content for navigational purposes without relying solely on HTML id attributes.

Definition

Initial value: none
Applies to: All elements that generate a principal box
Inherited: no
Computed value: as specified
Animatable: yes
JavaScript syntax: object.style.anchorName

Syntax

.anchor-element { anchor-name: --my-anchor-name; }

Values

noneThe default value. The element is not an anchor and cannot be referenced by other elements.
<dashed-ident>A user-defined identifier. It must start with two dashes (e.g., --tooltip-anchor, --main-menu). This name is then used by the anchor() or anchor-size() functions on a positioned element.
initialSets the property to its default value (none).
inheritInherits the value from the parent element.

Example

HTML

<div class="container">

  <nav class="nav">

    <a href="#section1">Go to Section 1</a>

    <a href="#section2">Go to Section 2</a>

  </nav>



  <!-- Named anchors -->

  <a id="section1" name="section1"></a>

  <section class="section">

    <h2>Section 1</h2>

    <p>Content for Section 1.</p>

  </section>



  <a id="section2" name="section2"></a>

  <section class="section">

    <h2>Section 2</h2>

    <p>Content for Section 2.</p>

  </section>

</div>

CSS

/* Basic layout */
body {
  font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial;
  line-height: 1.5;
  padding: 24px;
  background: #f9fafb;
  color: #111827;
}

/* Navigation */
.nav {
  margin-bottom: 24px;
}

.nav a {
  margin-right: 12px;
  text-decoration: none;
  color: #0366d6;
}

/* Select and style anchors by their name attribute */
a[name="section1"]::before,
a[name="section2"]::before {
  content: "Named anchor: " attr(name);
  display: inline-block;
  background: #eef2ff;
  color: #312e81;
  padding: 6px 10px;
  border-radius: 6px;
  font-size: 0.9rem;
  margin-bottom: 12px;
}

/* Keep the named anchor element as a block so the pseudo-element appears above the section */
a[name="section1"],
a[name="section2"] {
  display: block;
  margin-top: -70px; /* example offset for a fixed header */
  padding-top: 70px;
}

/* Section styling */
.section {
  background: #fff;
  padding: 18px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
  margin-bottom: 18px;
}

Result

Editor

Browser Support

The following information will show you the current browser support for the CSS anchor-name property. Hover over a browser icon to see the version that first introduced support for this CSS property.