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How to Move a Table to the Center in HTML?

Published in HTML Table Centering 2 mins read

To center a table in HTML, you can use CSS positioning techniques. Here's how to achieve horizontal and vertical centering:

Centering a Table Using CSS

Here's a detailed breakdown of how to center a table both horizontally and vertically within its containing element:

  1. Positioning: Use position: absolute;, top: 50%;, and left: 50%; to position the table's center at the center of its container. This initially places the center of the table at the center of the container, not the top-left corner.

  2. Negative Margins: Employ negative margins to fine-tune the position. Calculate half the table's width and height, and set margin-top and margin-left to these negative values. This shifts the table back, ensuring it's perfectly centered.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Centering a Table</title>
<style>
  .container {
    position: relative; /* Make the container relative */
    width: 500px;
    height: 300px;
    border: 1px solid black;
  }

  table {
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    width: 300px; /* Example table width */
    height: 150px; /* Example table height */
    margin-top: -75px; /* Half of the table height */
    margin-left: -150px; /* Half of the table width */
    border-collapse: collapse;
  }

  th, td {
    border: 1px solid #ddd;
    padding: 8px;
    text-align: left;
  }

  th {
    background-color: #f2f2f2;
  }
</style>
</head>
<body>

<div class="container">
  <table>
    <thead>
      <tr>
        <th>Header 1</th>
        <th>Header 2</th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      <tr>
        <td>Data 1</td>
        <td>Data 2</td>
      </tr>
      <tr>
        <td>Data 3</td>
        <td>Data 4</td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
</div>

</body>
</html>

Explanation:

  • .container: This div acts as the containing element for the table. position: relative; is crucial.
  • table:
    • position: absolute; allows precise placement within the container.
    • top: 50%; and left: 50%; initially center the table's center point.
    • margin-top and margin-left: The negative margins shift the table up and to the left by half its height and width, respectively, achieving perfect centering.
  • th, td: Styling for the table cells.

Important Considerations:

  • Container Size: The .container div must have a defined width and height for the absolute positioning to work correctly.
  • Table Dimensions: You need to know the table's dimensions (or set them explicitly) to calculate the negative margins accurately. If the table's content changes dynamically, you might need JavaScript to adjust the margins accordingly.

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