border-left

The border-left CSS property sets an element's left border. It's a shorthand for border-left-width, border-left-style, and border-left-color.

The three values of the shorthand property can be specified in any order, and one or two of them may be omitted.

As with all shorthand properties, border-left always sets the values of all of the properties that it can set, even if they are not specified. It sets those that are not specified to their default values. This means that ...

border-left-style: dotted;
border-left: thick green;

... is actually the same as ...

border-left-style: dotted;
border-left: none thick green;

... and the value of border-left-style given before border-left is ignored. Since the default value of border-left-style is none, not specifying the border-style part results in no border.

Syntax

border-left: 1px;
border-left: 2px dotted;
border-left: medium dashed green;

The three values of the shorthand property can be specified in any order, and one or two of them may be omitted.

Values

<br-width> 

See border-left-width.

<br-style> 

See border-left-style.

<color>

See border-left-color.

Formal syntax

<line-width> || <line-style> || <color>
where 
<line-width> = <length> | thin | medium | thick
<line-style> = none | hidden | dotted | dashed | solid | double | groove | ridge | inset | outset
<color> = <rgb()> | <rgba()> | <hsl()> | <hsla()> | <hex-color> | <named-color> | currentcolor | <deprecated-system-color>
where 
<rgb()> = rgb( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgb( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgb( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<rgba()> = rgba( <percentage>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <number>{3} [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | rgba( <percentage>#{3} , <alpha-value>? ) | rgba( <number>#{3} , <alpha-value>? )
<hsl()> = hsl( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsl( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )
<hsla()> = hsla( <hue> <percentage> <percentage> [ / <alpha-value> ]? ) | hsla( <hue>, <percentage>, <percentage>, <alpha-value>? )
where 
<alpha-value> = <number> | <percentage>
<hue> = <number> | <angle>

Example

<div>
  This box has a border on the left side.
</div>

div {
  border-left: 4px dashed blue;
  background-color: gold;
  height: 100px;
  width: 100px;
  font-weight: bold;
  text-align: center;
}

Specifications

Browser compatibilityUpdate compatibility data on GitHub