CSS Grid App Shell Layout Generator
Rail, sidebar, header, content and a status bar — the full desktop application frame.
Named areas. The CSS is a picture of the layout, and only the properties that actually change get repeated inside each media query.
.app-shell {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: 56px 1fr;
grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
gap: 0px;
grid-template-areas:
"rail header"
"rail main"
"status status";
}
.app-shell > .rail { grid-area: rail; }
.app-shell > .header { grid-area: header; }
.app-shell > .main { grid-area: main; }
.app-shell > .status { grid-area: status; }
.app-shell > .sidebar { display: none; }
@media (min-width: 1100px) {
.app-shell {
grid-template-columns: 56px 240px 1fr;
grid-template-areas:
"rail sidebar header"
"rail sidebar main"
"status status status";
}
.app-shell > .sidebar { grid-area: sidebar; }
}
How this layout works
An app shell adds a narrow icon rail beside the sidebar and a status strip along the bottom. Five regions, all pinned, one scrolling.
Because every region is named, you can rearrange the whole application frame by editing the area map and nothing else. That is the argument for grid-template-areas over line numbers: the CSS becomes a picture of the layout.
The rail survives at every width; the sidebar is the first thing to go.
Every property used here is listed in the CSS Grid cheat sheet, with the reason to reach for it.
Frequently asked questions
What is an app shell layout?
How do I center a grid in CSS?
justify-content: center on the grid container to centre the whole grid inside it, and margin-inline: auto with a max-width to centre the container in the page. These are different jobs: the first moves the tracks within the container, the second moves the container itself.How do I center items inside a CSS grid?
place-items: center on the container. That is shorthand for align-items plus justify-items, and it centres every item inside its own cell on both axes. For a single item, use place-self: center on that item instead.How do I make a CSS grid responsive?
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(260px, 1fr)) and it reflows at every width with no media queries at all. Add breakpoints only when the exact column count matters, or when the layout has to change shape rather than just wrap.When should I use CSS Grid instead of Flexbox?
How to use it
-
Open the pattern
The app shell loads into the editor already responsive, with every breakpoint set up.
-
Change the tracks
Edit the column and row sizes in the Tracks panel. Anything valid in a track list works.
-
Redraw at another width
Move the ruler past a breakpoint marker and rearrange. Only the placement changes.
-
Copy the code
Take CSS, HTML, Tailwind or a shadcn component. The media queries are already written.