cssgridgen
Layout pattern

CSS Grid Footer Columns Generator

A brand block plus link columns that collapse gracefully.

Open in
948px

Drag across the grid to draw an area. Arrow keys nudge, Shift + arrows resize.

12fr21fr31fr4
1auto2auto3
brand1 / 1 / 2 / 2
links-a1 / 2 / 2 / 3
links-b1 / 3 / 2 / 4
legal2 / 1 / 3 / 4

Named areas. The CSS is a picture of the layout, and only the properties that actually change get repeated inside each media query.

.site-footer {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: auto auto auto;
  gap: 24px;
  grid-template-areas:
    "brand   brand"
    "links-a links-b"
    "legal   legal";
}

.site-footer > .brand { grid-area: brand; }
.site-footer > .links-a { grid-area: links-a; }
.site-footer > .links-b { grid-area: links-b; }
.site-footer > .legal { grid-area: legal; }

@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .site-footer {
    grid-template-columns: 2fr 1fr 1fr;
    grid-template-rows: auto auto;
    gap: 32px;
    grid-template-areas:
      "brand links-a links-b"
      "legal legal   legal";
  }
}

How this layout works

Footers are where auto-fit earns its keep, but a named layout gives the brand block the prominence it needs on desktop while keeping the link lists even.

Two columns on mobile beats one — link lists are short, and a single column makes the footer absurdly tall.

Every property used here is listed in the CSS Grid cheat sheet, with the reason to reach for it.

Frequently asked questions

How many columns should a footer have on mobile?
Two, not one. Footer link lists are short, and a single column makes the footer absurdly tall — pushing the legal line below anything anyone will scroll to.
How do I center a grid in CSS?
Use 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?
Set 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?
Use 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?
Use Grid when things must line up in two directions at once, and Flexbox when content flows along one axis. A page skeleton or dashboard is Grid; a navbar or row of buttons is Flexbox. They nest: Grid for the page, Flexbox inside the cells.

How to use it

  1. Open the pattern

    The footer columns loads into the editor already responsive, with every breakpoint set up.

  2. Change the tracks

    Edit the column and row sizes in the Tracks panel. Anything valid in a track list works.

  3. Redraw at another width

    Move the ruler past a breakpoint marker and rearrange. Only the placement changes.

  4. Copy the code

    Take CSS, HTML, Tailwind or a shadcn component. The media queries are already written.

Other layout patterns