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How to line-break from CSS, without using <br />?

css
responsive-design
pseudo-elements
white-space-properties
Alex KataevbyAlex Kataev·Feb 19, 2025
TLDR

If you need precise control over text formatting without <br />, white-space: pre-line; in your CSS is the answer. With this property, text will wrap as needed, but pre-existing line breaks are preserved.

.line-break { white-space: pre-line; }

And voila! Just assign the class .line-break to your element:

<p class="line-break"> This text will respect new lines and wrap where required. Neat, right? </p>

Take charge of text presentation while keeping your HTML clean.

Practical techniques for line breaks

Understanding white-space property values

white-space offers you a variety of options to manipulate text behavior:

  • pre: Imagine this as keeping every single space and line break—very much like how your pet keeps all the toys you ever bought.
  • pre-wrap: The perfect blend of pre and normal wrapping. Ideal when you want to retain formatting, but also prefer to keep it neat.
  • nowrap: No breaks here, sir! Text lines remain straighter than an arrow's flight.
  • normal: Collapses whitespace and adds line breaks as a convenience.
  • inherit: When you want your CSS to follow parent's footsteps.

Tweak these white-space properties to fit the text flow and space requirements.

When display comes into play

Convert inline elements like <span> into block-level elements, and you've got line breaks! Magic? No, it's the power of display: block;.

.block-span { display: block; /* Look, ma, no <br>! */ }

In the land of responsive design: <br> and media queries

Control the appearance of <br> tags with media queries so your design is as flexible as a gymnast on an Olympic floor routine.

@media (max-width: 600px) { br { display: none; /* Obliviate! */ } }

Scripting line breaks with CSS content

The content property in pseudo-elements can open the doors to adding line breaks, no HTML needed, just like getting a backstage pass to your favorite concert.

.break-after::after { content: "\A"; /* \A - the secret handshake for line breaks */ white-space: pre; }

For more power, add attribute selectors to the mix:

[data-break]:after { content: attr(data-break) "\A"; /* Serving line breaks, hot and fresh! */ white-space: pre; }

Break-proofing text with &nbsp;

Use the unbreakable space &nbsp; to ensure your text is as solid as a rock band's bassline.

Decluttering HTML for CSS prowess

Less is more, even in the world of markup. Fewer HTML elements equal a cleaner template for your CSS highlights to shine.

Writing in style with pseudo-elements

Use pseudo-elements (::before and ::after) to inject aesthetic line breaks into your content without any forgery—er, HTML.

.quote:before { content: "❝"; /* Proper quoting is très élégant */ } .quote:after { content: "❞"; /* End quote, mic drop */ }

Pseudo-elements offer great ways to add visual breaks and structure to your prose, adding beauty to brains.

Real-life experimentation with jsfiddle

Remember: No amount of theory beats hands-on experience. See solutions like white-space and pseudo-elements in action on jsfiddle or similar platforms. It's the closest thing to a CSS sandbox.