cssgridgenerator
App UI

CSS Grid Settings Page Layout Generator

Section navigation beside a single column of setting groups, with a save bar that stays visible.

Open in
1060px

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

space to pan · ⌘scroll to zoom
1220px2minmax(0, 640px)3
1auto21fr3auto4
heading1 / 1 / 2 / 3
sections2 / 1 / 4 / 2
panel2 / 2 / 3 / 3
savebar3 / 2 / 4 / 3

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

.settings {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: auto auto auto auto;
  gap: 16px;
  grid-template-areas:
    "heading"
    "sections"
    "panel"
    "savebar";
}

.settings > .heading { grid-area: heading; }
.settings > .sections { grid-area: sections; }
.settings > .panel { grid-area: panel; }
.settings > .savebar { grid-area: savebar; }

@media (min-width: 880px) {
  .settings {
    grid-template-columns: 220px minmax(0, 640px);
    grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
    gap: 32px;
    grid-template-areas:
      "heading  heading"
      "sections panel"
      "sections savebar";
  }
}

How this layout works

Settings pages are a two-column shell around a one-column form. The left column is navigation between sections; the right is a stack of labelled groups, never a second column of fields.

The save bar belongs in its own row rather than at the end of the form, so it can be sticky at the bottom. A visitor who has changed one toggle halfway down a long page should not have to scroll to find Save.

On mobile the section nav becomes horizontal scrolling tabs above the content. That is a placement change plus grid-auto-flow: column on the nav itself — the page grid does not need to know.

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

Frequently asked questions

How should a settings page be laid out?
Section navigation in a narrow left column, one column of setting groups on the right, and a save bar in its own row so it can stay visible. Never two columns of fields.
What happens to the section nav on mobile?
It becomes horizontally scrolling tabs above the content — a placement change on the page grid plus grid-auto-flow: column on the nav itself.
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 settings page 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.

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