Alignment - Content Centering

Utility for absolute centering of content within containers.

Core Classes

Class	Purpose
`slds-align_absolute-center`	Centers children both horizontally and vertically using flexbox

Common Patterns

Center Content in Container

<!-- Center a single element -->
<div class="slds-align_absolute-center" style="height: 200px;">
  <div class="slds-box">
    Centered Content
  </div>
</div>

<!-- Center a modal in viewport -->
<div class="slds-backdrop slds-backdrop_open">
  <div class="slds-align_absolute-center" style="height: 100vh;">
    <section class="slds-modal slds-fade-in-open">
      <div class="slds-modal__container">
        <!-- Modal content -->
      </div>
    </section>
  </div>
</div>

Center Loading Spinner

<!-- Center spinner in card -->
<article class="slds-card">
  <div class="slds-align_absolute-center" style="height: 300px;">
    <div class="slds-spinner slds-spinner_medium">
      <span class="slds-assistive-text">Loading</span>
      <div class="slds-spinner__dot-a"></div>
      <div class="slds-spinner__dot-b"></div>
    </div>
  </div>
</article>

Center Empty State Message

<!-- Center illustration and message -->
<div class="slds-align_absolute-center" style="min-height: 400px;">
  <div class="slds-illustration slds-illustration_small">
    <img src="/assets/images/illustrations/empty-state.svg" alt="" />
    <h3 class="slds-text-heading_medium">No items to display</h3>
    <p class="slds-text-body_regular">Get started by creating your first item</p>
  </div>
</div>

Center Icon in Fixed Container

<!-- Center icon in square container -->
<div class="slds-align_absolute-center" style="width: 100px; height: 100px; background: #f3f3f3;">
  <span class="slds-icon_container slds-icon-utility-check">
    <svg class="slds-icon slds-icon_small">
      <use xlink:href="/assets/icons/utility-sprite/svg/symbols.svg#check"></use>
    </svg>
  </span>
</div>

Best Practices

✅ Use slds-align_absolute-center when content needs to be centered both horizontally and vertically ✅ Set explicit height on the container for vertical centering to work properly ✅ Combine with other layout utilities like slds-box or slds-card for complete designs ✅ Use for centering single elements or grouped content within defined containers

❌ Avoid using on elements without defined height - vertical centering requires container height ❌ Do not use for text alignment - use slds-text-align_center for inline text centering ❌ Avoid nesting multiple slds-align_absolute-center classes unnecessarily

Technical Details

The slds-align_absolute-center class applies these CSS properties:

display: flex - Creates a flex container
justify-content: center - Centers content horizontally
align-content: center - Centers flex lines
align-items: center - Centers content vertically
margin: auto - Ensures proper centering within parent

This utility leverages flexbox for reliable cross-browser centering without requiring absolute positioning or transform calculations.

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