CSS orphans Property Reference

The CSS orphans property is a standard property in CSS Fragmentation. Review its formal syntax, computed behavior, and practical declarations.

Updated 2026-08-12

orphans overview

The CSS orphans property is a standard property in CSS Fragmentation. Review its formal syntax, computed behavior, and practical declarations.

The computed value normally inherits from the parent element when no declaration wins the cascade.

Syntax and formal definition

orphans formal syntax

Field	Value
Formal syntax	<integer>
Initial value	2
Applies to	blockContainerElements
Inherited	Yes
Percentages	no
Computed value	asSpecified
Animation type	byComputedValueType
Media	visual
Specification group	CSS Fragmentation
Status	Standard

Practical examples

These declarations demonstrate valid ways to set orphans. The initial and inherit global keywords remain available even when a property-specific value is preferable.

orphans live example

CSS

.reset-example {
  orphans: initial;
}

.inherit-example {
  orphans: inherit;
}

@supports (orphans: initial) {
  .supported {
    orphans: initial;
  }
}