tab-size
Controls the width of tab characters in code/preformatted text. Specify as a number of spaces or a length.
Quick example
pre { tab-size: 2; }
code { tab-size: 4; }Syntax
<integer> | <length>Quick facts
Initial value
8Inherited
Yes
Examples
Make tab characters wider
pre {
tab-size: 8;
/* Each tab takes up 8 character widths */
}Control how many spaces a tab character represents in preformatted text.
Standardize code display
code, pre {
tab-size: 4;
font-family: 'Courier New', monospace;
}Use tab-size to match your code editor's tab width for consistent display.
tab-size Browser Support
Widely availableSince 202192% global usage
This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It has been available across browsers since 2021.
Safe to use without fallbacks.
42+
91+
13.1+
79+
Common pitfalls
Only works with white-space: pre
tab-size only affects how tabs display in pre, code, or elements with white-space: pre. Regular text ignores tabs anyway.
Measured in character widths, not pixels
tab-size: 4 means 4 character widths, not 4 pixels. The actual width depends on the font and font-size.