parent & child with position fixed, parent overflow:hidden bug

Question

I don't know if there is an issue, but I was wondering why the overflow:hidden does not function on fixed parent/children element.

Here's an example:

CSS and HTML:

.parent{
  position:fixed;
  overflow:hidden;
  width:300px;
  height:300px;
  background:#555;
}
.children{
  position:fixed;
  top:200px;
  left:200px;
  width:150px;
  height:150px;
  background:#333;
}

<div class="parent">
  <div class="children">
  </div>
</div>

Live demo: jsFiddle

Solution 1

Because a fixed position element is fixed with respect to the viewport, not another element. Therefore since the viewport isn't cutting it off, the overflow becomes irrelevant.

Whereas the position and dimensions of an element with position:absolute are relative to its containing block, the position and dimensions of an element with position:fixed are always relative to the initial containing block. This is normally the viewport: the browser window or the paper’s page box.

ref: http://www.w3.org/wiki/CSS_absolute_and_fixed_positioning#Fixed_positioning

Solution 2

You could consider using CSS clip: rect(top, right, bottom, left); to clip a fixed positioned element to a parent. See demo at http://jsfiddle.net/lmeurs/jf3t0fmf/.

Beware, use with care!

Though the clip style is widely supported, main disadvantages are that:

1. The parent's position cannot be static or relative (one can use an absolutely positioned parent inside a relatively positioned container);
2. The rect coordinates do not support percentages, though the auto value equals 100%, ie. clip: rect(auto, auto, auto, auto);;
3. Possibillities with child elements are limited in at least IE11 & Chrome34, ie. we cannot set the position of child elements to relative or absolute or use CSS3 transform like scale.

See http://tympanus.net/codrops/2013/01/16/understanding-the-css-clip-property/ for more info.

EDIT: Chrome seems to handle positioning of and CSS3 transforms on child elements a lot better when applying backface-visibility, so just to be sure we added:

-webkit-backface-visibility: hidden;
-moz-backface-visibility: hidden;
backface-visibility: hidden;

to the main child element.

Also note that it's not fully supported by older / mobile browsers or it might take some extra effort. See our implementation for the menu at bellafuchsia.com.

1. IE8 shows the menu well, but menu links are not clickable;
2. IE9 does not show the menu under the fold;
3. iOS Safari <5 does not show the menu well;
4. iOS Safari 5+ repaints the clipped content on scroll after scrolling;
5. FF (at least 13+), IE10+, Chrome and Chrome for Android seem to play nice.

EDIT 2014-11-02: Demo URL has been updated.

Solution 3

2016 update:

You can create a new stacking context, as seen on Coderwall:

<div style="transform: translate3d(0,0,0);overflow:hidden">
   <img style="position:fixed; ..." />
</div>

Which refers to http://dev.w3.org/csswg/css-transforms/#transform-rendering

For elements whose layout is governed by the CSS box model, any value other than none for the transform results in the creation of both a stacking context and a containing block. The object acts as a containing block for fixed positioned descendants.

Solution 4

As an alternative to using clip you could also use {border-radius: 0.0001px} on a parent element. It works not only with absolute/fixed positioned elements.

Solution 5

If you want to hide overflow on fixed-position elements, the simplest approach I've found is to place the element inside a container element, and apply position:fixed and overflow:hidden to that element instead of the contained element (you must remove position:fixed from the contained element for this to work). The content of the fixed container should then be clipped as expected.

In my case I was having trouble with using object-fit:cover on a fixed-position element (it was spilling outside the bounds of the page body, regardless of overflow:hidden). Placing it inside a fixed container with overflow:hidden on the container fixed the issue.

View more solutions

Comments

[bonflash]

A brilliand solution, cheers! iOS Safari 5+ repaints the clipped content on scroll after scrolling; iOS 8 Safari (even after the update) still seems to behave that way. The rect coordinates do not support percentages but we can give the .parent the needed percentage dimensions.

[JPSirois]

That’s life changing! Thank you so much for that technique!

[Chris]

@Imeurs Great solution. One caveat is that clip is now deprecated. Going forward we should be using the clip-path property. In addition to clip: rect(auto, auto, auto, auto);, we should also include clip-path: inset(0 0 0 0);

[Rogala]

@Imeurs - Brilliant!!

[Rudey]

@Chris clip may be deprecated, but clip-path is still not supported in IE11 or Edge. I will be using clip for now.

[Rudey]

It works in Edge, but it does not work in Internet Explorer 11.

[Krupp]

Chrome renders clip-path very-very-very slowly. Hope they never deprecate clip

[Starwave]

There is still a problem - transform property introduces a new local coordinate system. so if I wanted my img to be fixed relative to viewport, now it is fixed relative to this overflow container element.

[nektobit]

jsfiddle link broken

[Jarvis]

However, position: fixed; of child doesn't work as expected.

[robbe clerckx]

Does not work in firefox, though. Would have loved this, much more reliable than repositioning all of your junk in javascript.

[jlouzado]

was this only down-voted because of the link? The answer is straightforward and works as intended.

[Amit]

This solution worked great for me in 2020. Thanks!

[M.Ortega]

@Chris You made my day. It's working with clip and clip-path, very easy.

[SalmanShariati]

The shortest answer is: clip-path: inset(0)