If the overflow-x property is set to hidden for the html and body elements, the links in the footer will become unclickable as they will

Question

If the overflow-x property is set to hidden for the html and body elements, the links in the footer will become unclickable as they will

Situation:

Consider the following scenario with a simplified HTML example:

position the footer behind the content and make it stick to the bottom
when reaching the end of the page, the footer should slide up from behind the content

I achieved this layout successfully. However, when I set both the overflow-x properties of the html and body elements to hidden, the links in the footer become unclickable.

Update on the situation:

I am aware that adjusting the z-index values for #content to 2 and for footer to 1 can make the links clickable. Nevertheless, this solution conflicts with a multizoom.js feature in another section of the webpage, which I want to avoid.

Question:

What is the relationship between setting the overflow-x property for both the html and body elements and the functionality of the footer links? Why is it necessary for both elements to have this property set? (If one of them excludes overflow-x, the links work as expected)

Currently, I don't face any issues by not defining overflow-x in my current project as it was an outdated styling attempt that has already been removed. However, I'm curious about the peculiar behavior observed earlier.

Example:

/* The following CSS prevents the footer links
 * from being clickable */
html, body {
  overflow-x: hidden;
}
/* Supporting styles to position the footer behind content
 * and make it sticky at the bottom */
#content {
  background: lightgrey; /* opaque bg color */
  border-bottom: 1px solid black; /* border for content ending */
  height: 1500px; /* arbitrary height for scrolling trigger */
  margin-bottom: 120px; /* margin to reveal footer after scrolling */
}
footer {
  background: grey; /* distinguish footer visually */
  padding: 50px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center; /* footer design */
  z-index: -1; position: fixed; /* place footer behind content while sticking to bottom */
  bottom: 0; width: 100%; /* full-width positioning */
}
body {
  margin: 0; /* use whole panel area */
}

<html>
<body>
    <div id="content">
        Scroll down to reach the end of the page.
    </div>
    <footer>
        <a href="#">Footer link here (currently unclickable)</a>
    </footer>
</body>
</html>

html css z-index footer sticky-footer

Answer 1

Answer №1

It appears that the issue at hand is related to margin collapsing. The #content has a margin-bottom: 120px which creates empty space at the bottom. Adding overflow: hidden; establishes a new formatting context, causing the body to match the height of the #content block. Setting z-index: -1 positions the footer behind the body, making links unclickable in this scenario.

However, if you remove the overflow property, the body will have a smaller height than the #content, resulting in the #footer being positioned outside the body and allowing links to be clicked.

Keep in mind that the overflow property on the viewport does not crop fixed elements that extend beyond their parent container. This explains why the #footer remains visible and functional even when it's outside of the boundaries of its parent.

Answer 2

It appears that the issue at hand is related to margin collapsing. The #content has a margin-bottom: 120px which creates empty space at the bottom. Adding overflow: hidden; establishes a new formatting context, causing the body to match the height of the #content block. Setting z-index: -1 positions the footer behind the body, making links unclickable in this scenario.

However, if you remove the overflow property, the body will have a smaller height than the #content, resulting in the #footer being positioned outside the body and allowing links to be clicked.

Keep in mind that the overflow property on the viewport does not crop fixed elements that extend beyond their parent container. This explains why the #footer remains visible and functional even when it's outside of the boundaries of its parent.

Answer 3

Answer №2

Why is it necessary to set overflow-x for both html and body when styling the links in the footer? And what happens if one of them is left out from having this property?

To be honest, I no longer see the need to include overflow-x in my projects as it was a remnant from an old styling attempt that has since been removed. However, I am intrigued by the peculiar behavior that arises when both elements do not have overflow-x.

In your words, it functions properly after removing the style from html.

What prompts individuals to style the html tag?

There are at least three instances where people choose to style the html element:

When they wish to establish universal property values inherited from parent elements.
When they aim to compel the browser to display a scrollbar.
```
html, body {
    min-height: 100.1%;
}
```
When they intend to structure the page as a table.

Styling the html element is permissible because it is a DOM element capable of receiving standard attributes (W3 on html). Nevertheless, it is widely advised, including myself, to refrain from doing so unless there is a specific purpose or trick you wish to implement. Altering the appearance of the html may trigger unintended consequences due to different browser behaviors. Remember that the body tag is not the sole child of html; there is also the head. Stick to styling the visible content using body rather than altering the invisible part unnecessarily.

Answer 4

Why is it necessary to set overflow-x for both html and body when styling the links in the footer? And what happens if one of them is left out from having this property?

To be honest, I no longer see the need to include overflow-x in my projects as it was a remnant from an old styling attempt that has since been removed. However, I am intrigued by the peculiar behavior that arises when both elements do not have overflow-x.

In your words, it functions properly after removing the style from html.

What prompts individuals to style the html tag?

There are at least three instances where people choose to style the html element:

When they wish to establish universal property values inherited from parent elements.
When they aim to compel the browser to display a scrollbar.
```
html, body {
    min-height: 100.1%;
}
```
When they intend to structure the page as a table.

Styling the html element is permissible because it is a DOM element capable of receiving standard attributes (W3 on html). Nevertheless, it is widely advised, including myself, to refrain from doing so unless there is a specific purpose or trick you wish to implement. Altering the appearance of the html may trigger unintended consequences due to different browser behaviors. Remember that the body tag is not the sole child of html; there is also the head. Stick to styling the visible content using body rather than altering the invisible part unnecessarily.

Answer 5

Answer №3

It appears that the issue lies in the z-index of the footer being negative while the body lacks a specific z-index (defaulting to 0). By adding overflow-x: hidden to the body's CSS, the body extends over the footer as explained by t1m0n.

To resolve this problem in Chrome, IE, Firefox, and Edge, simply assign a lower z-index to the body and set it to relative position.

body {
  position: relative;
  z-index: -2;
}

/* This adjustment ensures that links in the footer
 * are not clickable */
html, body {
  overflow-x: hidden;
}
body {
  position: relative;
  z-index: -2;
}
/* Essential rules to push the footer behind the content
 * and make it stick at the bottom */
#content {
  /* Adds an opaque background color to cover the footer*/
  background: lightgrey;
  /* Creates a border at the end of the content */
  border-bottom: 1px solid black;
  /* Specifies an arbitrary height to provoke scrolling */
  height: 1500px;
  /* Uses margin to expand the page so the footer becomes
   * visible when scrolling down */
  margin-bottom: 120px;
}
footer {
  /* Background color to distinguish the footer from the content */
  background: grey;
  /* Sets the footer height to 120px and centers it */
  padding: 50px;
  line-height: 20px;
  text-align: center;
  /* Positions the footer one layer behind the content for smooth scrolling experience */
  z-index: -1;
  position: fixed;
  bottom: 0;
  /* Spans the entire width of the screen */
  width: 100%;
}
body {
  /* Expands the page to fill the entire panel */
  margin: 0;
}

<html>
<body>
    <div id="content">
        Here is the content, scroll down to view more
    </div>
    <footer>
        <a href="#">Click here for the footer link (Now Clickable!)</a>
    </footer>
</body>
</html>

Answer 6

It appears that the issue lies in the z-index of the footer being negative while the body lacks a specific z-index (defaulting to 0). By adding overflow-x: hidden to the body's CSS, the body extends over the footer as explained by t1m0n.

To resolve this problem in Chrome, IE, Firefox, and Edge, simply assign a lower z-index to the body and set it to relative position.

body {
  position: relative;
  z-index: -2;
}

/* This adjustment ensures that links in the footer
 * are not clickable */
html, body {
  overflow-x: hidden;
}
body {
  position: relative;
  z-index: -2;
}
/* Essential rules to push the footer behind the content
 * and make it stick at the bottom */
#content {
  /* Adds an opaque background color to cover the footer*/
  background: lightgrey;
  /* Creates a border at the end of the content */
  border-bottom: 1px solid black;
  /* Specifies an arbitrary height to provoke scrolling */
  height: 1500px;
  /* Uses margin to expand the page so the footer becomes
   * visible when scrolling down */
  margin-bottom: 120px;
}
footer {
  /* Background color to distinguish the footer from the content */
  background: grey;
  /* Sets the footer height to 120px and centers it */
  padding: 50px;
  line-height: 20px;
  text-align: center;
  /* Positions the footer one layer behind the content for smooth scrolling experience */
  z-index: -1;
  position: fixed;
  bottom: 0;
  /* Spans the entire width of the screen */
  width: 100%;
}
body {
  /* Expands the page to fill the entire panel */
  margin: 0;
}

<html>
<body>
    <div id="content">
        Here is the content, scroll down to view more
    </div>
    <footer>
        <a href="#">Click here for the footer link (Now Clickable!)</a>
    </footer>
</body>
</html>

Answer 7

Answer №4

The issue was resolved by adjusting the CSS in the following manner:

#content {
    ...
    z-index: 1;
    position: relative;
}

footer {
    ...
    z-index: 0;
}

Explanation

By assigning a z-index of -1 to the footer, it positioned it BEHIND the body, rendering it unresponsive to clicks.

To ensure it appears ABOVE the body, we set its z-index to 0 (or remove it completely)

This necessitates raising the content, hence setting its z-index to 1

However, due to the footer being fixed, it is displayed ABOVE elements lacking proper positioning, hence requiring us to define the content's position: relative for consistent behavior.

Answer 8

The issue was resolved by adjusting the CSS in the following manner:

#content {
    ...
    z-index: 1;
    position: relative;
}

footer {
    ...
    z-index: 0;
}

Explanation

By assigning a z-index of -1 to the footer, it positioned it BEHIND the body, rendering it unresponsive to clicks.

To ensure it appears ABOVE the body, we set its z-index to 0 (or remove it completely)

This necessitates raising the content, hence setting its z-index to 1

However, due to the footer being fixed, it is displayed ABOVE elements lacking proper positioning, hence requiring us to define the content's position: relative for consistent behavior.

If the overflow-x property is set to hidden for the html and body elements, the links in the footer will become unclickable as they will

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

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