border-color

The border-color shorthand CSS property sets the color of an element's border.

Try it

Each side can be set individually using border-top-color, border-right-color, border-bottom-color, and border-left-color; or using the writing mode-aware border-block-start-color, border-block-end-color, border-inline-start-color, and border-inline-end-color.

You can find out more information about border colors in Applying colors to HTML elements.

Constituent properties

This property is a shorthand for the following CSS properties:

Syntax

css
/* <color> values */
border-color: red;

/* top and bottom | left and right */
border-color: red #f015ca;

/* top | left and right | bottom */
border-color: red rgb(240 30 50 / 70%) green;

/* top | right | bottom | left */
border-color: red yellow green blue;

/* Global values */
border-color: inherit;
border-color: initial;
border-color: revert;
border-color: revert-layer;
border-color: unset;

The border-color property may be specified using one, two, three, or four values.

  • When one value is specified, it applies the same color to all four sides.
  • When two values are specified, the first color applies to the top and bottom, the second to the left and right.
  • When three values are specified, the first color applies to the top, the second to the left and right, the third to the bottom.
  • When four values are specified, the colors apply to the top, right, bottom, and left in that order (clockwise).

Values

<color>

Defines the color of the border.

Formal definition

Initial valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
Applies toall elements. It also applies to ::first-letter.
Inheritedno
Computed valueas each of the properties of the shorthand:
Animation typeas each of the properties of the shorthand:

Formal syntax

border-color = 
  [ <color> | <image-1D> ]{1,4}  

<image-1D> = 
  <stripes()>  

<stripes()> = 
  stripes( <color-stripe># )  

<color-stripe> = 
  <color>                            &&
  [ <length-percentage> | <flex> ]?  

<length-percentage> = 
  <length>      |
  <percentage>

Examples

Complete border-color usage

HTML

html
<div id="justone">
  <p><code>border-color: red;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul>
    <li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: red;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="horzvert">
  <p><code>border-color: gold red;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul>
    <li><code>border-top-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: red;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="topvertbott">
  <p><code>border-color: red cyan gold;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul>
    <li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: cyan;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: gold;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: cyan;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>
<div id="trbl">
  <p><code>border-color: red cyan black gold;</code> is equivalent to</p>
  <ul>
    <li><code>border-top-color: red;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-right-color: cyan;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-bottom-color: black;</code></li>
    <li><code>border-left-color: gold;</code></li>
  </ul>
</div>

CSS

css
#justone {
  border-color: red;
}

#horzvert {
  border-color: gold red;
}

#topvertbott {
  border-color: red cyan gold;
}

#trbl {
  border-color: red cyan black gold;
}

/* Set width and style for all divs */
div {
  border: solid 0.3em;
  width: auto;
  margin: 0.5em;
  padding: 0.5em;
}

ul {
  margin: 0;
  list-style: none;
}

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSS Logical Properties and Values Level 1
# logical-shorthand-keyword
CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3
# border-color

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also