Overflow X

What happens to content that is too wide for the column.

Where to find it
Labelled Overflow X in the "Selected Column" section of the Modify drawer.
Per device
Yes — you can set one value for every screen, or separate values for phone, tablet, and desktop.
Underlying CSS
overflowX

In plain English

Overflow X is the horizontal half of Overflow. It decides what happens to content that is too wide for the column, and leaves the vertical direction alone.

The most common use is a wide table or a row of cards that should scroll sideways on a phone rather than break the page layout. Set Overflow X to "auto" and the visitor can swipe through it while the rest of the page stays put.

What each option does

OptionWhat you will see
visibleThe default. Content wider than the column spills out sideways and stays visible.
hiddenContent wider than the column is cut off at the left and right edges.
scrollA horizontal scrollbar is always shown, whether it is needed or not.
autoA horizontal scrollbar appears only when the content is genuinely too wide. The best choice for wide tables.
clipLike hidden, and scrolling is forbidden entirely.

When you would use it

  • A wide table needs to scroll sideways on phones instead of stretching the page.
  • A horizontal strip of cards should be swipeable on small screens.

How to change it

  1. Select the column, open "Selected Column", then "Overflow X".
  2. Pick a value from the dropdown — "auto" for a scrollable strip, "hidden" to crop.
  3. Check the phone preview, since horizontal overflow almost only happens on narrow screens.
One value, or one per device? Every input in this setting sits under a “Same value for all resolutions” checkbox. Leave it checked for a single value everywhere, or uncheck it to give phones, tablets, and desktops their own. How per-device values work.

Watch out for

  • Do not set this and Overflow at the same time. When both are present the browser decides which wins, and the outcome can surprise you.
  • Setting one axis to "hidden" or "clip" while the other is "visible" is a combination browsers handle inconsistently; the visible axis is often forced to behave like "auto".

Related settings

For developers

The technical reference for what this setting produces: MDN: overflow-x. You do not need any of it to use the setting — it is there for whoever is building the components or debugging the published page.

Where to go next