Padding

Space inside an element, between its edge and its content.

Padding is the breathing room inside a box. A button with 16px padding has 16px of empty space between the text and each edge.

Padding is what makes content feel comfortable to read or click. Too little and things feel cramped. Too much and the box feels empty.

Related terms

The visible edge around a box or component.

Space outside an element, between it and its neighbors.

The empty area around and between elements.