better-layout git:20261011.ef64499A

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---
name: better-layout
description: "Implement or review grouping, alignment, reading order, and responsive layout. Use for focused layout work."
---

# Layout

This skill sets grouping, alignment, spacing and responsive structure. It then stress-tests that structure by resizing it, translating it and mirroring it for RTL.

Write every fix in the project's styling system. The numbers below apply only where the project has no spacing scale or density system; otherwise use its tokens. A finding needs a failure you can show, such as a clip, an overlap, a broken mirror or a misread group. A value that differs from these starting points is not one.

Hit areas and focus behavior belong to `better-accessibility`. Radius, shadows and animation belong to `better-ui`. Line length, text spacing and truncation mechanics belong to `better-typography`. The words themselves belong to `better-writing`.

## Group with space, not lines

Space groups first, background shapes second, separator lines last and only where space alone can't carry the structure. The gap between groups is at least 2× the gap within one, so `8px` inside a group means `16px` or more between groups. Recipes are in [grouping-and-alignment.md](grouping-and-alignment.md#group-with-space-not-lines).

## Keep controls distinct from content

Give every interactive element a background shape, a border, an underline or a consistent placement zone such as a toolbar. A control styled like the static text beside it does not read as a control. See [grouping-and-alignment.md](grouping-and-alignment.md#keep-controls-distinct-from-content).

## Align to shared edges

Pick a small set of alignment edges and put everything on them. Use one project spacing step per level of nesting, where `16px` is a useful default. See [grouping-and-alignment.md](grouping-and-alignment.md#align-to-shared-edges).

## Logical properties for anything that mirrors

Write direction-dependent layout as leading and trailing: `margin-inline-start`, `padding-inline-end`, `inset-inline-start`, `text-align: start`. Reserve physical left and right for physical geometry such as safe-area insets. The mapping table and the RTL progression rules are in [grouping-and-alignment.md](grouping-and-alignment.md#logical-properties-for-anything-that-mirrors).

## Order by importance

The most important content sits near the top and the leading edge. Within a row, identifying content leads and metadata and actions trail. Visual order matches DOM order, so never move content out of source sequence with `order`, `row-reverse` or grid placement. See [grouping-and-alignment.md](grouping-and-alignment.md#order-by-importance).

## One primary action per view

Give each view one primary action. Put secondary actions behind a menu once there are more than 3. Prefer a short view that links deeper over one long view that shows everything at the top level. `better-colors` owns how color marks the primary action.

## Hint at hidden content

Every piece of off-screen or collapsed content needs a visible cue. Use the project's established cue, let the next item peek `16–32px` past the scroll edge or show a disclosure control.

A truncated value the user needs has a way to the full text: an expand control, a detail view or a tooltip that is also keyboard-reachable. Truncation mechanics are `better-typography`'s. Recipes are in [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#hint-at-hidden-content).

## Borderless controls need more clearance

Without an established density system, start with `12px` between adjacent bordered or filled controls. Leave `24px` between the visible glyphs of borderless text and icon controls, counting each button's own padding. Compact layouts may use less, as long as hit areas never overlap and the controls stay distinct. See [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#borderless-controls-need-more-clearance).

## Inset buttons from the edges

In content layouts, keep full-width buttons inside the layout margins, starting near `16px` inline on mobile. Edge-to-edge actions work when they follow established platform chrome, account for safe areas and stay distinguishable from system UI. See [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#inset-buttons-from-the-edges).

## Content bleeds, controls float

Backgrounds and media extend to the viewport edges. Controls and text stay inside the layout margins and safe areas. `env(safe-area-inset-*)` is non-zero only when the viewport meta includes `viewport-fit=cover`.

Content scrolls beneath sticky chrome. Set `scroll-padding-block-start` to the sticky header's height, so anchored targets and focused elements never land under it. See [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#content-bleeds-controls-float).

## Hold structure until it breaks

Breakpoints come from the content, not device presets. Keep the expanded layout until it stops fitting, then collapse. Prefer container queries for component-level adaptation, and test the smallest and largest supported sizes first. See [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#hold-structure-until-it-breaks).

## Plan for growth and clipping

Translated strings grow, and short ones grow proportionally more, so a one-word button label is the riskiest thing on the screen. Size text containers with `max-width` and `min-height`, never a fixed width or height, and let rows wrap. Test with pseudo-localization and one long-string locale such as German.

Never park a critical action where resizing, zoom or scrolling clips it. Keep it in the normal flow or in stable chrome. See [spacing-and-adaptivity.md](spacing-and-adaptivity.md#plan-for-growth-and-clipping).

## Before you finish

| Detection pattern | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| `grid-template-columns: … 1fr` or a flex child holding long text or a wide table, overflowing its track | `minmax(0, 1fr)` on the track, `min-width: 0` on the flex child |
| `width: 100vw` | `width: 100%`; `100vw` includes the scrollbar and scrolls horizontally on desktop |
| `height: 100vh` on a full-height mobile pane | `100dvh`, so the browser toolbar and keyboard never cover the bottom |
| `height:` with a fixed length on a box holding text | `min-height`, or `max-height` with `overflow-y: auto` |
| `@media (max-width: …)` inside a reusable component | `@container` on the component's parent |
| `container-type: inline-size` on a flex item, inline-block or absolute element with no width | Give it a definite width; size containment collapses a shrink-to-fit box to zero |
| `env(safe-area-inset-*)` with no `viewport-fit=cover` in the viewport meta | Add it, or the insets resolve to `0` |
| `inset-inline-*` or `*-inline-*` combined with `safe-area-inset-left` or `-right` | Physical `left` or `right` with the matching inset, plus a `[dir="rtl"]` override |
| `float: left` on mirrored UI | `float: inline-start` |
| `translateX` or `background-position: left` on mirrored UI | A `[dir="rtl"]` override; neither has a logical form |
| Sticky header with no `scroll-padding-block-start` | Set it to the header height |

## Reporting

**Severity.** `HIGH` blocks content or an action at a supported viewport. Clipping or overlap at 320px width or 200% zoom is always `HIGH`, as is truncated content with no way to the full value. So is content past a scroll edge or behind a disclosure with no visible cue. `MEDIUM` harms hierarchy, reading order or adaptability. `LOW` is isolated alignment or spacing polish.

**Verification.** Without a browser, check logical properties in place of physical ones, container and media queries against the supported viewport list and DOM order against visual order. With one, check every supported width, 320px, 200% zoom and the RTL mirror. Report every check you could not run as `Not verified`.

**Format.** Group findings under the principle each violates, ordered by severity, one row per root cause listing every location it appears in:

| Severity | Location | Before | After | Why |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

`Location` is `path/to/file:line`. `Why` names the principle and the user impact.

End with `Block` when any `HIGH` remains, `Approve` otherwise, leaving the rest in the table as work to do. Never `Approve` coverage you did not inspect. With nothing to report, state "No actionable layout findings" and report verification.