Question

What is the difference between margin and padding in CSS?

I’m learning CSS and I often hear about margin and padding, but I’m a bit confused about their differences. I understand that both affect spacing, but how do they each work? Specifically, how do margin and padding affect the layout and spacing of elements? Could someone explain the difference between them with simple examples or visuals?

Answer 1

Feature	Margin	Padding
space location	An element's outer space, beyond its border	The inner space of an element, inside the border
Background colour	Unaffected by the element's background colour	Affected by the background colour of the element
Negative Values	can be negative	can not be negative
Auto Values	can be set to auto	can not be set to auto
Purpose	makes area outside the element so that it can be moved in relation to nearby elements.	Creates space inside the element to control the content spacing