---
title: overflow
slug: Web/SVG/Attribute/overflow
translation_of: Web/SVG/Attribute/overflow
---
<p>« <a href="/en/SVG/Attribute" title="en/SVG/Attribute">SVG Attribute reference home</a></p>

<p>The <code>overflow</code> attribute has the same parameter values as defined for the {{ cssxref("overflow","CSS overflow property") }}. However, the following additional points apply:</p>

<ul>
 <li>The <code>overflow</code> attribute only applies to elements that establish new viewports (see below), {{ SVGElement("pattern") }} elements and {{ SVGElement("marker") }} elements. For all other elements, the property has no effect.</li>
 <li>For those elements to which the <code>overflow</code> attribute can apply, if the <code>overflow</code> attribute has the value <code>hidden</code> or <code>scroll</code>, the effect is that a new clipping path in the shape of a rectangle is created. The result is equivalent to defining a {{ SVGElement("clipPath") }} element whose content is a {{ SVGElement("rect") }} element which defines the equivalent rectangle, and then specifying the &lt;uri&gt; of this {{ SVGElement("clipPath") }} element on the {{ SVGAttr("clip-path") }} attribute for the given element.</li>
 <li>If the <code>overflow</code> attribute has a value other than <code>hidden</code> or <code>scroll</code>, the property has no effect.</li>
 <li>Within SVG content, the value <code>auto</code> is equivalent to the value <code>visible</code>.</li>
 <li>When an outermost svg element is embedded inline within HTML, if the <code>overflow</code> attribute has the value <code>hidden</code> or <code>scroll</code>, then the browser will establish an initial clipping path equal to the bounds of the initial viewport; otherwise, the initial clipping path is set according to the CSS clipping rules.</li>
 <li>When an outermost svg element is stand-alone, the <code>overflow</code> attribute on the outermost svg element is ignored for the purposes of visual rendering and the initial clipping path is set to the bounds of the initial viewport.</li>
 <li>The initial value for <code>overflow</code> as defined in CSS is <code>visible</code>, and this applies also to the root {{ SVGElement("svg") }} element; however, for child elements of an SVG document, SVG's browser style sheet overrides this initial value and sets the <code>overflow</code> attribute on elements that establish new viewports, ‘pattern’ elements and ‘marker’ elements to the value <code>hidden</code>.</li>
</ul>

<p>As a presentation attribute, it also can be used as a property directly inside a CSS stylesheet, see {{ cssxref("overflow","CSS overflow") }} for further information.</p>

<h2 id="Usage_context">Usage context</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Categories</th>
   <td>Presentation attribute</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Value</th>
   <td>visible | hidden | scroll | auto | inherit</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Animatable</th>
   <td>Yes</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <th scope="row">Normative document</th>
   <td><a class="external" href="http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/masking.html#OverflowProperty" title="http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/masking.html#OverflowProperty">SVG 1.1 (2nd Edition)</a></td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Example">Example</h2>

<h2 id="Elements">Elements</h2>

<p>The following elements can use the <code>overflow</code> attribute</p>

<ul>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("svg") }}</li>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("symbol") }}</li>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("image") }}</li>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("foreignObject") }}</li>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("pattern") }}</li>
 <li>{{ SVGElement("marker") }}</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="Browser_Compatibility" name="Browser_Compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>



<p>{{Compat("svg.attributes.presentation.overflow")}}</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li>{{ cssxref("overflow","CSS overflow") }}</li>
</ul>