Build flexible from the start

Responsive design begins with smart layout choices. The more flexible your layout is on desktop, the fewer changes you'll need to make later.

Use tools built for adaptability:

• Use Flexbox or Grid: These layout tools are built for responsiveness, making it easier to stack, align, and space content dynamically.
• Avoid fixed widths: Use percentage-based widths, max-width, and relative units so elements don’t overflow or break the layout.
• Plan for stacking: If content is side-by-side on desktop, be ready to stack it vertically on smaller screens using Flex layout direction or Grid positioning.

For example: A horizontal navigation bar might stretch across the top of the page on desktop. On mobile, those links could stack vertically or collapse into a hamburger menu to stay clean and easy to tap.

Use flexible CSS units and variable modes

To make your layout more responsive and reduce the need for manual overrides, use units and tools that scale naturally with the screen size.

• Relative units like rem, percentages (%), and viewport units (vw/vh) let text and spacing adapt smoothly across different screen sizes.
• Functions like clamp() and calc() create flexible ranges for font sizes, padding, and more — so you don’t need to set new values at each breakpoint
• Variable modes let you set different values for variables at different breakpoints — and reuse those values throughout your design.

Variable modes are especially useful for spacing, typography, and sizing systems that need to shift between desktop, tablet, and mobile.

Test early and test for real

Don’t wait until the end to check responsiveness. Make testing part of your process:

• Use Webflow’s Preview mode and canvas resizing to test between breakpoints
• Switch between breakpoints as you build
• Publish to staging and open the site on real phones and tablets

As you test, focus on readability, touch target sizes, spacing, and visual clarity — not just visual layout.

Ready to wrap up?

Let’s finish up with some helpful tools, tips, and links to keep building great responsive sites in Webflow.