How to Build a Clean Blog Grid in Pure HTML/CSS
A clean blog grid doesn’t need frameworks or heavy utilities.
With a sensible structure and a handful of well-chosen rules, you can get something fast, readable, and easy to maintain. Here’s a practical, code-free guide to designing a grid that scales across screens and stays accessible.
Content structure
Think of the grid as a catalog of entries. Each item should include:
A concise H2 title (roughly 6–11 words) that communicates the outcome or value.
A clickable title that links to the post; the link text is the title itself, not “Read more.”
A two-sentence excerpt that sets expectation: what the piece covers and who benefits.
Light metadata: publish date and one or two short tags.
Optional thumbnail if your brand uses consistent imagery across posts.
A concise H2 title (roughly 6–11 words) that communicates the outcome or value.
A clickable title that links to the post; the link text is the title itself, not “Read more.”
A two-sentence excerpt that sets expectation: what the piece covers and who benefits.
Light metadata: publish date and one or two short tags.
Optional thumbnail if your brand uses consistent imagery across posts.
Think of the grid as a catalog of entries. Each item should include:
Using a list structure is more than neatness: assistive technologies announce list length and position (“item 2 of 8”), which improves navigation.
Visual decisions
Lock three parameters early: minimum card width, gap between cards, and corner radius. These define rhythm and consistency. On large screens aim for three or four columns; on tablets two; on phones a single column. The goal is steady rhythm—not a lottery of tile sizes.
Keep body text comfortably high-contrast and slightly lighter for excerpts (but never faint). Use generous line height. Avoid all-caps titles; a modest negative letter-spacing can tighten headings without hurting legibility.
If you include thumbnails, standardize a single aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9 or 4:3) and export images to that ratio every time. Consistency prevents layout jumps and ragged rows.
Responsiveness without pain
Let column count follow available space. Choose a sensible minimum card width and a base gap; on narrow screens, gently reduce both. That alone is enough to move from four columns to two and then to one—no hard jumps or pixel-perfect gymnastics.
On smaller viewports, nudge heading sizes and vertical spacing down a notch, prioritizing readability over cramming content.
Accessibility
-
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
-
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Performance
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Conclusion
A clean, dependency-free blog grid is about discipline, not tricks. Clear structure, predictable responsiveness, steady spacing, and respect for accessibility produce a page that’s pleasant to read and simple to maintain. Skip the extras, agree on a few content rules, and your grid will feel consistent across domains and audiences—fast today and resilient as your library grows.
Lock three parameters early: minimum card width, gap between cards, and corner radius. These define rhythm and consistency. On large screens aim for three or four columns; on tablets two; on phones a single column. The goal is steady rhythm—not a lottery of tile sizes.
Keep body text comfortably high-contrast and slightly lighter for excerpts (but never faint). Use generous line height. Avoid all-caps titles; a modest negative letter-spacing can tighten headings without hurting legibility.
If you include thumbnails, standardize a single aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9 or 4:3) and export images to that ratio every time. Consistency prevents layout jumps and ragged rows.
Responsiveness without pain
Let column count follow available space. Choose a sensible minimum card width and a base gap; on narrow screens, gently reduce both. That alone is enough to move from four columns to two and then to one—no hard jumps or pixel-perfect gymnastics.
On smaller viewports, nudge heading sizes and vertical spacing down a notch, prioritizing readability over cramming content.
Accessibility
-
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
-
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Performance
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Conclusion
A clean, dependency-free blog grid is about discipline, not tricks. Clear structure, predictable responsiveness, steady spacing, and respect for accessibility produce a page that’s pleasant to read and simple to maintain. Skip the extras, agree on a few content rules, and your grid will feel consistent across domains and audiences—fast today and resilient as your library grows.
If you include thumbnails, standardize a single aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9 or 4:3) and export images to that ratio every time. Consistency prevents layout jumps and ragged rows.
Responsiveness without pain
Let column count follow available space. Choose a sensible minimum card width and a base gap; on narrow screens, gently reduce both. That alone is enough to move from four columns to two and then to one—no hard jumps or pixel-perfect gymnastics.
On smaller viewports, nudge heading sizes and vertical spacing down a notch, prioritizing readability over cramming content.
Accessibility
-
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
-
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Performance
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Conclusion
A clean, dependency-free blog grid is about discipline, not tricks. Clear structure, predictable responsiveness, steady spacing, and respect for accessibility produce a page that’s pleasant to read and simple to maintain. Skip the extras, agree on a few content rules, and your grid will feel consistent across domains and audiences—fast today and resilient as your library grows.
Let column count follow available space. Choose a sensible minimum card width and a base gap; on narrow screens, gently reduce both. That alone is enough to move from four columns to two and then to one—no hard jumps or pixel-perfect gymnastics.
On smaller viewports, nudge heading sizes and vertical spacing down a notch, prioritizing readability over cramming content.
Accessibility
-
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
-
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Performance
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Conclusion
A clean, dependency-free blog grid is about discipline, not tricks. Clear structure, predictable responsiveness, steady spacing, and respect for accessibility produce a page that’s pleasant to read and simple to maintain. Skip the extras, agree on a few content rules, and your grid will feel consistent across domains and audiences—fast today and resilient as your library grows.
Accessibility
-
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
-
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Performance
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Meaningful links. The post title doubles as the link; users know where they’ll land.
Visible focus. Keyboard users need a clear focus indicator on the link and ideally a soft outline on the whole card when any child element is focused.
Contrast. For body text, target at least 4.5:1. Higher is better on dark themes and in sunlight.
Alt text with purpose. Say what’s shown and why it matters, not just “image.”
Heading hierarchy. On the grid page, the section title is H1; each card’s title is H2. Inside the post, start again with a single H1, then H2/H3 as needed.
Inline only the critical bits (the few rules that establish layout) so the grid renders immediately; the rest can live in your main stylesheet.
-
Keep images light. Export modern formats and resize for your real card width.
-
Lazy-load thumbnails so off-screen images don’t block the first paint.
-
Skip JavaScript. The grid itself doesn’t need it; fewer dependencies means fewer failure points.
Editorial rules
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Common pitfalls
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.
Rollout plan
Assemble real cards (6–12) with authentic titles and excerpts—no lorem ipsum.
Pick the minimum card width and gap, test on phone, tablet, and desktop; adjust until rhythm feels even.
Standardize thumbnail ratio and create export presets so editors don’t wrestle with manual cropping.
Keyboard test. Tab through the grid; ensure the focus is visible and the card context is clear.
Document a tiny content guide: title length, excerpt length, approved tags, image ratio, and alt-text style.
Titles: concrete over clever; promise a result, not a riddle.
Excerpts: one idea, two sentences, state the benefit.
Tags: keep them curated—one or two that actually help filtering.
Visuals: consistent crop, consistent tone. Social previews follow a simple, branded template.
Making the entire card a link. Users expect the title to be the link; it’s also friendlier to screen readers.
Hiding focus outlines. Removing focus harms accessibility and keyboard navigation.
Mismatched image ratios. Random crops create jagged rows and layout shifts.
Over-engineering breakpoints. You rarely need more than a gentle adjustment for small screens.
“Read more” as the only link. If you keep it, add hidden context for screen readers; better yet, link the title.