---
layout: docs
title: Reboot
description: Reboot, a collection of element-specific CSS changes in a single file, kickstart Bootstrap to provide an elegant, consistent, and simple baseline to build upon.
group: content
aliases: "/docs/4.6/content/"
toc: true
---
## Approach
Reboot builds upon Normalize, providing many HTML elements with somewhat opinionated styles using only element selectors. Additional styling is done only with classes. For example, we reboot some `
` styles for a simpler baseline and later provide `.table`, `.table-bordered`, and more.
Here are our guidelines and reasons for choosing what to override in Reboot:
- Update some browser default values to use `rem`s instead of `em`s for scalable component spacing.
- Avoid `margin-top`. Vertical margins can collapse, yielding unexpected results. More importantly though, a single direction of `margin` is a simpler mental model.
- For easier scaling across device sizes, block elements should use `rem`s for `margin`s.
- Keep declarations of `font`-related properties to a minimum, using `inherit` whenever possible.
## Page defaults
The `` and `` elements are updated to provide better page-wide defaults. More specifically:
- The `box-sizing` is globally set on every element—including `*::before` and `*::after`, to `border-box`. This ensures that the declared width of element is never exceeded due to padding or border.
- No base `font-size` is declared on the ``, but `16px` is assumed (the browser default). `font-size: 1rem` is applied on the `` for easy responsive type-scaling via media queries while respecting user preferences and ensuring a more accessible approach.
- The `` also sets a global `font-family`, `line-height`, and `text-align`. This is inherited later by some form elements to prevent font inconsistencies.
- For safety, the `` has a declared `background-color`, defaulting to `#fff`.
## Native font stack
The default web fonts (Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, and Arial) have been dropped in Bootstrap 4 and replaced with a "native font stack" for optimum text rendering on every device and OS. Read more about [native font stacks in this *Smashing Magazine* article](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2015/11/using-system-ui-fonts-practical-guide/).
```scss
$font-family-sans-serif:
// Safari for macOS and iOS (San Francisco)
-apple-system,
// Chrome < 56 for macOS (San Francisco)
BlinkMacSystemFont,
// Windows
"Segoe UI",
// Android
Roboto,
// Basic web fallback
"Helvetica Neue", Arial,
// Linux
"Noto Sans",
"Liberation Sans",
// Sans serif fallback
sans-serif,
// Emoji fonts
"Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji" !default;
```
Note that because the font stack includes emoji fonts, many common symbol/dingbat unicode characters will be rendered as multi-colored pictographs. Their appearance will vary, depending on the style used in the browser/platform's native emoji font, and they won't be affected by any CSS `color` styles.
This `font-family` is applied to the `` and automatically inherited globally throughout Bootstrap. To switch the global `font-family`, update `$font-family-base` and recompile Bootstrap.
## Headings and paragraphs
All heading elements—e.g., `
`—and `
` are reset to have their `margin-top` removed. Headings have `margin-bottom: .5rem` added and paragraphs `margin-bottom: 1rem` for easy spacing.
Heading
Example
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h1. Bootstrap heading
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h2. Bootstrap heading
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h3. Bootstrap heading
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h4. Bootstrap heading
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h5. Bootstrap heading
{{< markdown >}}``{{< /markdown >}}
h6. Bootstrap heading
## Lists
All lists—`
`, ``, and `
`—have their `margin-top` removed and a `margin-bottom: 1rem`. Nested lists have no `margin-bottom`.
{{< markdown >}}
* All lists have their top margin removed
* And their bottom margin normalized
* Nested lists have no bottom margin
* This way they have a more even appearance
* Particularly when followed by more list items
* The left padding has also been reset
1. Here's an ordered list
2. With a few list items
3. It has the same overall look
4. As the previous unordered list
{{< /markdown >}}
For simpler styling, clear hierarchy, and better spacing, description lists have updated `margin`s. `
`s reset `margin-left` to `0` and add `margin-bottom: .5rem`. `
`s are **bolded**.
Description lists
A description list is perfect for defining terms.
Term
Definition for the term.
A second definition for the same term.
Another term
Definition for this other term.
## Preformatted text
The `
` element is reset to remove its `margin-top` and use `rem` units for its `margin-bottom`.
.example-element {
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
## Tables
Tables are slightly adjusted to style `
`s, collapse borders, and ensure consistent `text-align` throughout. Additional changes for borders, padding, and more come with [the `.table` class]({{< docsref "/content/tables" >}}).
This is an example table, and this is its caption to describe the contents.
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table heading
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
Table cell
## Forms
Various form elements have been rebooted for simpler base styles. Here are some of the most notable changes:
- `