---
productId: material-ui
title: React Box
components: Box
githubLabel: 'component: Box'
githubSource: packages/mui-material/src/Box
---

<!-- This page's content is duplicated (with some product-specific details) across the Material UI, Joy UI, and MUI System docs. Any changes should be applied to all three pages at the same time. -->

# Box

The Box component is a generic, theme-aware container with access to CSS utilities from MUI System.

{{"component": "@mui/docs/ComponentLinkHeader", "design": false}}

## Introduction

The Box component is a generic container for grouping other components.
It's a fundamental building block when working with Material UI—you can think of it as a `<div>` with extra built-in features, like access to your app's theme and the [`sx` prop](/system/getting-started/the-sx-prop/).

### Usage

The Box component differs from other containers available in Material UI in that its usage is intended to be multipurpose and open-ended, just like a `<div>`.
Components like [Container](/material-ui/react-container/), [Stack](/material-ui/react-stack/) and [Paper](/material-ui/react-paper/), by contrast, feature usage-specific props that make them ideal for certain use cases: Container for main layout orientation, Stack for one-dimensional layouts, and Paper for elevated surfaces.

## Basics

```jsx
import Box from '@mui/material/Box';
```

The Box component renders as a `<div>` by default, but you can swap in any other valid HTML tag or React component using the `component` prop.
The demo below replaces the `<div>` with a `<section>` element:

```tsx
import * as React from 'react';
import Box from '@mui/material/Box';

export default function BoxBasic() {
  return (
    <Box component="section" sx={{ p: 2, border: '1px dashed grey' }}>
      This Box renders as an HTML section element.
    </Box>
  );
}

```

## Customization

### With the sx prop

Use the [`sx` prop](/system/getting-started/the-sx-prop/) to quickly customize any Box instance using a superset of CSS that has access to all the style functions and theme-aware properties exposed in the MUI System package.
The demo below shows how to apply colors from the theme using this prop:

```tsx
import * as React from 'react';
import Box from '@mui/material/Box';
import { ThemeProvider } from '@mui/material/styles';

export default function BoxSx() {
  return (
    <ThemeProvider
      theme={{
        palette: {
          primary: {
            main: '#007FFF',
            dark: '#0066CC',
          },
        },
      }}
    >
      <Box
        sx={{
          width: 100,
          height: 100,
          borderRadius: 1,
          bgcolor: 'primary.main',
          '&:hover': {
            bgcolor: 'primary.dark',
          },
        }}
      />
    </ThemeProvider>
  );
}

```

### With MUI System props

:::info
System props are deprecated and will be removed in the next major release. Please use the `sx` prop instead.

```diff
- <Box mt={2} />
+ <Box sx={{ mt: 2 }} />
```

:::

## Anatomy

The Box component is composed of a single root `<div>` element:

```html
<div className="MuiBox-root">
  <!-- contents of the Box -->
</div>
```


# Box API

## Demos

For examples and details on the usage of this React component, visit the component demo pages:

- [Box](https://deploy-preview-47038--material-ui.netlify.app/material-ui/react-box/)

## Import

```jsx
import Box from '@mui/material/Box';
// or
import { Box } from '@mui/material';
```

## Props

| Name | Type | Default | Required | Description |
|------|------|---------|----------|-------------|
| component | `elementType` | - | No |  |
| sx | `Array<func \| object \| bool> \| func \| object` | - | No | The system prop that allows defining system overrides as well as additional CSS styles. |

> **Note**: The `ref` is forwarded to the root element (HTMLDivElement).

> Any other props supplied will be provided to the root element (native element).

## CSS

### Rule name

| Global class | Rule name | Description |
|--------------|-----------|-------------|
| - | root | Styles applied to the root element. |

> **Note**: As a CSS utility, the `Box` component also supports all system properties. You can use them as props directly on the component.

## Source code

If you did not find the information on this page, consider having a look at the implementation of the component for more detail.

- [/packages/mui-material/src/Box/Box.js](https://github.com/mui/material-ui/tree/HEAD/packages/mui-material/src/Box/Box.js)