# Spacer

> Empty layout element that injects a fixed gap on a single axis. Used inside flex/grid containers where adding a token-sized gap as a sibling reads cleaner than the gap utility.

- Status: beta
- Group: structure
- Page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/spacer
- Contract: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Spacer.contract.json

## When to use

Spacer inserts a fixed, aria-hidden gap where you cannot control the parent's layout; between blocks you don't own, or in markup that isn't a Stack. It is the escape hatch, not the default: prefer gap on Stack/FlexBox/Grid first. `axis="horizontal"` makes it a width in inline rows.

## When not to use

- Do not stack two Spacers; collapse them into the larger size.
- Do not use as a 'push' element to right-align content; use flex `margin-inline-start: auto` instead.
- Do not use Spacer for page-band rhythm; Section's spacing prop owns that.

## Look-alikes

- Divider: Do not use dividers as spacing; if you only need distance, use gap or Spacer.

## Props

| Prop | Type | Default | Description | Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `size` | `"sm" \| "md" \| "lg" \| "xl" \| "xs" \| "2xl"` | `md` | Tokenized gap size. | No |
| `axis` | `"horizontal" \| "vertical"` | `vertical` | Block (vertical) or inline (horizontal) axis. | No |
| `className` | `string` | none | Additional CSS class names. | No |

## Variants

- Available sizes: `sm`, `md`, `lg`, `xl`, `xs`, `2xl` (default `sm`).
- Allowed `axis` values: `horizontal`, `vertical` (default `vertical`).

## Invalid combinations

The contract records no invalid combinations.

## Keyboard

The contract records no keyboard interaction.

## Rules

Every item under When not to use is a MUST NOT. MUST and SHOULD follow RFC 2119.

| Level | Rule | How it is checked |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MUST | ARIA: Renders as a non-interactive `<div>`; assistive tech ignores it. | Not yet verified: no evidence record. WCAG 4.1.2. |
| MUST | Required stories produce no axe violations at the configured severity. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 2.5.8. |
| MUST | The accessibility tree (role, name, state) matches the committed snapshot for every required story. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:matrix:ci`. WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2. |
| MUST | The component remains legible and operable under a real browser forced-colors: active pass. | Automated by `npm run test:stories:hc`. |
| MUST | A human completed an end-to-end accessibility review of this component. | Manual review, last on 2026-05-28. |
| SHOULD | Reach for parent gap first (Stack/FlexBox/Grid); use Spacer only where you cannot own the parent. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Use axis="horizontal" inside flex rows; the default vertical axis is for block flow. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Pick the one size that matches the rhythm step you need; sizes map to the space scale. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD | Keep it aria-hidden (built in); it must never carry content or semantics. | Not stated in the contract. |
| SHOULD NOT | Do not stack multiple Spacers to add up space; use the next size. | Not stated in the contract. |

## Install and import

- Install: `npm install @digitaltableteur/react` (version 0.9.1, restricted access on npm).
- Import: `import { Spacer } from "@digitaltableteur/react";`
- Entry point: `@digitaltableteur/react/layout` exports it too.
- Styles: import `@digitaltableteur/react/style.css` once at the app boundary.
- Also available as the custom element `<dt-spacer>`; see the custom elements manifest.

## Links

- Machine-readable contract (Design System Contract 1.0): https://www.digitaltableteur.com/contracts/v1/Spacer.contract.json
- Markdown version of this page: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components/spacer.md
- Component index as JSON: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components.json
- All components: https://www.digitaltableteur.com/design-system/components
- Source: The implementation lives in a private repository. This page, its Markdown twin and the contract are generated from it at build time and are the public source of truth.