/masonry

name: masonry
description: When the user wants to design, optimize, or audit masonry (Pinterest-style) layouts for content display. Also use when the user mentions "masonry layout," "masonry grid," "Pinterest layout," "waterfall layout," "brick layout," "varying height grid," "gallery layout," or "masonry SEO." For crawl and scroll UX, use site-crawlability.
metadata:
  version: 1.1.1

Components: Masonry Layout

Guides masonry layout design for content with varying heights. Masonry stacks items in columns without distinct rows; items fill gaps like a brick wall. Best for image galleries, portfolios, and discovery-focused platforms.

**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

When to Use Masonry

| Use masonry when | Use grid when | |------------------|---------------| | **Varying heights** | Equal-height items | | Image-heavy; varied aspect ratios | Products, templates (consistent) | | Gallery, portfolio, showcase | Card grid | | Discovery, browsing; visual-first | Structured browsing |

See **grid** for equal-height grid; **card** for card structure.

Masonry vs Grid vs Bento vs Carousel

| Layout | Structure | Best for | |--------|-----------|----------| | **Grid** | Equal rows and columns; uniform items | Products, templates, features | | **Masonry** | Columns; items stack without rows; gaps filled | Pinterest, Behance; varied content | | **Bento** | Intentional sections; predefined sizes | Homepage, dashboard; Apple-style | | **Carousel** | Slides; one/few visible; swipe/click | Testimonials, logos, featured items; see **carousel** |

Masonry Structure

| Element | Purpose | |---------|---------| | **Columns** | 2–4 columns; fluid or fixed | | **Items** | Varying heights; natural aspect ratio | | **Gap** | Consistent horizontal and vertical spacing | | **Order** | Top-to-bottom fill within columns |

Implementation

• **CSS columns**: `column-count`; simple, no JS; but items flow top-to-bottom then next column
• **Masonry.js / libraries**: True masonry (left-to-right fill); may need JS
• **CSS Grid + `grid-auto-flow: dense`**: Approximate; no JS; see **grid** for dense grid

**Note**: Pure masonry can create accessibility challenges (screen reader order); ensure logical DOM order.

SEO Considerations

**Masonry + infinite scroll = content not crawlable.** Masonry galleries often use infinite scroll or lazy load; crawlers cannot emulate scroll or "Load more" clicks, so content beyond the initial view is not discoverable.

| If you use | Then | |------------|------| | **Infinite scroll** | Provide paginated component pages with full URLs; implement pushState; see **site-crawlability** for search-friendly infinite scroll | | **Lazy load** | Ensure content exists in HTML or is reachable via crawlable links | | **Pagination** | Prefer for SEO-critical content; crawlers can follow next/prev links |

**Reference**: [Google – Infinite scroll search-friendly recommendations](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2014/02/infinite-scroll-search-friendly)

Best Practices

| Principle | Practice | |-----------|----------| | **Visual-first** | Thumbnails; minimal text | | **Aspect ratio** | Preserve original; avoid forced cropping | | **Lazy load** | Many images; load on scroll | | **Performance** | Masonry can be heavy; consider grid for simpler cases |

Use Cases

| Use case | Format | Page Skill | |----------|--------|------------| | **Showcase / Gallery** | User work; varied sizes | **showcase-page-generator** | | **Portfolio** | Projects; mixed media | — | | **Pinterest-style** | Pins; discovery | — | | **Image-heavy blog** | Blog with varied images | **blog-page-generator** |

Related Skills

• **site-crawlability**: Infinite scroll SEO; paginated component pages; search-friendly implementation
• **grid**: Equal-height grid; when masonry is overkill
• **carousel**: Carousel for slides/rotation; when masonry is overkill
• **card**: Card structure; masonry often uses cards
• **showcase-page-generator**: Gallery masonry
• **image-optimization**: Lazy load, aspect ratio, LCP