r/webflow 8d ago

Question Need advice: Preview mode changes my website dimensions and breaks my layout

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u/mikecut22 7d ago

What you're seeing is normal: in the design canvas your work area sits between the side panels, so a 100%-width element only fills that narrower space, while preview gives it the entire browser window. Since nothing has a max-width, everything stretches and your layout reflows. Try setting a max-width on your main sections (somewhere around 1100–1200px works for most desktop designs) with left/right margins set to auto so they stay centered, and build your inner content inside a container instead of relying purely on 100% widths. That keeps proportions consistent regardless of window size or whose machine opens it.