Why will my SVG not scale with CSS?

Almost always a missing viewBox. Without it the graphic has no intrinsic coordinate system to map onto a new size, so it renders at its fixed dimensions and ignores the box you gave it.

Is my file uploaded to view it?

No. Rendering happens locally, so unreleased artwork or a client logo goes nowhere near a server.

Do I need to install an SVG viewer on Windows or Mac?

No. Paste the markup or open the file in any modern browser and the drawing renders with zoom from 10% to 800%, an optional checkerboard background and the source code alongside. Scripts inside the SVG do not run and remote resources are not fetched.

SVG Viewer Online

Open an SVG to see both the picture and the markup behind it, with the dimensions and viewBox spelled out. Paste code or open a file.

Browser tool

SVG

View an SVG safely: it is rendered as an image, so scripts never run and remote resources are never fetched.

SVG

About SVG Viewer

Opening an SVG to see both the drawing and the markup behind it, with dimensions and viewBox stated. Useful when a graphic renders at the wrong size and the reason is in the attributes rather than in your CSS. Opening one is free and online, with no sign up. The markup is parsed here without uploading it, and nothing you save is watermarked or tied to an account.

How to use SVG Viewer

Load the graphicOpen a file or paste the markup, and the drawing appears beside the source that produced it.
Check width, height and viewBoxThese three decide how a graphic scales, and disagreements between them cause most sizing surprises.
Inspect the structureGroups, paths and definitions, so you can find the element that is misbehaving.

viewBox is what makes an SVG scale

width and height set the size the element occupies; viewBox defines the coordinate space drawn inside it. An SVG with a viewBox scales to fit whatever box it is given. An SVG with only width and height in pixels does not — which is why a logo sometimes refuses to respond to CSS at all, and why adding a viewBox fixes it.

What it does not do

Inspection only. Producing a smaller, tidier file is the optimiser’s job rather than this one.
Scripts inside an SVG are not executed here, so anything relying on them will render statically.

SVG Viewer: questions people ask

Why will my SVG not scale with CSS?: Almost always a missing viewBox. Without it the graphic has no intrinsic coordinate system to map onto a new size, so it renders at its fixed dimensions and ignores the box you gave it.
Is my file uploaded to view it?: No. Rendering happens locally, so unreleased artwork or a client logo goes nowhere near a server.
Do I need to install an SVG viewer on Windows or Mac?: No. Paste the markup or open the file in any modern browser and the drawing renders with zoom from 10% to 800%, an optional checkerboard background and the source code alongside. Scripts inside the SVG do not run and remote resources are not fetched.

Questions about ToolsVerse itself — privacy, cost, what happens to your files — are answered in the frequently asked questions.

The tools people most often need alongside SVG Viewer.

Can’t find the tool you need?

Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll consider adding it.

Request a tool →