How can I add a box-shadow on one side of an element?

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I need to create a box-shadow on some block element, but only (for example) on its right side. The way I do it is to wrap the inner element with box-shadow into an outer one with padding-right and overflow:hidden; so the three other sides of the shadow are not visible.

Is there some better way to achieve this? Like box-shadow-right?

EDIT: My intentions are to create only the vertical part of the shadow. Exactly the same as what repeat-y of the rule background:url(shadow.png) 100% 0% repeat-y would do.

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clip-path is now (2020) one of simplest ways to achieve box-shadows on specific sides of elements, especially when the required effect is a “clean cut” shadow at particular edges (which I believe was what the OP was originally looking for) , like this:

.shadow-element {
    border: 1px solid #333;
    width: 100px;
    height: 100px;
    box-shadow: 0 0 15px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
    clip-path: inset(0px -15px 0px 0px);
}
<div class="shadow-element"></div>

…as opposed to an attenuated/reduced/thinning shadow like this:

.shadow-element {
    border: 1px solid #333;
    width: 100px;
    height: 100px;
    box-shadow: 15px 0px 15px -10px rgba(0,0,0,0.75);
}
<div class="shadow-element"></div>

Simply apply the following CSS to the element in question:

box-shadow: 0 0 Xpx [hex/rgba]; /* note 0 offset values */
clip-path: inset(Apx Bpx Cpx Dpx);

Where:

  • Apx sets the shadow visibility for the top edge
  • Bpx right
  • Cpx bottom
  • Dpx left

Enter a value of 0 for any edges where the shadow should be hidden and a negative value (the same as the box-shadow blur radius – Xpx) to any edges where the shadow should be displayed.

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