z-index positioning of pseudo element

Question

I can't seem to figure out how to get the line positioned underneath the circles. Z-index isn't working and I've got the divs positioned non-static. How can I accomplish this? The idea would be that the portion of the line that overlaps the circles would be positioned behind the circles.

 div.step-line { margin: 0; } div.step-col { padding: 30px 0; text-align: center; } div.step-line div.step-title:before { right: 50%; } div.step-line div.step-number { font-size: 26px; border-radius: 50%!important; display: inline-block; margin: auto; padding: 9px; border: 3px solid #e5e5e5; position: relative; z-index: 5; height: 60px; width: 60px; /*text-align: center;*/ } div.step-line div.step-title { position:relative; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; text-transform: uppercase; } div.step-line div.step-title:after { content: ''; height: 3px; width: 100%; position: absolute; background-color: #e5e5e5; z-index: 4; transform: translateY(-100%); top: -90%; left: 0%; } div.step-line div.step-col.first div.step-title:after { width: 50%; left: 50%; } div.step-line div.step-col.last div.step-title:after { width: 50%; right: 50%; } 

 <div class="row step-line"> <div class="col-md-4 step-col first"> <div class="step-number">1</div> <div class="step-title">This is a step title</div> <div class="step-content">This is a description</div> </div> <div class="col-md-4 step-col"> <div class="step-number">2</div> <div class="step-title">This is a step title</div> <div class="step-content">This is a description</div> </div> <div class="col-md-4 step-col last"> <div class="step-number">3</div> <div class="step-title">This is a step title</div> <div class="step-content">This is a description</div> </div> </div> 

Answer 1

What i understand from your question is, you want your lines to be behind those circles, just add background color background-color: white; in your CSS

Final code:

div.step-line div.step-number {
  font-size: 26px;
  border-radius: 50%!important;
  display: inline-block;
  margin: auto;
  padding: 9px;
  border: 3px solid #e5e5e5;
  position: relative;
  z-index: 5;
  height: 60px;
  width: 60px;
  /*text-align: center;*/
  background-color: white;
}