diff --git a/site/src/assets/stackblitz.js b/site/src/assets/stackblitz.js
index ddb3d32cb80f..ffc8abcc6183 100644
--- a/site/src/assets/stackblitz.js
+++ b/site/src/assets/stackblitz.js
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@ export default () => {
   document.querySelectorAll('.btn-edit').forEach(btn => {
     btn.addEventListener('click', event => {
       const codeSnippet = event.target.closest('.bd-code-snippet')
-      const exampleEl = codeSnippet.querySelector('.bd-example')
+      // The preview markup and any author-supplied classes live on the inner
+      // content wrapper. Fall back to `.bd-example` for older markup.
+      const exampleEl = codeSnippet.querySelector('.bd-example-content') || codeSnippet.querySelector('.bd-example')
 
       const htmlSnippet = exampleEl.innerHTML
       const jsSnippet = codeSnippet.querySelector('.btn-edit').getAttribute('data-sb-js-snippet')
-      // Get extra classes for this example
-      const classes = [...exampleEl.classList].join(' ')
+      // Get extra classes for this example, minus the docs-only wrapper class
+      const classes = [...exampleEl.classList].filter(cls => cls !== 'bd-example-content').join(' ')
 
       openBootstrapSnippet(htmlSnippet, jsSnippet, classes)
     })
diff --git a/site/src/components/shortcodes/Example.astro b/site/src/components/shortcodes/Example.astro
index f74dfe22d91d..276c7ec2a779 100644
--- a/site/src/components/shortcodes/Example.astro
+++ b/site/src/components/shortcodes/Example.astro
@@ -86,8 +86,10 @@ const simplifiedMarkup = sourceMarkup
 <div class="bd-example-snippet bd-code-snippet not-prose" data-pagefind-ignore>
   {
     showPreview && (
-      <div id={id} class:list={['bd-example', className]}>
-        <Fragment set:html={markup} />
+      <div id={id} class="bd-example">
+        <div class:list={['bd-example-content', className]}>
+          <Fragment set:html={markup} />
+        </div>
       </div>
     )
   }
diff --git a/site/src/scss/_component-examples.scss b/site/src/scss/_component-examples.scss
index d2d114302465..baf44f88c07e 100644
--- a/site/src/scss/_component-examples.scss
+++ b/site/src/scss/_component-examples.scss
@@ -51,8 +51,13 @@
   }
 
   .bd-example {
+    --bd-example-min-height: 12rem;
+
     position: relative;
-    display: flow-root;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    justify-content: center; // vertically center the content wrapper
+    min-height: var(--bd-example-min-height);
     padding: var(--bd-example-padding);
     font-size: var(--body-font-size);
     line-height: var(--body-line-height);
@@ -66,6 +71,59 @@
       margin-top: 2rem;
     }
 
+    // Navbars
+    .fixed-top,
+    .sticky-top {
+      position: static !important; // stylelint-disable-line
+      margin: calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) var(--bd-example-padding);
+    }
+
+    .fixed-bottom,
+    .sticky-bottom {
+      position: static !important; // stylelint-disable-line
+      margin: var(--bd-example-padding) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding));
+
+    }
+
+    // Pagination
+    .pagination {
+      margin-bottom: 0;
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Preview content wrapper. It keeps normal flow so loose inline items (buttons,
+  // badges, links) stay on one centered line, while block components keep full
+  // width. The frame centers this wrapper vertically.
+  .bd-example-content {
+    display: flow-root;
+    // Inert in normal flow. When an example sets `d-flex`/`d-grid`/`vstack` on
+    // the wrapper, this centers the row on the main axis. Utilities still win.
+    justify-content: center;
+    width: 100%;
+    text-align: center;
+
+    // When an example turns the wrapper into a flexbox (`d-flex`, `vstack`,
+    // `hstack`), center its items on the cross axis too, so column layouts do
+    // not sit left in the tall min-height frame. Grid wrappers are excluded so
+    // grid items keep stretching to equal heights.
+    &:not([class*="grid"]) {
+      align-items: center;
+    }
+
+    // Keep block-level components left-aligned inside. Only loose inline items
+    // (buttons, badges, links, icons) pick up the centered text-align above.
+    // Utilities still win via layer order, so `.text-center` etc. is unaffected.
+    > * {
+      text-align: start;
+    }
+
+    // Center width-constrained block components (cards, wrappers). Full-width
+    // blocks (alerts, forms) are unaffected. Grid rows keep their negative
+    // gutters, so exclude `.row` and grid containers.
+    > *:not(.row, [class*="grid"]) {
+      margin-inline: auto;
+    }
+
     > .tab-content {
       min-height: 120px;
       padding: var(--bs-spacer);
@@ -75,9 +133,9 @@
 
     > .menu.position-static {
       max-width: fit-content;
+      margin-inline: auto;
     }
 
-    // > :last-child,
     > nav:last-child .breadcrumb {
       margin-bottom: 0;
     }
@@ -95,30 +153,12 @@
     // List groups
     > .list-group {
       max-width: 400px;
+      margin-inline: auto;
     }
 
     > [class*="list-group-horizontal"] {
       max-width: 100%;
     }
-
-    // Navbars
-    .fixed-top,
-    .sticky-top {
-      position: static !important; // stylelint-disable-line
-      margin: calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) var(--bd-example-padding);
-    }
-
-    .fixed-bottom,
-    .sticky-bottom {
-      position: static !important; // stylelint-disable-line
-      margin: var(--bd-example-padding) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding)) calc(-1 * var(--bd-example-padding));
-
-    }
-
-    // Pagination
-    .pagination {
-      margin-bottom: 0;
-    }
   }
 
   //