What does the CSS property 'margin' control?

The 'margin' property in CSS is specifically designed to control the space outside of an element. It defines the area around an element which creates space between the element and its neighboring elements, effectively influencing the layout by providing separation and ensuring that elements don’t collide visually.

When you adjust the margin, you increase or decrease this external space, impacting how close or far away other elements appear in relation to the element with the margin applied. This is distinct from properties like padding, which manages the space inside an element between its content and its border, or alignment properties, which dictate how elements are positioned within their container. By effectively using margins, a developer can create visually appealing layouts and ensure that the design is balanced and organized.