How to Override Inline CSS Styles

This 2009 article remains surprisingly popular, highlighting the enduring relevance of CSS fundamentals. If you're interested in modern CSS, check out our recent piece on CSS techniques for retina displays.

CSS's power lies in its cascading nature. Understanding how a browser selects and applies styles is crucial. Beginners often struggle with this, as style application depends on inclusion method, rule order, selector specificity, and declarations like !important.

Inline styles, defined directly in HTML (e.g., <code><p><strong style="color: red;">red text</strong></p>red text

strong[style] { color: blue !important; }

), have top priority. While generally discouraged in favor of external stylesheets, they're unavoidable in legacy systems or when HTML modification is restricted. To override inline styles from an external stylesheet, use:

strong

This forces the

tag's text to blue, regardless of the inline style. This works across major browsers (IE8 , Firefox 2 , Opera 9 , Safari, Chrome), except IE6 and 7. However, this should be a last resort; maintain clean CSS and only override inline styles when necessary. Consider exploring SitePoint's Learnable platform for advanced CSS techniques.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Overriding Inline CSS

Q: Why is overriding inline CSS important?

A: Overriding inline CSS streamlines styling, promotes reusability (one stylesheet for many pages), and improves performance via stylesheet caching. !importantQ: How does the

rule work?

!important color: blue !important;A:

overrides subsequent style declarations. Use it sparingly, as it complicates debugging due to its high specificity (e.g.,

).

Q: Can external CSS override inline styles?

!important

A: Yes, but inline styles have higher specificity. Match specificity in your external CSS or use

.

Q: Why isn't my CSS overriding inline styles?

!important

A: Check for higher inline style specificity, incorrect CSS declaration order, or

in the inline style.

Q: How to increase CSS rule specificity?

div.class#id !importantA: Use more specific selectors (ID > class > type), chain selectors (e.g.,

), or use

.

Q: What's the CSS precedence order?

!important

A: Specificity and declaration order determine precedence. Inline > ID > class > type.

affects this order.

Q: Can JavaScript override inline CSS?

A: Yes, by directly manipulating the element's style property (e.g., document.getElementById("myElement").style.color = "blue";). This adds an inline style, however.

Q: How to override CSS in WordPress/Bootstrap/React?

A: WordPress: Use child themes or custom CSS plugins. Bootstrap: Create a custom CSS file linked after Bootstrap's CSS. React: Use inline styles or CSS modules. Always consider selector specificity.

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