Sometimes you may need to add some custom CSS to your website to adjust some styling or coloring, or simply to align certain elements better, or for whatever it may be… Here’s the different methods you can choose from.
There are 3 main way to add custom CSS to your WordPress website:
How to add custom CSS to WordPress
Custom CSS can be a powerful tool to make your WordPress website truly unique and tailored to your specific needs. While themes and plugins offer plenty of built-in styling options, there are times when those aren’t enough to get the exact look or functionality you want.
Here are some common scenarios where adding your own custom CSS becomes useful:
Overriding Default Theme Styles
Sometimes, your theme’s default styles may not match your brand. Custom CSS allows you to adjust fonts, colors, spacing, headers, or footers to suit your needs. It also helps fix minor issues like misaligned elements.
Customizing Plugin Elements
Plugins often add styles that may clash with your design. Custom CSS lets you restyle elements to better integrate with your theme.
Styling WooCommerce Product Pages
Instead of using a plugin like StoreCustomizer to customize WooCommerce without code, custom CSS lets you adjust product pages to fit your brand better. You can center-align titles or prices, hide unnecessary elements like SKU numbers, and customize the layout of product images or the “Add to Cart” button.
Fixing Minor Visual Bugs
When themes or plugins cause visual glitches, custom CSS is a quick solution. It helps resolve alignment issues, fix spacing inconsistencies, and polish your site’s look after third-party updates.
How to add custom CSS to WordPress
There is more than one way you can add custom CSS to WordPress.
Below I’ve listen the different ways… Read through each one and decide which is the best options for you.
Add Custom CSS with a Plugin:
You can add custom CSS very easily via a plugin like this super simple Kaira Customizations plugin we made.
Add Custom CSS to the Theme Customizer:
Since WordPress 4.7, WordPress added an Additional CSS section to the Customizer, so users can easily add custom CSS from within the Dashboard admin area, without editing any theme files.
Navigate to Dashboard -> Themes -> Customize -> Additional CSS.
This is the quickest solution and best way to add a little custom CSS to edit your site, and you can see the changes happen live right then.
With the new Block themes, the WordPress Customizer is now getting phased out so the best method for adding custom CSS to WordPress will be to use the plugin or create a child theme, as mentioned below.
Add Custom CSS via a Child Theme:
Another option for adding custom CSS to WordPress is to create a basic child theme and then add your custom CSS to the stylesheet.
With a child theme you can edit make changes to any other file within the theme folder too.
Read more WordPress Child Themes:
Tips for adding custom CSS to WordPress
To ensure your CSS is clean and effective, use specific selectors to avoid unintentionally affecting other elements.
Minimize the use of !important, as overusing it can create conflicts and make debugging difficult.
Organize your code with comments and group related styles to keep it readable. Stick to consistent units like rem or px for better design… And finally, test your changes across different browsers and devices to ensure compatibility and responsiveness.
Common Mistakes When Adding Custom CSS
A common mistake when adding custom CSS to WordPress is using generic selectors, which can unintentionally affect multiple elements.
Always clear your browser or WordPress plugin cache if you’ve added your custom CSS but the changes don’t appear immediately.
If you know how, don’t overlook responsiveness – use media queries to ensure your site looks good on all devices.
FAQs on Adding Custom CSS
Just some Frequently asked questions on adding custom CSS to WordPress.
Will adding custom CSS break my site?
Not usually, but poorly written or conflicting CSS can cause design issues. Always preview changes in the Customizer or a staging site before applying them.
Where is the best place to add custom CSS?
The WordPress Customizer is probably the easiest and safest option for small changes, but if you’re using a new block theme then you might need to use a plugin instead, or go the child theme route if you know how.
What happens to custom CSS after a theme update?
CSS added in the WordPress Customizer will remain intact, but changes made directly to theme files will be overwritten. Never edit the theme files directly!
Always use a child theme to preserve edits.
Can I remove custom CSS if something goes wrong?
Yes, simply delete or modify the code in the Customizer or your child theme’s stylesheet to revert changes.
