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CSS Variables: How to Use Them With Examples

CSS variables, formally custom properties, let you reuse values through var(). Learn declarations, inheritance, local overrides, fallbacks, invalid substitutions, and @property.
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CSS variables—formally called custom properties—let you define reusable values and retrieve them with var() inside CSS property values. Declare shared tokens on :root, then override them on a component or subtree when a local design needs a different value.

Declare a custom property and use it with var()

A custom property name begins with two hyphens. Put its declaration inside a CSS rule, then reference it within another property’s value:

:root {
  --brand-color: rebeccapurple;
  --space-unit: 0.5rem;
}

.button {
  background-color: var(--brand-color);
  padding: calc(var(--space-unit) * 2);
}

Here, --brand-color and --space-unit are custom properties. The var() function substitutes their values into the declarations that use them. You can use a custom property in calculations such as calc(), provided the resulting value is valid for the consuming property.

Custom property names are case-sensitive: --brand-color and --Brand-color are different names. MDN describes double-hyphen custom properties as participating in the cascade and inheriting from their parent: MDN: Using CSS custom properties (variables).

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Put shared tokens on :root—or scope them locally

:root is a common place for site-wide tokens because its custom properties can inherit into the document’s descendants. It is a convention, not a requirement. Declare a property on a component when the value should be local to that component and its descendants.

.card {
  --surface-color: white;
  background-color: var(--surface-color);
}

.card--dark {
  --surface-color: #222;
}

A descendant of an element with --surface-color ordinarily inherits its value. A declaration on a more specific element in the relevant ancestry can provide another value according to the normal cascade. The token belongs to the element where it is declared and applies through inheritance; it is not a global text replacement, and a sibling does not inherit a value declared only on another sibling.

Use fallbacks when a token may be unavailable

The optional second argument to var() is used when the referenced custom property has the guaranteed-invalid value, for example when an ordinary, unregistered custom property has not been set:

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.notice {
  color: var(--notice-color, #333);
}

Fallbacks can be nested when one token should fall back to another:

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.panel {
  background-color: var(--panel-color, var(--surface-color, white));
}

This is CSS fallback behavior at runtime, not a polyfill. A browser that does not support custom properties will not gain support for var() from adding a fallback. MDN says var() has been available across browsers since April 2017; check compatibility data for the browser versions and embedded webviews you need to support: MDN: var().

Know what happens when a substituted value is invalid

A custom property can hold a token sequence that does not make sense for the property where it is used. CSS checks the consuming declaration after substitution. For example, if --text-color is set to 16px, then color: var(--text-color) becomes invalid at computed-value time. The var() fallback does not repair a value that exists but is invalid for color.

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Use tokens consistently and keep their intended value types clear in their names and usage. A color token should hold a color; a spacing token should hold a length or another value appropriate for its consumer.

Use @property when a token needs explicit rules

Ordinary custom properties are the simple default for reusable design tokens. The optional @property registration feature lets you declare a custom property’s syntax, inheritance behavior, and initial value:

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@property --progress {
  syntax: "<percentage>";
  inherits: false;
  initial-value: 0%;
}

.progress-bar {
  width: var(--progress);
}

Registration makes the value’s intended type and inheritance explicit. Registered typed values can also be animated. Because a registered property can have an initial value, an unset property with a non-universal syntax may use that initial value rather than the var() fallback. Choose registration when these constraints or animation behavior are useful; it is not necessary for ordinary tokens.

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MDN marks @property Baseline 2024. That is documentation guidance, not a guarantee for every older browser or embedded webview, so check the compatibility tables for your target audience: MDN: @property and MDN: CSS Properties and Values API.

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Understand where custom properties can be used

var() substitutes values within a CSS property value. It cannot parameterize selectors, property names, media-query conditions, or container-query conditions. For example, define responsive breakpoints directly in the query rather than attempting to store a breakpoint in a custom property:

@media (min-width: 48rem) {
  .layout {
    gap: var(--space-unit);
  }
}

The custom property can be used in the declaration inside the query; it cannot supply the query’s 48rem condition.

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