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1. Create the HTML and CSS files
Keep the files in one project folder so their locations are easy to check. For example, the folder might contain index.html and styles.css. Add a simple rule to styles.css so you can tell whether the stylesheet is working:
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h1 {
color: red;
}2. Add the stylesheet link in the HTML head
Place this element between the opening and closing <head> tags in your HTML document:
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<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>My page</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello, world!</h1>
</body>
</html>rel="stylesheet" tells the browser the linked resource is CSS for this page. The href value gives the stylesheet’s location. Putting the link in <head> is the conventional, recommended organization for document links. MDN’s <link> reference explains the element’s attributes and placement.
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3. Make the href match the folder structure
The path in href must match where the CSS file actually sits relative to the HTML file. These examples assume the HTML document is in the project’s top-level folder:
| CSS file location | href value |
|---|---|
| Beside the HTML file | styles.css |
In a subfolder named styles |
styles/style.css |
In a styles folder one level above the HTML file’s folder |
../styles/style.css |
Paths are interpreted from the HTML document’s location. Check each folder name, filename, and capitalization; a path that does not match the actual files will not load the stylesheet. MDN’s CSS getting-started tutorial shows the basic link and relative-path workflow.
4. Save and check the page
- Save the HTML file after adding the link.
- Save the CSS file after adding the test rule.
- Open the HTML file in a browser, or reload it if it is already open.
- Check whether the heading appears red. A conspicuous test style makes it easier to tell whether the connection works.
A linked stylesheet is fetched by the browser, parsed, and applied to matching elements in the document. See MDN’s explanation of how browsers load websites.
Why use an external stylesheet?
External CSS keeps styling in a separate file that can be linked from multiple HTML pages. Two other methods are available, but they serve different needs:
| Method | Where the CSS goes | Typical scope |
|---|---|---|
| External stylesheet | A separate CSS file linked with <link rel="stylesheet" href="…"> |
Can be reused by multiple pages |
| Internal stylesheet | A <style> block in the HTML document’s head |
That document |
| Inline style | A style attribute on an HTML element |
The element carrying the attribute |
An internal stylesheet can be convenient when keeping styles in a separate file is impractical. External CSS is usually the clearer choice when you want to reuse rules or keep presentation separate from markup. These are distinct ways of applying CSS, not alternate forms of the external link.
What to check if the styles do not appear
- Confirm the link is in the page you opened. Make sure you edited the same HTML file that the browser is displaying.
- Check the path and spelling. Compare the
hrefvalue with the CSS file’s actual folder and filename, including capitalization. - Save both files. Unsaved changes are not available for the browser to load.
- Reload the page. Then check the obvious test rule again.
- Check the selector and HTML. The test rule applies only if the page contains a matching
<h1>element.
Optional link attributes
For an ordinary CSS file, type="text/css" is unnecessary; MDN recommends omitting it. The rel value is important because a <link> element can describe other relationships, such as a site icon. A stylesheet can also use a media condition for a particular context, such as print, but neither attribute is needed for the basic setup. See MDN’s link-element documentation for details.
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