CSS Tutorial · CSS Basics · Lesson 2 of 19
How to Add CSS
External stylesheets, style elements and inline styles — and which to use.
Three ways to add CSS
1. External stylesheet (recommended). Put CSS in a .css file and link it from the <head>. Every page shares it and browsers cache it:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/styles.css">
2. Internal <style> element — CSS for one page (used in this tutorial's examples so they're self-contained).
3. Inline style attribute — styles for one element. Hard to maintain and overrides most other rules; avoid it except for dynamic values set by JavaScript.
<style>
/* Internal stylesheet */
p { color: #0f766e; font-family: system-ui, sans-serif; }
</style>
<p>Styled by the <style> element.</p>
<p style="color: #b91c1c;">Inline style wins over the stylesheet.</p>
Comments
CSS comments use /* ... */.
Test yourself
Which way of adding CSS is best for a multi-page website?
Inline stylesA <style> element on each pageAn external stylesheetJavaScript
Show answer
Answer: An external stylesheet