How to Easily Add Custom CSS

Do you want to add Custom CSS to change the look and feel of your site?.

Adding custom CSS helps you change the layout and appearance of your website, which is not possible through default options. Using FTP is too confusing for most beginners, but there are other ways to add custom CSS.

In this article, we will show you how to easily add custom CSS to your WordPress site without editing any theme files.

Why Add Custom CSS in WordPress?

CSS is short for Cascading Style Sheets and is a language that helps you style your WordPress website. CSS and HTML go together as CSS is used to style different HTML elements like color, size, layout, and display.

Adding custom CSS helps customize the design and appearance of your site, which isn’t possible through the default options. It gives you more control, and you can easily make changes to your WordPress theme with a few lines of code.

For example, let’s say you want to change the background color of each individual post instead of using the same color throughout the website. By adding a custom CSS code, you can personalize the background of a specific post or page.

Similarly, you can change the style and appearance of product categories on your eCommerce store using additional CSS.

That said, let’s take a look at different ways you can add custom CSS to your WordPress website. You can click the link below to jump ahead to any section you’re interested in:

Method 1: Adding Custom CSS Using Theme Customizer

Since WordPress 4.7, users can now add custom CSS directly from the WordPress admin area. This is super-easy, and you will be able to see your changes with a live preview instantly.

First, you need to head over to the Appearance » Customize page from your WordPress dashboard.

This will launch the WordPress theme customizer interface.

You will see your site’s live preview with a bunch of options on the left pane. Click on the ‘Additional CSS’ tab from the left panel.

The tab will slide to show you a simple box where you can add your custom CSS. As soon as you add a valid CSS rule, you will be able to see it applied on your website’s live preview pane.

You can continue adding custom CSS code until you are satisfied with how it looks on your site.

Don’t forget to click on the ‘Publish’ button on the top when you are finished.

Note: Any custom CSS that you add using theme customizer is only available with that particular theme. If you would like to use it with other themes, then you will need to copy and paste it to your new theme using the same method.

Method 2: Adding Custom CSS Using a Plugin

The first method only allows you to save custom CSS for the currently active theme. If you change the theme, then you may need to copy and paste your custom CSS to the new theme.

If you want your custom CSS to be applied regardless of which WordPress theme you are using, then this method is for you.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Simple Custom CSS plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, simply go to Appearance » Custom CSS and write down or paste your custom CSS.

Don’t forget to press the ‘Update Custom CSS’ button to save your changes.

You can now view your WordPress website to see the custom CSS in action.

Method 3: Adding Additional CSS with Full Site Editor (FSE)

Another way you can add custom CSS in WordPress is by using the Full Site Editor (FSE). With FSE, you can edit the layout and design of the entire website using the WordPress block editor, just like when editing a blog post or page.

Do note that the full site editor is only available for selected themes. For more details, you can see our article on the best WordPress full site editing themes.

Using a plugin to add CSS is a bit easier. That said, if you prefer to not use a plugin, then we’ll show you how to access the customizer even when it’s no longer available in your admin menu.

All you need to do is log in to your WordPress admin.

Then, simply copy and paste the URL below into your browser, and replace ‘example.com’ with your own website’s domain name.

https://example.com/wp-admin/customize.php

This will bring you to a limited version of the theme customizer. In the menu on the left, you should see the option for adding custom CSS at the bottom.

Simply click the ‘Additional CSS’ tab.

Now go ahead and enter your CSS code under the Additional CSS area.

After adding the code, simply click the ‘Publish’ button.

Using a Custom CSS plugin vs Adding CSS in Theme

All methods described above are recommended for beginners. Advanced users can also add custom CSS directly to their themes.

However, adding custom CSS snippets into your parent theme is not recommended. Your CSS changes will be lost if you accidentally update the theme without saving your custom changes.

The best approach is to use a child themeinstead. However, many beginners don’t want to create a child theme. Apart from adding custom CSS, often beginners really don’t know how they will be using that child theme.

Using a custom CSS plugin allows you to store your custom CSS independently from your theme. This way, you can easily switch themes, and your custom CSS will still be there.

Another great way to add custom CSS to your WordPress site is by using the CSS Hero plugin. This wonderful plugin allows you to edit almost every CSS style on your WordPress site without writing a single line of code.

You can also add custom CSS with the SeedProd plugin. SeedProd is a drag and drop website builder that allows you to create custom WordPress themes and landing pages for your WordPress site. You can easily edit the global CSS settings, no code required.