Master CSS From Scratch

Clear, interactive, and structured CSS lessons designed for beginners.

External CSS

Learn how to connect an external CSS file with an HTML document.

What is External CSS?

External CSS means writing CSS rules in a separate .css file and connecting that file to an HTML document.

This method is useful when the same styles need to be used across multiple HTML pages.

External CSS Diagram

HTML File index.html
→
CSS File style.css
→
Browser Styled Page

File Structure

Project
│
├── index.html
│
└── style.css

The HTML file contains the page structure and the CSS file contains the styling rules.

Step 1: Create CSS File

Code in style.css

h1 {
    color: blue;
    font-size: 30px;
}

p {
    color: green;
    font-size: 18px;
}

Simple Explanation

The CSS file contains the styling rules for the HTML elements.

Step 2: Connect CSS File

Code in index.html

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">

</head>

<body>

    <h1>
        Welcome to External CSS
    </h1>

    <p>
        Learn CIIT Institute step by step 👀.
    </p>

</body>

</html>

Simple Explanation

The <link> element connects the HTML file with the external CSS file.

The href attribute specifies the location of the CSS file.

Output
Example Page

Welcome to External CSS

Learn CIIT Institute step by step 👀.

Example 2: Reuse the Same CSS

style.css

h1 {
    color: blue;
}

p {
    color: green;
}

Page 1

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">

<h1>
    Home Page
</h1>

<p>
    Welcome to our website.
</p>

Page 2

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">

<h1>
    About Page
</h1>

<p>
    Learn more about us.
</p>

Simple Explanation

The same external CSS file can be connected to multiple HTML pages.

Output
Home Page

Home Page

Welcome to our website.


About Page

Learn more about us.

The <link> Element

<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
  • link connects an external resource.
  • rel="stylesheet" tells the browser that the file is a CSS stylesheet.
  • href="style.css" specifies the CSS file location.

Advantages of External CSS

  • CSS can be reused across multiple HTML pages.
  • HTML and CSS remain separated.
  • Websites become easier to maintain.
  • One CSS file can control the design of many pages.

Limitation of External CSS

  • The CSS file must be correctly linked to the HTML page.
  • If the file path is incorrect, the styles will not load.
Remember:

External CSS is written in a separate .css file and connected to HTML using the <link> element.

Summary

External CSS keeps styling in a separate CSS file. The CSS file is connected to an HTML document using the <link> element. It is useful for maintaining consistent styles across multiple web pages.