Proper Use of !important in CSS

proper use important css
10 November 2024

In the world of web programming, sometimes all CSS styles applied to a specific element are not reflected on the display method. In this case, it may be necessary to use the !important property to change the priority. However, using !important is not ideal and should be applied with caution and consideration. Here, a more detailed explanation about how to use it, along with its advantages and disadvantages, is provided.

In situations where style conflicts exist and you cannot use the usual priorities for them, it may be necessary to apply !important. This property gives the associated style a higher priority than other similar styles and can override laws that usually apply so that you can achieve the desired outcome.

One of the reasons to be cautious in using !important is that it can make debugging difficult as it can lead to ambiguity regarding which styles take precedence. This can be particularly true in scenarios where multiple teams are working on a single project, as it can have specific impacts on their operations.

It is recommended to use !important only in exceptional cases and as a last resort solution. It’s better to try to apply normal CSS practices first, and if everything doesn’t work as intended, then use this property.

An illustrative example of using !important in HTML code:


  <style>
    .normal {
      color: red;
    }
    .override {
      color: blue !important;
    }
  </style>
  <div class="normal override">Sample Text</div>

.normal - This class sets the text color to red.
.override - This class changes the text color to blue, and due to the use of !important, even if other priorities do not allow it, this rule will be executed.
It has been specified that the text color will be blue because !important overrides other priorities.

FAQ

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Why is using !important in CSS problematic?

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When should we use !important?