Selectors are the heart of CSS.
They tell the browser exactly which HTML elements should be styled.
Why Selectors Are Important
Without selectors, CSS would not know where to apply styles.
Selectors make styling precise and powerful.
What a Selector Does
A selector chooses one or more HTML elements and applies styles to them.
This selector styles all paragraph elements on the page.
Types of CSS Selectors
In this chapter, you will learn:
- Element selectors
- Class selectors
- ID selectors
- Grouping selectors
- Descendant and child selectors
How Selectors Work in the Browser
The browser:
- Reads the HTML.
- Finds matching selectors.
- Applies styles to those elements.
Why Learning Selectors Matters for Jobs
Every frontend developer uses selectors daily.
Strong selector skills make your CSS efficient and professional.
Common Beginner Confusion
Many beginners think CSS styles everything automatically.
In reality, only elements matched by selectors get styled.
Think Like a Professional
Professional developers:
- Use clear selectors
- Avoid unnecessary complexity
- Keep styles easy to maintain
Practice Task
Look at any HTML page and ask:
- Which elements do I want to style first?
What You Will Learn Next
In the next lesson, you will learn how to use element selectors.