CSS Syntax
CSS rules follow a predictable selector–property–value pattern. Global Tuts breaks syntax into small pieces you can copy and modify safely.
Why this matters on Global Tuts
Clean syntax prevents silent failures — one missing brace or colon can stop an entire stylesheet from applying.
Common beginner mistakes
- Forgetting semicolons between declarations
- Missing closing braces in nested blocks
- Confusing selectors with HTML tag names
CSS Syntax

The selector points to the HTML element you want to style.
The declaration block contains one or more declarations separated by semicolons.
Each declaration includes a CSS property name and a value, separated by a colon.
Multiple CSS declarations are separated with semicolons, and declaration blocks are surrounded by curly braces.
Example
In this example all <p> elements will be center-aligned, with a red text color:
p
{
color: red;
text-align: center;
}
Try it Yourself »
Example Explained
pis a selector in CSS (it points to the HTML element you want to style: <p>).coloris a property, andredis the property valuetext-alignis a property, andcenteris the property value
You will learn much more about CSS selectors and CSS properties in the next chapters!