---
title: CSS Links
description: "> With CSS, links can be styled in many different ways. [Text Link](javascript:void(0)) [Text Link](javascript:void(0)) [Link Button](javascript:void(0)) [Link Button](javascript:void(0)) ## Styling Links Links can be styled with any CSS property (e.g. `color`, `font-family`, `background`, etc.). `a { color: hotpink; }` In addition, links…"
url: "https://apprentice.mn/docs/css-links/"
updated: "2021-05-08"
category: CSS
---

# CSS Links

> With CSS, links can be styled in many different ways.

              [Text Link](javascript:void(0))

 [Text Link](javascript:void(0))

 [Link Button](javascript:void(0))

 [Link Button](javascript:void(0))

## Styling Links

Links can be styled with any CSS property (e.g. `color`, `font-family`, `background`, etc.).

     `a {
  color: hotpink;
}`

In addition, links can be styled differently depending on what **state** they are in.

The four links states are:

- `a:link` – a normal, unvisited link
- `a:visited` – a link the user has visited
- `a:hover` – a link when the user mouses over it
- `a:active` – a link the moment it is clicked

     `/* unvisited link */
a:link {
  color: red;
}

/* visited link */
a:visited {
  color: green;
}

/* mouse over link */
a:hover {
  color: hotpink;
}

/* selected link */
a:active {
  color: blue;
}`

When setting the style for several link states, there are some order rules:

- a:hover MUST come after a:link and a:visited
- a:active MUST come after a:hover

## Text Decoration

The `text-decoration` property is mostly used to remove underlines from links:

     `a:link {
  text-decoration: none;
}

a:visited {
  text-decoration: none;
}

a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

a:active {
  text-decoration: underline;
}`

## Background Color

The `background-color` property can be used to specify a background color for links:

     `a:link {
  background-color: yellow;
}

a:visited {
  background-color: cyan;
}

a:hover {
  background-color: lightgreen;
}

a:active {
  background-color: hotpink;
}`

## Link Buttons

This example demonstrates a more advanced example where we combine several CSS properties to display links as boxes/buttons:

     `a:link, a:visited {
  background-color: #f44336;
  color: white;
  padding: 14px 25px;
  text-align: center;
  text-decoration: none;
  display: inline-block;
}

a:hover, a:active {
  background-color: red;
}`

## More Examples

###  

This example demonstrates how to add other styles to hyperlinks:

      `a.one:link {color: #ff0000;}
a.one:visited {color: #0000ff;}
a.one:hover {color: #ffcc00;}

a.two:link {color: #ff0000;}
a.two:visited {color: #0000ff;}
a.two:hover {font-size: 150%;}

a.three:link {color: #ff0000;}
a.three:visited {color: #0000ff;}
a.three:hover {background: #66ff66;}

a.four:link {color: #ff0000;}
a.four:visited {color: #0000ff;}
a.four:hover {font-family: monospace;}

a.five:link {color: #ff0000; text-decoration: none;}
a.five:visited {color: #0000ff; text-decoration: none;}
a.five:hover {text-decoration: underline;}`

Another example of how to create link boxes/buttons:

     `a:link, a:visited {
  background-color: white;
  color: black;
  border: 2px solid green;
  padding: 10px 20px;
  text-align: center;
  text-decoration: none;
  display: inline-block;
}

a:hover, a:active {
  background-color: green;
  color: white;
}`

This example demonstrates the different types of cursors (can be useful for links):

     `<span style="cursor: auto">auto</span><br>
<span style="cursor: crosshair">crosshair</span><br>
<span style="cursor: default">default</span><br>
<span style="cursor: e-resize">e-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: help">help</span><br>
<span style="cursor: move">move</span><br>
<span style="cursor: n-resize">n-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: ne-resize">ne-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: nw-resize">nw-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: pointer">pointer</span><br>
<span style="cursor: progress">progress</span><br>
<span style="cursor: s-resize">s-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: se-resize">se-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: sw-resize">sw-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: text">text</span><br>
<span style="cursor: w-resize">w-resize</span><br>
<span style="cursor: wait">wait</span>`        [https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links)[https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/mastodon?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/mastodon?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links)[https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fapprentice.mn%2Fdocs%2Fcss-links%2F&linkname=CSS%20Links)[https://www.addtoany.com/share](https://www.addtoany.com/share)