What are the different ways to style links using CSS?

1 Link states

When styling links using CSS, it's important to be aware of the different states they can have depending on how the user interacts with them. These states are a:link (the default state of a link that has not been visited yet), a:visited (the state of a link that has been visited before), a:hover (the state of a link when the user moves the cursor over it), and a:active (the state of a link when the user clicks on it or holds it down). You can use these selectors to apply different styles to each state, such as changing the color, font-weight, or text-decoration. For example, you could make the links blue by default, purple when visited, red when hovered, and green when active. This could be achieved using code like this: a:link { color: blue; } a:visited { color: purple; } a:hover { color: red; } a:active { color: green; } .

2 Link pseudo-classes

Another way to style links using CSS is to use pseudo-classes, which are special keywords that add extra information to a selector. For instance, you can use the 'a:focus' pseudo-class to indicate when a link receives keyboard focus, 'a:target' when its target element is the current URL fragment, and 'a:empty' when it has no text content. Additionally, you can use the 'a:lang()' pseudo-class to match a specific language code. This allows you to apply different styles to links based on their context. For example, you could make the links yellow when focused, blue when targeted, gray when empty, and show a flag icon when in a different language. By utilizing these pseudo-classes, you can create visually appealing and interactive links!

3 Link pseudo-elements

CSS styling of links can also be done using pseudo-elements, which are keywords that create virtual elements that are part of the link. Common examples are a::before, a::after, a::first-letter, and a::first-line. By utilizing these elements, you can add icons, quotes, drop caps, or gradients to the link. For instance, an arrow icon before the link, a quote mark after it, a larger first letter, and a gradient first line may be added using the following code: a::before { content: "?? "; } a::after { content: " ?"; } a::first-letter { font-size: 2em; } a::first-line { background: linear-gradient(to right, pink, purple); } This approach to styling links provides an additional level of customization.

4 Link animations

A fourth way to style links using CSS is to use animations, which are effects that change the properties of an element over time. You can use animations to create dynamic and interactive links, such as fading, sliding, rotating, or bouncing. To use animations, you need to define two things:

- @keyframes - a rule that specifies the stages of the animation, such as from and to or percentages

- animation - a property that applies the animation to an element, such as name, duration, timing-function, or iteration-count

You can use animations to create different effects for links, such as fading them in and out, sliding them from left to right, rotating them on hover, or bouncing them on click. For example, you can make the links fade in and out with a 2-second duration and infinite iterations:

@keyframes fade {
  from {
    opacity: 0;
  }
  to {
    opacity: 1;
  }
}
a {
  animation: fade 2s infinite;
}        

5 Link best practices

When styling links with CSS, there are certain best practices to keep in mind for a good user experience and accessibility. These include using contrast to make the link color visible and distinct from the background and text color, as well as consistency in styling throughout your website. Additionally, link text should be descriptive and relevant to the destination, avoiding ambiguous phrases like "click here" or "read more". Furthermore, providing visual or auditory feedback when a user interacts with the link (such as changing the color, shape, or sound) is important. Finally, keyboard navigation should be enabled so that the link can be accessed and activated with the tab and enter keys. By following these best practices, you can create links that are attractive, functional, and accessible for your users.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?