CSS Formatter with Sort Options

Loading CSS Formatter...

Please wait a moment

How to Format CSS Code - Step by Step Guide

Step 1

Input Your CSS Code

Need to organize and format your CSS? Simply paste your CSS code into the input area. You can also upload a .css file or click Sample to see an example first.

Example: Try This Unorganized CSS

Copy and paste this messy CSS example to see how it works:

.card{border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1);background:#fff;padding:24px;margin:16px;width:100%;max-width:400px}.card h2{margin-top:0;color:#333;font-size:1.5rem;font-weight:600}

Step 2

Choose Formatting Options

Click Options to pick an indent of 2, 4 or 8 spaces, turn on property sorting, remove comments, or keep short rules on one line. Sorting is skipped for any rule where the browser would read the new order differently, such as margin-top written before margin.

Formatted CSS Output

With Sort Properties turned on, the example above comes out like this:

.card {
  background: #fff;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
  margin: 16px;
  max-width: 400px;
  padding: 24px;
  width: 100%;
}

.card h2 {
  color: #333;
  font-size: 1.5rem;
  font-weight: 600;
  margin-top: 0;
}

Step 3

Copy or Download Your Formatted CSS

Copy the formatted CSS or download it as formatted-styles.css. If you want the house style of a guide like Google's HTML/CSS style guide, the settings above get you most of the way. Going to production instead? The CSS Minifier squeezes the file back down.

•

Consistent code style across your entire project

•

Improved maintainability with organized properties

•

Better team collaboration with standardized formatting

•

Same values as before, only the whitespace changes

What is CSS Formatting?

CSS formatting is the process of organizing and standardizing CSS code according to specific rules and conventions. This includes sorting properties, fixing indentation, normalizing spacing, and applying consistent formatting patterns throughout your stylesheets.

Well-formatted CSS is easier to read, maintain, and debug. It helps teams work together more effectively and ensures consistent code quality across projects. Proper formatting also makes it easier to spot errors and optimize performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from the CSS Beautifier?

The beautifier has no settings: it lays the CSS out one declaration per line with two-space indents. This formatter does the same layout but lets you choose the indent size, sort properties A to Z inside each rule, drop comments, and put short rules (three declarations or fewer) on a single line.

Can sorting properties break my CSS?

It can, which is why the formatter checks first. In "margin-top: 10px; margin: 0" the order matters, because margin resets margin-top. Before a rule is re-ordered, your browser reads both versions and the new order is only used if they come out the same. Rules that would change, or that hold comments, nested rules or properties the browser does not recognise, keep their original order and a note tells you how many.

What does Remove Comments keep?

Comments that start with /*! are kept, since that is the usual way to mark a licence notice. Every other comment between rules and declarations is dropped. Where a comment was the only thing between two words, as in a/**/b, an empty /**/ is left behind so the selector does not turn into ab. Comments inside a custom property value are part of that value and stay.

Will formatting change any of my values?

No. Only whitespace between pieces of CSS changes. Text in quotes, url() paths (including data: URIs with semicolons), escapes like .\31 0, calc() expressions and custom property values are copied as typed, and numbers keep their spelling, so 14.50px stays 14.50px.

What happens if my CSS has a mistake in it?

A string, comment or url( that is never closed stops the formatter and you get the line and column where it starts. Other mistakes, such as a missing brace or a misspelled property, are not reported; the CSS is laid out as written.

Is my CSS uploaded anywhere?

No. Formatting happens in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Copy and Download use whatever is in the input box at that moment, with your current settings.