CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the language used to style and design web pages. It controls how HTML elements look — including colors, fonts, layouts, spacing, and responsiveness — helping turn a plain structure into an attractive, user-friendly website.
Here’s a complete and structured CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) syllabus — perfect for beginners to advanced learners 👇
Also Read: 10 Steps to start your coding{}.
Full CSS Syllabus and Topics
1. Introduction to CSS
- What is CSS and why it’s used
- How CSS works with HTML
- Ways to include CSS:
- Inline CSS
- Internal CSS
- External CSS (with
.cssfile)
- CSS syntax and selectors
- Understanding the cascade and specificity
2. CSS Selectors
- Basic selectors: element, class, ID
- Grouping and combining selectors
- Universal selector (
*) - Attribute selectors (
[type="text"]) - Descendant, child, sibling combinators
- Pseudo-classes (
:hover,:focus,:nth-child()) - Pseudo-elements (
::before,::after,::first-letter)
3. Colors, Backgrounds, and Borders
- Color values: names, HEX, RGB, RGBA, HSL
- Background properties: color, image, repeat, size, position, attachment
- Border properties: width, style, color, radius (rounded corners)
- Gradients: linear and radial
4. Text and Fonts
- Text color, alignment, decoration, transform, spacing
- Font families, sizes, weights, and styles
- Web-safe fonts and Google Fonts
- Line height, letter spacing, word spacing
- Text shadows
5. Box Model
- Understanding the box model: content, padding, border, margin
- Width and height properties
box-sizingproperty (content-boxvsborder-box)- Overflow control (
visible,hidden,scroll,auto)
6. Display and Visibility
displayproperty (block,inline,inline-block,none,flex,grid)visibilityvsdisplay- Understanding block vs inline elements
- Using
opacityfor transparency
7. Positioning and Layout
- Static, relative, absolute, fixed, and sticky positioning
- Using
z-indexfor layering - Understanding stacking context
- Float and clear properties (legacy layouts)
- Centering elements (horizontally & vertically)
8. Flexbox Layout
- Introduction to Flexbox
- Main axis vs cross axis
- Parent properties:
display: flex,flex-direction,justify-content,align-items,flex-wrap,align-content - Child properties:
flex-grow,flex-shrink,flex-basis,align-self,order - Building responsive layouts with Flexbox
9. CSS Grid Layout
- Introduction to CSS Grid
- Defining rows and columns (
grid-template-rows,grid-template-columns) - Grid gaps and areas
- Placing items with line numbers and names
- Combining Grid with Flexbox
10. Images and Media
- Image styling (size, fit, position)
- Using
object-fitandobject-position - Image filters (blur, brightness, grayscale, etc.)
- Background overlays
11. Transitions, Animations, and Transformations
- CSS transitions (smooth effects on hover/focus)
- CSS animations with
@keyframes - Animation properties (
duration,delay,iteration-count, etc.) - 2D/3D transforms (
rotate,scale,translate,skew)
12. Responsive Design
- What is responsive design
- Using
viewportmeta tag - CSS units:
px,%,em,rem,vh,vw - Media queries for different devices
- Fluid layouts and responsive typography
- Mobile-first design principles
13. Advanced CSS Concepts
- Custom properties (CSS variables)
- Using
calc()for dynamic sizing - CSS functions (
var(),min(),max(),clamp()) - Pseudo-classes for forms (
:valid,:invalid,:checked) - Advanced selectors (
:not(),:nth-of-type()) - CSS filters and blend modes
14. CSS Frameworks and Preprocessors
- Introduction to CSS frameworks:
- Bootstrap
- Tailwind CSS
- Bulma / Foundation
- Introduction to preprocessors:
- SASS / SCSS
- LESS
- Variables, nesting, and mixins in SASS
15. Best Practices & Optimization
- Writing clean, reusable CSS
- Naming conventions (BEM methodology)
- File organization and modular CSS
- Minifying and optimizing CSS for performance
- Cross-browser compatibility testing
16. Practical Projects
- Personal portfolio page
- Responsive landing page
- Blog layout
- Navigation menu with dropdown
- Animated card or product grid
- CSS-only image gallery
