DEV Community

Cover image for What is !important in CSS and Why You Shouldn’t Use It
Shefali
Shefali

Posted on • Edited on • Originally published at shefali.dev

What is !important in CSS and Why You Shouldn’t Use It

#webdev #programming #beginners #css

Ever tried changing a style in CSS and it just wouldn’t work no matter what you did?

That’s when many developers reach for !important.

It tells the browser: “Hey, I don’t care what the other styles say, apply this rule no matter what.”

Sounds helpful, right?

But using it too much can actually create more problems in the long run.

In this post, I’ll explain:

  • What !important really does
  • Why does it work the way it does
  • When it’s okay to use
  • And why overusing it can lead to messy, hard-to-maintain code

Before we get started, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter!
Get the latest tips, tools, and resources to level up your web development skills delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe here!

Now, let’s jump right into it!

What is !important in CSS?

!important in CSS is used to forcefully apply a CSS rule, even if other rules have higher specificity or appear later in the code.

Learn more about CSS specificity here!

Syntax:

selector {
  property: value !important;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Example:

p {
  color: red !important;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This will make all <p> tags red, no matter what other CSS rules are written elsewhere.

Why the !important Rule Overrides Everything

Normally, CSS decides which rule to apply using:

  • Specificity
  • Source Order
  • Cascade

Learn more about CSS cascade here!

But if you add !important, it jumps to the top priority and overrides everything (except another !important rule with higher specificity).

Example:

<p class="special" id="unique">This is a paragraph.</p>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode 
p {
  color: blue;
}
.special {
  color: green;
}
#unique {
  color: orange;
}
p {
  color: red !important;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Even though #unique is more specific, the red color with !important will win.

When to use !important in CSS

You can use !important when:

  • You want to override 3rd-party CSS (like Bootstrap or external stylesheets).
  • Quick fixes for critical styles in a project.
  • Utility classes where you want to guarantee a style.

Example (utility):

.text-white {
  color: white !important;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

When to avoid it

Avoid using !important casually because:

  • It breaks the normal flow of CSS (specificity, cascade).
  • Makes your CSS hard to maintain and debug.
  • Can lead to "important wars" (where you keep adding more !important to fix conflicts).

Better alternatives

  • Increase selector specificity.
  • Use better CSS architecture (BEM, utility-first).
  • Avoid deeply nested selectors.
  • Refactor CSS instead of forcing overrides.

Common Mistake

Bad Practice Example:

body {
  background: black !important;
}
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

This can cause unexpected styling issues, such as overriding themes, color modes, or other critical styles.

Use !important only when absolutely necessary.

If you’re using it often, it’s a sign to rethink your CSS structure.

In short, use !important sparingly and only when necessary to keep your CSS manageable.

Wrapping Up

That’s all for today!

By the way, if you ever need free HTML website templates, I recommend checking out HTMLrev, I use it all the time. And when I’m looking for web design inspiration, Websitevice is one of my go-to resources.

For paid collaboration connect with me at : connect@shefali.dev

Hope you find this post helpful!

If you found this post helpful, here’s how you can support my work:
☕ Buy me a coffee – Every little contribution keeps me motivated!
📩 Subscribe to my newsletter – Get the latest tech tips, tools & resources.
𝕏 Follow me on X (Twitter) – I share daily web development tips & insights.

Keep coding & happy learning!

Top comments (0)