Match CSS

How to match elements in Chrome developer tools by css selector

To match elements by CSS selector in Chrome Developer Tools, you can use the "Elements" panel, which allows you to search for elements using their CSS selectors directly. Here's how you can do it step by step:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Chrome Developer Tools:

   • You can open Developer Tools in Google Chrome by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Option+I on macOS.

   • Alternatively, you can right-click on any page element and select "Inspect" to open Developer Tools directly focused on that element.

2. Navigate to the Elements Panel:

   • Developer Tools will open to the "Elements" panel by default. If you are in a different panel, click on the "Elements" tab to switch to it.

3. Use the Search Feature:

   • You can search across all elements in the DOM by pressing Ctrl+F on Windows/Linux or Cmd+F on macOS while in the "Elements" panel. This will bring up a search bar at the top of the panel.

4. Enter Your CSS Selector:

   • Type your CSS selector into the search bar. Chrome supports most CSS selectors, such as IDs (e.g., #myId), classes (e.g., .myClass), attribute selectors (e.g., [type="text"]), and more complex combinations (e.g., div > .myClass:first-child).

5. Review the Matches:

   • As you type, Chrome will highlight elements in the DOM that match the selector. The total number of matches will be displayed next to the search box. You can use the up and down arrows next to the search box to cycle through the matches. Each match will be highlighted in the main view.

6. Inspect and Modify Elements:

   • Once you find the element you are interested in, you can click on it in the main view or navigate to it using the arrows in the search bar. This will bring the selected element into focus in the DOM tree within the Elements panel.

   • From here, you can view its CSS styles, modify its attributes, see its computed layout, and more.

Additional Tips

• Specificity and Exact Matches: Make sure your selector is specific enough to find the element you are looking for, especially on complex web pages with many similar elements.

• Use of Pseudo-classes and Pseudo-elements: Chrome Developer Tools also allows searching using pseudo-classes like :hover, :active, etc., but remember that these state changes might require you to manually trigger states through the "Styles" pane.

Using these steps, you can effectively use CSS selectors to find and inspect elements in your web pages directly through Chrome Developer Tools, making it a powerful feature for web developers and designers to debug and fine-tune their web applications.

Sample: