A CSS pseudo-element is used to style specified parts of an element. In some cases you can style native HTML controls with vendor specific pseudo-elements. Here you will find an list of cross browser specific pseudo-element selectors.

Styling native elements

Native HTML controls are a challenge to style. You can style any element in the web platform that uses Shadow DOM with a pseudo element ::pseudo-element or the /deep/ path selector.

video::webkit-media-controls-timeline {
  background-color: lime;
}

video /deep/ input[type=range] {
  background-color: lime;
}

Note

All Trident pseudo-elements listed here were added in IE10 and will not work in earlier versions of Internet Explorer. In WebKit, to style some pseudo-elements you must set the basis element’s -webkit-appearance pseudo-class to none.

<input type="search">

input[type=search]::-webkit-search-cancel-button

input[type=search]::-webkit-search-cancel-button:after

input[type=search]::-webkit-search-decoration

input[type=search]::-webkit-search-results-decoration

input[type=search]::-webkit-search-results-button

input[type=search]::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container

<input type="file">

WebKit provides a hook for its file input button with the pseudo-element.

input[type=file]::-ms-browse

input[type=file]::-webkit-file-upload-button

input[type=file]:focus::-webkit-file-upload-button

input[type=file]:active::-webkit-file-upload-button

input[type=file]:active:disabled::-webkit-file-upload-button

input[type=file] > input[type=button]::-moz-focus-inner

<input type="range">

WebKit provides a pseudo-element for the track and for the range handle itself. As of Firefox 22, Gecko provides pseudo-elements for styling range inputs. Trident provides a bunch of pseudo-elements to customize its range selector.

input[type=range]::-webkit-slider-container

input[type=range]::-webkit-media-slider-container

input[type=range]::-webkit-slider-runnable-track

input[type=range]:focus::-webkit-slider-runnable-track

input[type=range]::-webkit-slider-thumb

input[type=range]::-webkit-slider-thumb:before

input[type=range]::-webkit-slider-thumb:after

input[type=range]:active::-webkit-slider-thumb

input[type=range]:hover::-webkit-slider-thumb:before

input[type=range]:hover::-webkit-slider-thumb:after

input[type=range]:focus::-webkit-slider-thumb:before

input[type=range]:focus::-webkit-slider-thumb:after

input[type=range]:disabled::-webkit-slider-thumb:before

input[type=range]:disabled::-webkit-slider-thumb:after

input[type=range]::-webkit-media-slider-thumb

input[type=range]:disabled::-webkit-slider-thumb

input[type=range]:hover::-webkit-slider-thumb

input[type=range]:focus::-webkit-slider-thumb

input[type=range]::-webkit-color-swatch-wrapper

input[type=range]::-webkit-color-swatch

input[type=range]::-moz-range-track

input[type=range][orient=vertical]::-moz-range-track

input[type=range]:focus::-moz-range-track

input[type=range]::-moz-range-progress

input[type=range]::-moz-range-thumb

input[type=range]:focus::-moz-range-thumb

input[type=range]:focus::-moz-range-thumb:before

input[type=range]:focus::-moz-range-thumb:after

input[type=range]::-moz-focus-outer

input[type=range]::-ms-fill-lower

input[type=range]::-ms-fill-upper

input[type=range]::-ms-ticks-before

input[type=range]::-ms-ticks-after

input[type=range]::-ms-thumb

input[type=range]::-ms-thumb:hover

input[type=range]::-ms-track

input[type=range]:focus::-ms-track

input[type=range]::ms-tooltip

<input type="time">

Applies one or more styles to the clear button of a text input control. The clear button is shown only when the text input control has focus and is not empty.

input[type=time]::-ms-clear

input[type=time]::-webkit-clear-button

<input type="date">

The following pseudo-elements are made available by WebKit for customizing a date input’s textbox.

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit-fields-wrapper

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit-text

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit-month-field

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit-day-field

input[type=date]::-webkit-datetime-edit-year-field

input[type=date]::-webkit-inner-spin-button

input[type=date]::-webkit-calendar-picker-indicator

input[type=date]::-webkit-clear-button

<input type="color">

Webkit provides two pseudo elements for its color picker.

input[type=color]::-webkit-color-swatch

input[type=color]::-webkit-color-swatch-wrapper

input[type=color]::-moz-color-swatch

input[type=color]::-moz-focus-inner

<input type="number">

WebKit provides a spinner control by default for number picker inputs. While you cannot do a whole lot with these elements, it can be useful to hide the spinner.

input[type=number]::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container

input[type=number]::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container:before

input[type=number]::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container:after

input[type=number]::-webkit-inner-spin-button

input[type=number]::-webkit-outer-spin-button

input[type=number]::-moz-number-wrapper

input[type=number]::-moz-number-text

input[type=number]::-moz-number-spin-box

input[type=number]::-moz-number-spin-up

input[type=number]::-moz-number-spin-down

<input type="checkbox">

Trident provides a pseudo-element for checkbox button control.

input[type=checkbox]::-ms-check

<input type="radio">

Trident provides a pseudo-element for the radio button control.

input[type=radio]::-ms-check

<input type="text">

As of IE10 Trident provides the pseudo-element ::-ms-value to style the value portion of text inputs. Further more in IE10 when a text input has focus and is not empty, a small (x) control appears in the right hand side of the input. When clicked, the control will clear the contents of the text input.

input[type=text]::-ms-value

input[type=text]::-ms-clear

<input type="password">

Trident provides a control on password inputs that can be pressed to display the password in plain text. And as of IE10 Trident provides the pseudo-element ::-ms-value to style the value portion of text inputs.

input[type=password]::-ms-reveal

input[type=password]::-ms-value

<input type="reset">

input[type=reset]::-moz-focus-inner

<input type="submit">

input[type=submit]::-moz-focus-inner

<input type="button">

input[type=button]::-moz-focus-inner

placeholder Attribute

WebKit and Gecko provide a placeholder pseudo-element. Note: Gecko switched from the pseudo-class :-moz-placeholder to the pseudo-element ::-moz-placeholder in Firefox 19.

::-moz-placeholder

:-ms-input-placeholder

::-webkit-input-placeholder

<keygen>

WebKit provides a pseudo-element that can be used to customize the dropdown that a keygen element uses.

::-webkit-keygen-select

<input>

Gecko and Webkit applies following pseudo-elements to there inputs.

input:valid + label::after

input:invalid + label::after

input::-webkit-input-list-button

input::-webkit-input-speech-button

input::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container

input::-webkit-calendar-picker-indicator

input::-moz-placeholder

input::-moz-focus-inner

input::-ms-clear

<button>

button::-moz-focus-inner

<select>

As of IE10 Trident gives you a hook to style the arrow within select dropdowns.

select::-ms-expand

<details>

details::-webkit-details-marker

<summary>

summary::-webkit-details-marker

<meter>

WebKit provides pseudo-elements to customize the display of meter elements.

meter::-webkit-meter

meter::-webkit-meter-horizontal-bar

meter::-webkit-meter-vertical-bar

meter::-webkit-meter-horizontal-optimum-value

meter::-webkit-meter-horizontal-suboptimal-value

meter::-webkit-meter-horizontal-even-less-good-value

meter::-webkit-meter-vertical-optimum-value

meter::-webkit-meter-vertical-suboptimal-value

meter::-webkit-meter-vertical-even-less-good-value

meter::-moz-meter-bar

meter:-moz-meter-optimum::-moz-meter-bar

meter:-moz-meter-sub-optimum::-moz-meter-bar

meter:-moz-meter-sub-sub-optimum::-moz-meter-bar

On Mac OS X, WebKit provides multiple built-in appearances for <meter>.

 /* Default */
-webkit-appearance: continuous-capacity-level-indicator;
-webkit-appearance: discrete-capacity-level-indicator;
-webkit-appearance: relevancy-level-indicator;
-webkit-appearance: rating-level-indicator;

<progress>

WebKit provides pseudo-elements to style progress elements. And Gecko provides a pseudo-element to style the progress bar itself. Like Gecko, Trident provides a single pseudo-element to style the progress bar.

progress::-webkit-progress-bar

progress::-webkit-progress-value

progress::-webkit-progress-bar-value

progress::-moz-progress-bar

progress::-ms-fill

<textarea>

This pseudo-element also allows some basic styling for the textarea resizer.

textarea::-webkit-resizer

textarea::-webkit-resizer:window-inactive

textarea::-webkit-input-placeholder

textarea::-moz-placeholder

Note: Adding display: none to ::-webkit-resizer doesn't actually prevent the user from resizing the textarea, it just hides the control. If you want to disable resizing in textarea use this.

textarea {
  resize: none;
}

<img>

img::-webkit-image-inner-element

<p>

p::after

p::before

p::first-letter

p::first-line

p::selection

<video>

video::-webkit-media-controls-panel

video::-webkit-media-controls-play-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-volume-slider-container

video::-webkit-media-controls-volume-slider

video::-webkit-media-controls-mute-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-timeline

video::-webkit-media-controls-current-time-display

video::-webkit-full-page-media::-webkit-media-controls-panel

video::-webkit-media-controls-timeline-container

video::-webkit-media-controls-time-remaining-display

video::-webkit-media-controls-seek-back-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-seek-forward-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-fullscreen-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-overlay-play-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-rewind-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-return-to-realtime-button

video::-webkit-media-controls-toggle-closed-captions-button

<audio>

audio::-webkit-media-controls-panel

audio::-webkit-media-controls-mute-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-play-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-timeline-container

audio::-webkit-media-controls-current-time-display

audio::-webkit-media-controls-time-remaining-display

audio::-webkit-media-controls-timeline

audio::-webkit-media-controls-volume-slider-container

audio::-webkit-media-controls-volume-slider

audio::-webkit-media-controls-seek-back-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-seek-forward-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-fullscreen-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-rewind-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-return-to-realtime-button

audio::-webkit-media-controls-toggle-closed-captions-button

Scrollbar

Custom Scrollbars in WebKit.

::-webkit-scrollbar

::-webkit-scrollbar-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:disabled

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:horizontal:end:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:horizontal:end:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:horizontal:end:increment:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:horizontal:start:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:horizontal:start:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:vertical:end:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:vertical:end:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:vertical:end:increment:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:vertical:start:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:double-button:vertical:start:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:end:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:end:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:decrement:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:decrement:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:decrement:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:end:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:end:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:end:increment:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:increment:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:increment:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:increment:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:start:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:horizontal:start:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:start:decrement`

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:start:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:decrement:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:decrement:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:decrement:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:end:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:end:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:end:increment:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:increment:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:increment:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:increment:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:start:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-button:vertical:start:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-corner

::-webkit-scrollbar-corner:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:horizontal

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:horizontal:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:horizontal:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:horizontal:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:vertical

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:vertical:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:vertical:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:vertical:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar-track

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:disabled

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:decrement:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:decrement:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end:double-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end:no-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end:no-button:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:end:single-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:increment:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:increment:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:start:double-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:start:no-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:horizontal:start:single-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:decrement

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:decrement:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:decrement:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end:double-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end:no-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end:no-button:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:end:single-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:increment

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:increment:active

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:increment:hover

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:start

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:start:double-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:start:no-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track-piece:vertical:start:single-button

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:disabled

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:horizontal

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:horizontal:disabled

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:horizontal:disabled:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:vertical:disabled

::-webkit-scrollbar-track:vertical:disabled:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar:horizontal

::-webkit-scrollbar:horizontal:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar:horizontal:window-inactive

::-webkit-scrollbar:vertical

::-webkit-scrollbar:vertical:corner-present

::-webkit-scrollbar:vertical:window-inactive

::-webkit-textfield-decoration-container

Form validation message-bubbe

Note: Chrome 28 removed support for these pseudo-elements

::-webkit-validation-bubble

::-webkit-validation-bubble-arrow

::-webkit-validation-bubble-arrow-clipper

::-webkit-validation-bubble-heading

::-webkit-validation-bubble-message

::-webkit-validation-bubble-text-block

p3t3r67x0/pseudo_elements.md