Comprehensive Reference to CSS Default Values

Every HTML element on a webpage comes with predefined styles known as CSS default values. These built-in values are applied automatically by the browser before any custom CSS is added.

Understanding these default CSS values is essential for writing clean, consistent stylesheets and avoiding unnecessary overrides. This reference guide provides a complete and updated list of default CSS3 values assigned to all standard HTML elements.

Alphabetical List of Default CSS Values

Explore this alphabetical reference of CSS default values for all HTML elements. Use the built-in search field to quickly locate specific elements and review their predefined CSS values. This list helps developers optimize their styles by understanding what values are already in place by default.

Alphabetical Reference

Element Default CSS Value Example
a:link 
color: (internal value);
text-decoration: underline;
cursor: auto;
Try
a:visited 
color: (internal value);
text-decoration: underline;
cursor: auto;
Try
a:link:active 
color: (internal value);
Try
a:visited:active 
color: (internal value);
Try
abbr None.
address 
display: block;
font-style: italic;
Try
area 
display: none;
article 
display: block;
aside 
display: block;
audio None.
b 
font-weight: bold;
Try
base None.
bdi None.
bdo 
unicode-bidi: bidi-override;
blockquote 
display: block;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 40px;
margin-right: 40px;
Try
body 
display: block;
margin: 8px;
Try
body:focus 
outline: none;
Try
br None.
button None
canvas None.
caption 
display: table-caption;
text-align: center;
Try
cite 
font-style: italic;
Try
code 
font-family: monospace;
Try
col 
display: table-column;
Try
colgroup 
display: table-column-group;
Try
datalist 
display: none;
dd 
display: block;
margin-left: 40px;
Try
del 
text-decoration: line-through;
Try
details 
display: block;
dfn 
font-style: italic;
Try
dialog None.
div 
display: block;
Try
dl 
display: block;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
Try
dt 
display: block;
Try
em 
font-style: italic;
Try
embed:focus 
outline: none;
fieldset 
display: block;
margin-left: 2px;
margin-right: 2px;
padding-top: 0.35em;
padding-bottom: 0.625em;
padding-left: 0.75em;
padding-right: 0.75em;
border: 2px groove (internal value);
Try
figcaption 
display: block;
figure 
display: block;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 40px;
margin-right: 40px;
Try
footer 
display: block;
form 
display: block;
margin-top: 0em;
Try
h1 
display: block;
font-size: 2em;
margin-top: 0.67em;
margin-bottom: 0.67em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
h2 
display: block;
font-size: 1.5em;
margin-top: 0.83em;
margin-bottom: 0.83em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
h3 
display: block;
font-size: 1.17em;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
h4 
display: block;
margin-top: 1.33em;
margin-bottom: 1.33em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
h5 
display: block;
font-size: .83em;
margin-top: 1.67em;
margin-bottom: 1.67em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
h6 
display: block;
font-size: .67em;
margin-top: 2.33em;
margin-bottom: 2.33em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
font-weight: bold;
Try
head 
display: none;
header 
display: block;
hr 
display: block;
margin-top: 0.5em;
margin-bottom: 0.5em;
margin-left: auto;
margin-right: auto;
border-style: inset;
border-width: 1px;
Try
html 
display: block;
html:focus 
outline: none;
i 
font-style: italic;
Try
iframe:focus 
outline: none;
iframe[seamless] 
display: block;
img 
display: inline-block;
Try
input None.
ins 
text-decoration: underline;
Try
kbd 
font-family: monospace;
Try
label 
cursor: default;
Try
legend 
display: block;
padding-left: 2px;
padding-right: 2px;
border: none;
Try
li 
display: list-item;
link 
display: none;
main None.
map 
display: inline;
mark 
background-color: yellow;
color: black;
Try
menu 
display: block;
list-style-type: disc;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
padding-left: 40px;
menuitem None.
meta None.
meter None.
nav 
display: block;
noscript None.
object:focus 
outline: none;
ol 
display: block;
list-style-type: decimal;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
padding-left: 40px;
Try
optgroup None.
option None.
output 
display: inline;
p 
display: block;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
Try
param 
display: none;
picture None.
pre 
display: block;
font-family: monospace;
white-space: pre;
margin: 1em 0;
Try
progress None.
q 
display: inline;
Try
q::before 
content: open-quote;
Try
q::after 
content: close-quote;
Try
rp None.
rt 
line-height: normal;
ruby None.
s 
text-decoration: line-through;
Try
samp 
font-family: monospace;
Try
script 
display: none;
section 
display: block;
Try
select None.
small 
font-size: smaller;
Try
source None.
span None.
strike 
text-decoration: line-through;
Try
strong 
font-weight: bold;
Try
style 
display: none;
sub 
vertical-align: sub;
font-size: smaller;
Try
summary 
display: block;
sup 
vertical-align: super;
font-size: smaller;
Try
table 
display: table;
border-collapse: separate;
border-spacing: 2px;
border-color: gray;
Try
tbody 
display: table-row-group;
vertical-align: middle;
border-color: inherit;
td 
display: table-cell;
vertical-align: inherit;
template None.
textarea None.
tfoot 
display: table-footer-group;
vertical-align: middle;
border-color: inherit;
th 
display: table-cell;
vertical-align: inherit;
font-weight: bold;
text-align: center;
thead 
display: table-header-group;
vertical-align: middle;
border-color: inherit;
time None.
title 
display: none;
tr 
display: table-row;
vertical-align: inherit;
border-color: inherit;
track None.
u 
text-decoration: underline;
Try
ul 
display: block;
list-style-type: disc;
margin-top: 1em;
margin-bottom: 1 em;
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
padding-left: 40px;
Try
var 
font-style: italic;
Try
video None.
wbr None.