Title: Category specific CSS
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Category specific CSS

 *  [luhmann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/luhmann/)
 * (@luhmann)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/)
 * Is it possible to assign different CSS files to different categories?

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

 *  Anonymous
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40518)
 * It is certainly possible to style each category in a different way – if I understand
   you correctly. It would not be necessary to have separate css files. If you wanted
   wholly separate files for some reason then you need a style switcher of some 
   sort. Several have been posted here which would need to be adapted a bit.If you
   can let us know a bit more about where you are headed with this we might be able
   to assist. Sounds like you & your wife have an interesting project on the go.
 *  Thread Starter [luhmann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/luhmann/)
 * (@luhmann)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40519)
 * How do you do it without CSS?
    Since you read the other posts, then you know 
   the basic idea – I would like to assign a category to a particular film she has
   made and then make it so that all the posts in this category had a unique “look”
   associated with that film. I thought CSS would be the easiest way to do this.
   I don’t want a user-run style switcher, I want to be the one controlling how 
   it looks – accoring to each category.. (Actually, sub categories, since I’m using
   this feature in the latest nightly build – with all films listed under the “film
   category.”)
 *  Anonymous
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40520)
 * You misunderstand me (my fault). If there was to be a style switcher it would
   need to be called onclick not by the user. However as I understand it we can 
   style each category any way we want. We just need to identify the selectors correctly
   to go in the style sheet (bearing cross browser compatibility in mind of course).
   What we are actually doing of course is styling the posts. Then varying that 
   style according to the category the post is in. As I understand the php post 
   is a descendant child of category. I should say my own (under construction) WP
   CSS is so hacked I have lost track of what it should be like!
 *  Thread Starter [luhmann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/luhmann/)
 * (@luhmann)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40522)
 * Thanks for explaining. This won’t work for me, since I want the whole site to
   look different depending on the category, not just the content of the post itself.
   For instance, if there is a banner photo and color scheme for the site, then 
   each category would have a different banner photograph and matching color scheme.
   
   I may actually need to have different templates for each category as well, although
   I’m not sure if this is possible. I would rather keep everything in one blog 
   if possible, although I imagine I could also set up multiple blogs and link them
   together. I know this is possible in Nucleus, so I’m wondering if I shouldn’t
   just be using Nucleus instead of WordPress. The thing is, I find Nucleus’ templates
   very difficult to modify and edit to my needs. Looking at WordPress, it seems
   simpler. But maybe too simple for my needs…
 *  [TechGnome](https://wordpress.org/support/users/techgnome/)
 * (@techgnome)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40523)
 * I think anon (no offense dude(ette?)) is making it more difficult than it needs
   to be.
    I am going to make a few assumptions: 1) The main page will have some
   sort of default styleing (presumably by wp-layout.css). 2) Category = Movie 3)
   It would be the categories that have different looks, not the individual psots
   on the main page (regardless of the category they are in). I would create a separate
   CSS file for each category/movie you want. Then, in the index.php file, find 
   the line where the CSS is imported. Should look like this: [@import](https://wordpress.org/support/users/import/)
   url( <?php wp_siteurl(); ?>/wp-layout.css ); And replace it with something like
   this: (I think this will work) <?if(single_cat_title(”, FALSE) != ”) { echo “
   @import url( “.single_cat_title(”, FALSE) .” );” }else{ echo “@import url( “.
   wp_stylesheet() .”/wp-layout.css );” } ?> Give you CSS files the same name as
   your category name, and it should work. DISCLAIMER: This has not been tested,
   and I cannot guarantee that it will work. In theory it seems sound. TG
 *  Anonymous
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40525)
 * Thanks tech. We were kind of headed in that direction but your solution seems
   both elegant and timely. Let’s hope it works!
 *  Thread Starter [luhmann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/luhmann/)
 * (@luhmann)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40528)
 * Yes – this looks like exactly the kind of thing I wanted. I’ll have to test it
   out. Ideally, if a category-specific style sheet doesn’t exist, I’d like it to
   revert to the default stylesheet.
    I’m also worried about sub-categories. If 
   a sub-category is films/name of film then does the way WP refers to this create
   problems for naming the file? I know slashes can be a problem for code. I wish
   I was better at PHP code, but I’m only capable of tweaking code, not writing 
   it myself. Thanks!
 *  [tcervo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tcervo/)
 * (@tcervo)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40530)
 * Actually, you may want to use category id’s instead of titles…otherwise, you 
   couldn’t have category titles of more than one word. (I’ve always done this with
   specific id’s I’ve defined, rather than trying to use a category name or something.)
 *  Anonymous
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40535)
 * This is what I was thinking of. I’ve done something similar. It wasn’t immediately
   clear at the outset what was wanted. I wouldn’t think a default to a base css
   would be very pretty though for a film type site. Presumably though the add category(
   new film) instances will be infrequent. Nice thing is the css can develop
    in
   parallel with the film artwork. (Posters, stills etc). It could be very cool.
 *  Thread Starter [luhmann](https://wordpress.org/support/users/luhmann/)
 * (@luhmann)
 * [22 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-40557)
 * Thanks. These are great suggestions. I like being able to only specify those 
   things I want to be “different” – and using category IDs should avoid problems
   with subcategories, etc. I’ll just add note markup to the CSS reminding me which
   IDs go with with categories. And this will allow me to add this stuff slowly.
   Right now I still need to work on the basic default look of the site.
 *  [Miriam](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miriam/)
 * (@miriam)
 * [22 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-41273)
 * `<body id="<?=single_cat_title()?>">`
    totally works great! thanks!
 *  [edgy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/edgy/)
 * (@edgy)
 * [22 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-41279)
 * `
    <body id="<?= $_GET['cat']?>">
 *  [flipjack](https://wordpress.org/support/users/flipjack/)
 * (@flipjack)
 * [21 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-41331)
 * This is great news… I’ll give it a try tonight.
 * I want to set up my site in a similar manner, with different blog pages for various
   projects I’m working on. I’d like each to have it’s own unique look (banner, 
   colors and sidebar), and until this thread I thought I might have to set up completely
   separate blogs to do so.
 * Thanks!
 *  [funkytown23](https://wordpress.org/support/users/funkytown23/)
 * (@funkytown23)
 * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-41370)
 * Would anyone happen to have an updated method for the latest wordpress
 * I’m just trying to have different top banners for each category.

Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)

The topic ‘Category specific CSS’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 14 replies
 * 8 participants
 * Last reply from: [funkytown23](https://wordpress.org/support/users/funkytown23/)
 * Last activity: [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/category-specific-css/#post-41370)
 * Status: not resolved

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