Title: [Genera Question] Difference between two options for custom CSS?
Last modified: August 21, 2016

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# [Genera Question] Difference between two options for custom CSS?

 *  [saucer78](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saucer78/)
 * (@saucer78)
 * [12 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/genera-question-difference-between-two-options-for-custom-css/)
 * Maybe I’m having trouble wording this correctly to turn up a good search hit,
   but I’m very new to coding and am confused by the two separate windows for applying
   custom CSS to a theme.
 * Within all themes I can recall, there’s a “Custom CSS” field under WordPress>
   Appearance>Theme Settings. But there’s also a larger field for entering code 
   labeled “CSS Stylesheet Editor” under WordPress>Appearance>Edit CSS.
 * I’ve had some luck with custom snippets in each one after some trail-and-error,
   but am unsure which one to use when, and why. Also, can I use either of these
   fields without worrying about a child theme?
 * Thanks!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/)
 * (@esmi)
 * [12 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/genera-question-difference-between-two-options-for-custom-css/#post-4907852)
 * > Within all themes I can recall, there’s a “Custom CSS” field under WordPress
   > >Appearance>Theme Settings.
 * Actually that functionality is only available with some themes. In others, you
   need to install a [custom CSS plugin](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search.php?q=custom+css).
 * > But there’s also a larger field for entering code labeled “CSS Stylesheet Editor”
   > under WordPress>Appearance>Edit CSS.
 * Generally, speaking, you should not use this unless you working on your own custom
   theme. In most other cases, you need to use a [child theme](http://codex.wordpress.org/Child_Themes)
   or a [custom CSS plugin](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search.php?q=custom+css)
   for your changes.
 *  Thread Starter [saucer78](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saucer78/)
 * (@saucer78)
 * [12 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/genera-question-difference-between-two-options-for-custom-css/#post-4907874)
 * So if I do go the child theme route, I can directly adjust the CSS within WordPress
   >Appearance>Editor, where most (all?) of the site’s code is kept and not even
   worry about the dashboard?
 * Thanks for the help!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘[Genera Question] Difference between two options for custom CSS?’ is 
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## Tags

 * [css](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/css/)
 * [edit css](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/edit-css/)

 * 2 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [saucer78](https://wordpress.org/support/users/saucer78/)
 * Last activity: [12 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/genera-question-difference-between-two-options-for-custom-css/#post-4907874)
 * Status: not resolved

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