Title: Probably a very easy CSS question Last modified: August 21, 2016 --- # Probably a very easy CSS question * Resolved [dave_hitt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dave_hitt/) * (@dave_hitt) * [12 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/) * Hi there: * I’m trying to style the ‘success message text’ (and maybe other text) in the stock Mailchimp plugin. Right now it defaults to a not-so-pretty ‘green.’ When I inspect the element, it says the style’s coming from my url with the suffix“/? mcsf_action=main_css&ver=3.5.2” applied. I have no idea how to ‘get’ to this CSS file and I’ve tried just adding the new style into my theme’s stylesheet but it just gets overwritten. I’ve also noted that others have referred to ‘main. css’ but I can’t find that file anywhere. I did find a file called ‘admin.css’ in the Mailchimp CSS folder, but changing that doesn’t seem to have made any difference either. * I’d appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction on this one… * thanks * [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mailchimp/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mailchimp/) Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) * [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * (@wp-ginfo) * [12 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926044) * You were almost there… - Use FTP e.g. filezilla to access your site - use an EDITOR [not a wordprocessor] e.g. ‘NOTEPAD++ ‘ to edit code * Use Notepad++ as the editor in filezilla and you can easily open, edit and re- upload files. * In `admin.css` you’ll find the following code: * ``` .error_msg { color: #997206;/*brownish*/ margin: 0px; font-weight: bold; } .success_msg { color: #000000; /*black*/ margin: 0px; font-weight: bold; } ``` - Change any of the colors. make sure you use the correct syntax!! Check out: [http://www.colorpicker.com/](http://www.colorpicker.com/) - save and upload - check the result * == == == extra How to find which CSS to change * About finding out ‘which things to change in your site [css / html / php] * Well it’s all a bit like trying to solve a puzzle. Fortunately there are good tools for that. In your browser: Install / activate webdevelopment add-ons / plugins. * Recommended: ‘Firebug’ and ‘webdeveloper: [http://www.chrispederick.com](http://www.chrispederick.com)‘ These tools will show you what’s what. e.g. right-click > inspect elements > click left bottom arrow-icon click item in webpage Inspect css on the right alter css values to test effect / result OK? copy altered css rule paste it in the custom-CSS-tab of your theme or `style.css` of your childtheme, if such a custom- css-feature is not available in your theme. * Alternatively: Press a screen will show in the bottom. Move the mouse over each line The area shows in the top-half Press + to unfold parts Investigate and alter on the right etc. paste it in the custom-CSS-tab of your theme or ` style.css` of your childtheme, if such a custom-css-feature is not available in your theme. * == == == * Thread Starter [dave_hitt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dave_hitt/) * (@dave_hitt) * [12 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926143) * HI there and thanks for your response. * Unfortunately, I had done everything you outlined. I have changed the CSS color in both ‘admin.css’ in the plugin folder and I also added a declaration in the main CSS stylesheet for the theme. Neverthless, the green is still overriding the blue I have changed it to. I think what is confusing to me is that the URL which developer tools references is a very weirid URL called ‘[http://haines-law.com/?mcsf_action=main_css&ver=3.5.2’](http://haines-law.com/?mcsf_action=main_css&ver=3.5.2’); This is not not an actual folder location. I’m guessing the theme is pulling the CSS from some remote source. I dunno but I do know that I am still stuck… * [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * (@wp-ginfo) * [12 years, 12 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926173) * Hi Dave, * The ‘[http://haines-law.com/?mcsf_action=main_css&ver=3.5.2’](http://haines-law.com/?mcsf_action=main_css&ver=3.5.2’); probably means that the theme [??which] you are using has a CSS-customization- option built in. * See if you can find it [probably in the ‘theme options’ part of the site] _>> Dashboard > Appearance > Themes > Theme Options ‘CSS customization’_ * If you cant find it: What’s the name of your [parent] original theme the site is based on? * Thread Starter [dave_hitt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dave_hitt/) * (@dave_hitt) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926188) * Hey again: * The site is not based on an off-the-shelf theme. We write our own, usually and we wrote this as well… So then, there’s no built-in CSS customization, to my knowledge (and I did not see any… * I’ve posted a screenshot of what I’m seeing, with the inspection details [here…](http://splatworld.tv/client-work/Haines/07-2013-screenshot.jpg) * [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * (@wp-ginfo) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926199) * By the looks of it a CSS-rule was defined in two places for this: - `media= "all"` section of the code - ``` .mc_success_msg{ color:green; } ``` - `media= "screen, projection"` section of the code - ``` .mc_success_msg{ color:#336699; } ``` - I’ve located one in `mailchimp.php` - Edit [after making a backup] and change as required. * Thread Starter [dave_hitt](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dave_hitt/) * (@dave_hitt) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926205) * Thank you so much! That worked and allowed me to style as desired. If you don’t mind, can you tell me if there was any way I could have known that the offending style was found in ‘mailchimp.php?’ I basically had conceptually figured out what the problem was a week ago. I thought there was a style defined somewhere other than the plug-in’s stylesheet or my theme’s stylesheet and I was right. But how could I have known the style was found in ‘mailchimp.php?’ This is one of the frustrations I find when working with CMS driven sites… * Thanks again for all your advice; you made this so much easier… * dave * [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * (@wp-ginfo) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926214) * >>> [NOTE: the labels of these tabs are rough translations, since I use a Dutch version browser] 1. I located the item in question using ‘inspect elements’ [right-click in your browser] 2. The bottom-half of the screen has a number of tabs / options 3. I first used the ínspector-tab to pinpoint the exact item 4. Then, the item still active, I selected the ‘style-editor’tab 5. It shows a list of sources [stylesheets and inline styles that control the site 6. Next I located the stylesheet[s] and style-rules in question in this list 7. I tried if altering the style-rule[s] had the result required 8. On the label/tab on the left of the list it shows the filepath and filename 9. presto 😉 As suggested it’s a puzzle / frustration-tolerance-test at times, which I fail on many occasion 😉 10. >>> 11. How to find which CSS to change 12. About finding out ‘which things to change in your site [css / html / php] 13. Well it’s all a bit like trying to solve a puzzle. Fortunately there are good tools for that. In your browser: Install / activate webdevelopment add-ons / plugins. 14. Recommended: ‘Firebug’ and ‘webdeveloper: [http://www.chrispederick.com](http://www.chrispederick.com)‘ These tools will show you what’s what. e.g. right-click > inspect elements > click left bottom arrow-icon click item in webpage Inspect css on the right alter css values to test effect / result OK? copy altered css rule paste it in the custom-CSS-tab of your theme or `style.css` of your childtheme, if such a custom-css-feature is not available in your theme. 15. Alternatively: Press a screen will show in the bottom. Move the mouse over each line The area shows in the top-half Press + to unfold parts Investigate and alter on the right etc. paste it in the custom-CSS-tab of your theme or` style.css` of your childtheme, if such a custom-css-feature is not available in your theme. * [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * (@wp-ginfo) * [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926215) * Oh BTW: Please don’t forget to mark the thread as ‘resolved’ [in the right sidebar] Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total) The topic ‘Probably a very easy CSS question’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://ps.w.org/mailchimp/assets/icon.svg?rev=3156997) * [Mailchimp List Subscribe Form](https://wordpress.org/plugins/mailchimp/) * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/mailchimp/#faq) * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/mailchimp/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/mailchimp/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/mailchimp/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/mailchimp/reviews/) ## Tags * [css](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/css/) * [custom styles](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/custom-styles/) * 8 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [W.P. Ginfo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wp-ginfo/) * Last activity: [12 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/probably-a-very-easy-css-question/#post-3926215) * Status: resolved