By Clint Sanchez · Published · Updated · 3 min read
Quick answer
CSS Scan is a premium browser extension for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox that shows the complete CSS of any element you hover over and copies all of its rules, including hover states, with a single click. It replaces the slower Inspect Element workflow of digging through classes, divs, and ids to find one line of styling. The extension normally sells for $60 and is often discounted.
Key takeaways
- CSS Scan is a paid browser extension for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox that reveals an element's CSS on hover.
- One click copies an element's entire rule set, including hover styling, instead of piecing it together in Inspect Element.
- CSS controls layout, colors, and fonts, while HTML structures the content; CSS Scan only reads the styling layer.
- Inspect Element edits are temporary and only visible on your own screen, as HubSpot notes, so it is a viewing tool, not a publishing tool.
- The extension listed at $60 and was purchased on sale for $39 at the time of writing.
- Time saved inspecting CSS lowers design costs, which is why an agency would share a paid tool it uses.
- Clean CSS work still depends on clean HTML, so pair CSS Scan with an HTML cleaner.
It is a must-have tool for anyone wanting to create incredible websites.
Warning: Although this may seem like a sales pitch, that’s not the intention. When we find a tool for web design or development (or any of our design services), we feel it necessary to share it. This is one that’s changed the game.
CSS Scan overview.
Keep reading to learn more about the best browser extension that we’ve found in a long time.
About CSS:
First, let us explain just exactly what CSS is.
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets, emphasizing “Style.” While HTML is used to structure a web document (defining things like headlines and paragraphs and allowing you to embed images, video, and other media), CSS specifies your document’s style, page layouts, colors, and fonts are all determined with CSS.
Think of HTML as the foundation and CSS as the aesthetic choices.
Another way to put it: HTML puts your website’s information on the page, and CSS makes it look pretty.
Want this handled for you? We build and market websites for Louisiana businesses, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.
Those unfamiliar with CSS may feel overwhelmed. We won’t lie; we were before studying CSS and how to use it properly.
What is CSS Scan?
CSS Scan is a premium browser extension for Chrome, Safari, and Firefox that enables you to view a website’s styling with the click of a button.
It’s normally $60.00, however, they were running a sale and we got it for $39.00.
That minimal investment was worth the time. We promise it saves us time crafting custom styling for the websites we create!
How does it make web design easier?
Typically, when editing, troubleshooting, or creating custom CSS for a webpage, designers use the age-old “inspect element,” trick.
Hubspot explains it best-
“Inspect Element is a browser tool that lets you view and edit the HTML & CSS of web content. However, any edits you make will only appear on your personal screen and last until you exit out. You’re not making any permanent changes to a website; you’re simply able to adjust it for the time being.”
So, basically, inspect element allows you to see exactly what is involved in a page’s styling. While powerful, it can be time-consuming and plain aggravating trying to wade through classes, divs, and ids (that’s code nerd talk) to find the exact line of code for the element you’re looking at.
While CSS Scan is a big shift for inspecting and copying CSS, clean code starts with proper HTML structure. If you want to optimize your entire development workflow, check out our article on HTML Cleaner, a must-have tool to tidy up your HTML, making your CSS editing even smoother. Read more about why HTML Cleaner is essential for web developers.
Now back to CSS Scan. Where were we. Oh, inspect element…
Not with CSS Scan!
CSS Scan saves us time and frustration by enabling us to instantly check the CSS of any element we hover over instantly and copy its entire rules with a single click.
Instead of copying and pasting and then coming back to inspect the element and look for the hover styling, we can now copy it all at once and then put it in our style sheet or a clipboard document to save it for another use.
So what does this mean exactly?
Let us put this in a nutshell.
CSS Scan helps us save time and energy when creating websites for our clients.
This helps us decrease our design costs and frees up expensive design time to create excellent sites for you.
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Not interested in learning CSS and HTML? Would you rather pay someone to create your website for you? Contact us today, and let us show you how we can save you money.
Thinking about a new website, redesign, or rebuild? Talk through the project before you spend a dollar, 15 minutes, no sales pitch.
About the author
Founder & Lead Developer · Denham Springs, LA
Clint has built and marketed websites for 26 years, since founding BlakSheep Creative in 2000. He is also a 29-year firefighter and a 23-year member of IAFF Local 557, which is where the bias toward plain answers over sales copy comes from.
- Veteran-owned
- Firefighter-owned
- IAFF Local 557
Common Questions About CSS Scan
Short answers to the questions that come up most on this topic.
How is CSS Scan different from Inspect Element?
Which browsers support CSS Scan?
How much does CSS Scan cost?
Is CSS Scan useful if I do not know CSS?
Does copying CSS from another website count as stealing?
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