Can CSS Select an Element Based on Its Child Elements?

CSS Selector: Targeting Elements with Specific Child Elements

Can CSS select an element based on its child elements? While possible in certain frameworks, the answer for pure CSS is currently negative.

CSS2 and CSS3 Limitations

The existing CSS2 and CSS3 specifications lack any mechanism for parent selectors. This means that a selector cannot directly target an element based on its child elements.

Evolving Specifications

The issue of parent selectors has been under discussion for years, with various proposed solutions. One past proposal introduced the concept of "subjects," allowing for targeted styling of elements within a selector chain. However, this feature was later dropped.

Recent Developments: :has() Pseudo-Class

The latest "Selectors Level 4 Editor's Draft" introduces the ":has()" relational pseudo-class. This pseudo-class allows authors to select elements based on their children. For example, to select all paragraphs that contain a span, one could use:

p:has(span) {
    color: red;
}

Current Status

While promising, it's important to note that the ":has()" pseudo-class is still in the draft stage and may undergo further changes. As such, it may not be widely supported in current browsers.

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