Code Style. CSS

Use this page to configure formatting options for CSS files. When you change these settings, the Preview pane shows how this will affect your code.

Tabs and Indents

Use tab character	If this checkbox is selected, tab characters are used: On pressing the `Tab` key For indentation For reformatting code If the checkbox is cleared, IntelliJ IDEA uses spaces instead of tabs.
Smart tabs	An indentation consists of two parts. One part results from nesting code blocks, and the other part is determined by alignment. If this checkbox is selected, the part that results from nesting contains both tabs and spaces (if necessary), while the part defined by alignment consists only of spaces. If this checkbox is cleared, only tabs are used. This means that after reformatting a group of spaces that fits the specified tab size is automatically replaced with a tab, which may result in breaking fine alignment. The Smart Tabs checkbox is available if the Use tab character checkbox is selected.
Tab size	In this field, specify the number of spaces that fits in a tab.
Indent	In this field, specify the number of spaces to be inserted for each indent level.
Continuation indent	In this field, specify the number of spaces to be inserted between the values of properties.
Keep indents on empty lines	If this checkbox is selected, IntelliJ IDEA retains indents on empty lines as if they contained some code. If the checkbox is cleared, IntelliJ IDEA deletes the tab characters and spaces on empty lines.

Blank Lines

Use this tab to define where and how many blank lines you want IntelliJ IDEA to retain and insert in your code after reformatting. The results are displayed in the Preview pane.

Keep Maximum Blank Lines	In this area, specify the number of extra blank lines to be kept after reformatting.
Minimum Blank Lines	In this area, configure whether to have or not to have extra empty lines around top-level blocks and nested selectors. In the field next to each option, specify the minimum number of extra blank lines to be left.

Other

In this tab, specify the alignment, braces, spaces, and quotes options to be applied on reformatting.

Braces placement	Use this list to specify where IntelliJ IDEA should place the opening braces of selectors. The available options are: At the end of line Next line
Align values	Use this list to specify how IntelliJ IDEA should align attributes and values. The available options are: Do not align: select this option to specify alignment on the first character of an attribute name. On value: select this option to specify alignment on the first character of the value of an attribute. On colon
Quote marks	In the CSS, SCSS, and Less context, IntelliJ IDEA by default uses double quotes for generated string literals in `import` statements and URLs. To use single quotes, select Single from this list. To apply the chosen style to the entire file after reformatting, select the Enforce on format checkbox below the list. Currently changing the configuration for quotation marks does not affect injected style sheets and CSS code inside the `<style>` tags.
Align closing brace with properties	If this checkbox is selected, the closing brace of the selector will be placed under the list of properties. If this checkbox is not selected, the closing brace of the selector will be placed under the selector.
Keep single-line blocks	If this checkbox is selected, the blocks with a single property will be confined to one line. If this checkbox is not selected, each property will be placed to its own line.
Spaces	Select the checkboxes in this area to add a space after the colon delimiting key and value, and before the opening brace of the selector.
HEX Colors	Use this area to configure the hex color syntax. You can select from the following check options: Convert hex colors to: select this checkbox to configure the hex color letter case. You can choose Lower case or Upper case. Convert hex colors format to: select this checkbox to configure the hex color format length. You can choose Long format or Short format. View changes in the Preview pane.

Arrangement

In this tab, enable sorting of CSS properties, which is by default turned off, and select the sorting order.

To enable sorting, select the Sort CSS properties checkbox.
Select By name to have all CSS properties within each block reordered alphabetically. IntelliJ IDEA ignores vendor-specific prefixes but keeps multiple vendor-specific prefixes for a certain CSS property alpha-sorted.
border: 1px solid; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; color: black;
To define your own sorting strategy, select the Custom order option and specify the desired sorting order in the textbox next to it.
Use commas and spaces as delimiters and skip vendor-specific properties because IntelliJ IDEA always groups them with the corresponding one without a prefix. Within such group, properties are sorted by vendor prefix and the prefix-free one comes last.
Regular Expressions are welcome in the Custom Order list, for example, .* matches any property.
IntelliJ IDEA remembers the modified Custom Order list and restores it if you turn custom sorting off and then turn it on again.

To sort all CSS properties in a file

From the main menu, select Code | Rearrange Code.
Alternatively, select Code | Reformat File from the main menu, and then select Whole file and Rearrange code in the dialog that opens.

To sort CSS properties within a block

Select the block to sort and then select Code | Rearrange Code from the main menu.
Alternatively, select Code | Reformat File on the main menu, and then select Rearrange code in the dialog that opens.

Set from

The link appears in the upper-right corner of the page, when applicable. Click this link and choose the language to be used as the base for the current language code style.

To return to the initial set of code style settings and discard the changes, click Reset.

Last modified: 08 March 2021