The :visited
CSS pseudo-class represents links that the user has already visited. For privacy reasons, the styles that can be modified using this selector are very limited.
/* Selects any <a> that has been visited */ a:visited { color: green; }
Styles defined by the :visited
pseudo-class will be overridden by any subsequent link-related pseudo-class (:link
, :hover
, or :active
) that has at least equal specificity. To style links appropriately, put the :visited
rule after the :link
rule but before the :hover
and :active
rules, as defined by the LVHA-order: :link
— :visited
— :hover
— :active
.
Styling restrictions
For privacy reasons, browsers strictly limit which styles you can apply using this pseudo-class, and how they can be used:
- Allowable CSS properties are
color
,background-color
,border-color
,border-bottom-color
,border-left-color
,border-right-color
,border-top-color
,column-rule-color
, andoutline-color
. - Allowable SVG attributes are
fill
andstroke
. - The alpha component of the allowed styles will be ignored. The alpha component of the element's non-
:visited
state will be used instead, except when that component is0
, in which case the style set in:visited
will be ignored entirely. - Although these styles can be change the appearance of colors to the end user, the
window.getComputedStyle
method will lie and always return the value of the non-:visited
color.
Note: For more information on these limitations and the reasons behind them, see Privacy and the :visited selector.
Syntax
:visited
Example
Properties that would otherwise have no color or be transparent cannot be modified with :visited
. Of the properties that can be set with this pseudo-class, your browser probably has a default value for color
and column-rule-color
only. Thus, if you want to modify the other properties, you'll need to give them a base value outside the :visited
selector.
HTML
<a href="#test-visited-link">Have you visited this link yet?</a><br> <a href="">You've already visited this link.</a>
CSS
a { /* Specify non-transparent defaults to certain properties, allowing them to be styled with the :visited state */ background-color: white; border: 1px solid white; } a:visited { background-color: yellow; border-color: hotpink; color: hotpink; }
Result
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
HTML Living Standard The definition of ':visited' in that specification. |
Living Standard | |
Selectors Level 4 The definition of ':visited' in that specification. |
Working Draft | No change. |
Selectors Level 3 The definition of ':visited' in that specification. |
Recommendation | No change. |
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1) The definition of ':visited' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Lifts the restriction to only apply :visited to the <a> element. Lets browsers restrict its behavior for privacy reasons. |
CSS Level 1 The definition of ':visited' in that specification. |
Recommendation | Initial definition. |
Browser compatibility
Feature | Chrome | Edge | Firefox (Gecko) | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari (WebKit) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | 1.0 | (Yes) | 1.0 (1.7 or earlier) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.0 |
Restrictions in CSS properties allowed in a statement using :visited |
6 | (Yes) | 4.0 (2.0) | 8 (or earlier) | ? | 5.0 |
Feature | Android | Edge | Firefox Mobile (Gecko) | IE Phone | Opera Mobile | Safari Mobile |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic support | 4.4 | (Yes) | 1.0 (1.0) | 11 | 37 | 9.3 |
See also
- Privacy and the :visited selector
- Link-related pseudo-classes:
:link
,:active
,:hover