Content styles

Some of the core editor features bring additional CSS to control the look of the content they produce. Take, for example, the image feature that needs special content styles to render images and their captions in the content. Or the block quote feature that displays quotes in italic with a subtle border on the side.

Editor content styles.

Content styles are bundled along with editor UI styles and, together with the JavaScript code of CKEditor 5, they create a monolithic structure called an editor build. By default, content styles are inseparable from the rest of the editor which means there is no CSS file containing them you could take straight from the editor and use in your application (as opposed to the CKEditor 4 contents.css file). To get the editor content styles, for instance, for the front–end of your application, you will have to take additional steps described in this guide.

By default, content styles are loaded by the editor JavaScript which makes them only present when users edit their content and this, in turn, usually takes place in the back–end of an application. If you want to use the same styles in the front–end, you may find yourself in a situation that requires you to load CKEditor just for that purpose, which is (performance–wise) not the best idea.

To avoid unnecessary dependencies in your front–end, use a stylesheet with a complete list of CKEditor 5 content styles used by all editor features. There are two ways to obtain it:

By taking it directly from this guide and saving it as a static resource in your application (e.g. content-styles.css) (recommended).
By generating it using a dedicated script. Learn more in the Development environment guide.

Load the content-styles.css file in your application by adding the following code to the template:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="path/to/assets/content-styles.css" type="text/css">

The content in the front–end of your application should now look the same as when edited by the users.

Important!

If you take a closer look at the content styles, you may notice they are prefixed with the .ck-content class selector. This narrows their scope when used in CKEditor 5 so they do not affect the rest of the application. To use them in the front–end, you will have to add the ck-content CSS class to the container of your content. Otherwise the styles will not be applied.

If you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, you can always create a custom CKEditor 5 build from the source code with all the CSS (both UI and the content) extracted to a separate file. See how to do that in a dedicated guide.

# The full list of content styles

Below there is a full list of content styles used by the editor features. You can copy it and use straight in your project. Make sure to add the ck-content class to your content container for the styles to work (see above).

/*
 * CKEditor 5 (v34.1.0) content styles.
 * Generated on Thu, 09 Jun 2022 04:45:00 GMT.
 * For more information, check out https://ckeditor.com/docs/ckeditor5/latest/installation/advanced/content-styles.html
 */

:root {
    --ck-color-base-active: hsl(208, 88%, 52%);
    --ck-color-image-caption-background: hsl(0, 0%, 97%);
    --ck-color-image-caption-text: hsl(0, 0%, 20%);
    --ck-color-mention-background: hsla(341, 100%, 30%, 0.1);
    --ck-color-mention-text: hsl(341, 100%, 30%);
    --ck-color-table-caption-background: hsl(0, 0%, 97%);
    --ck-color-table-caption-text: hsl(0, 0%, 20%);
    --ck-color-table-column-resizer-hover: var(--ck-color-base-active);
    --ck-highlight-marker-blue: hsl(201, 97%, 72%);
    --ck-highlight-marker-green: hsl(120, 93%, 68%);
    --ck-highlight-marker-pink: hsl(345, 96%, 73%);
    --ck-highlight-marker-yellow: hsl(60, 97%, 73%);
    --ck-highlight-pen-green: hsl(112, 100%, 27%);
    --ck-highlight-pen-red: hsl(0, 85%, 49%);
    --ck-image-style-spacing: 1.5em;
    --ck-inline-image-style-spacing: calc(var(--ck-image-style-spacing) / 2);
    --ck-table-column-resizer-position-offset: calc(var(--ck-table-column-resizer-width) * -0.5 - 0.5px);
    --ck-table-column-resizer-width: 7px;
    --ck-todo-list-checkmark-size: 16px;
    --ck-z-default: 1;
}

/* ckeditor5-block-quote/theme/blockquote.css */
.ck-content blockquote {
    overflow: hidden;
    padding-right: 1.5em;
    padding-left: 1.5em;
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: 0;
    font-style: italic;
    border-left: solid 5px hsl(0, 0%, 80%);
}
/* ckeditor5-block-quote/theme/blockquote.css */
.ck-content[dir="rtl"] blockquote {
    border-left: 0;
    border-right: solid 5px hsl(0, 0%, 80%);
}
/* ckeditor5-basic-styles/theme/code.css */
.ck-content code {
    background-color: hsla(0, 0%, 78%, 0.3);
    padding: .15em;
    border-radius: 2px;
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .marker-yellow {
    background-color: var(--ck-highlight-marker-yellow);
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .marker-green {
    background-color: var(--ck-highlight-marker-green);
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .marker-pink {
    background-color: var(--ck-highlight-marker-pink);
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .marker-blue {
    background-color: var(--ck-highlight-marker-blue);
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .pen-red {
    color: var(--ck-highlight-pen-red);
    background-color: transparent;
}
/* ckeditor5-highlight/theme/highlight.css */
.ck-content .pen-green {
    color: var(--ck-highlight-pen-green);
    background-color: transparent;
}
/* ckeditor5-font/theme/fontsize.css */
.ck-content .text-tiny {
    font-size: .7em;
}
/* ckeditor5-font/theme/fontsize.css */
.ck-content .text-small {
    font-size: .85em;
}
/* ckeditor5-font/theme/fontsize.css */
.ck-content .text-big {
    font-size: 1.4em;
}
/* ckeditor5-font/theme/fontsize.css */
.ck-content .text-huge {
    font-size: 1.8em;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imageresize.css */
.ck-content .image.image_resized {
    max-width: 100%;
    display: block;
    box-sizing: border-box;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imageresize.css */
.ck-content .image.image_resized img {
    width: 100%;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imageresize.css */
.ck-content .image.image_resized > figcaption {
    display: block;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagecaption.css */
.ck-content .image > figcaption {
    display: table-caption;
    caption-side: bottom;
    word-break: break-word;
    color: var(--ck-color-image-caption-text);
    background-color: var(--ck-color-image-caption-background);
    padding: .6em;
    font-size: .75em;
    outline-offset: -1px;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/image.css */
.ck-content .image {
    display: table;
    clear: both;
    text-align: center;
    margin: 0.9em auto;
    min-width: 50px;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/image.css */
.ck-content .image img {
    display: block;
    margin: 0 auto;
    max-width: 100%;
    min-width: 100%;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/image.css */
.ck-content .image-inline {
    /*
     * Normally, the .image-inline would have "display: inline-block" and "img { width: 100% }" (to follow the wrapper while resizing).;
     * Unfortunately, together with "srcset", it gets automatically stretched up to the width of the editing root.
     * This strange behavior does not happen with inline-flex.
     */
    display: inline-flex;
    max-width: 100%;
    align-items: flex-start;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/image.css */
.ck-content .image-inline picture {
    display: flex;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/image.css */
.ck-content .image-inline picture,
.ck-content .image-inline img {
    flex-grow: 1;
    flex-shrink: 1;
    max-width: 100%;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-block-align-left,
.ck-content .image-style-block-align-right {
    max-width: calc(100% - var(--ck-image-style-spacing));
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-align-left,
.ck-content .image-style-align-right {
    clear: none;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-side {
    float: right;
    margin-left: var(--ck-image-style-spacing);
    max-width: 50%;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-align-left {
    float: left;
    margin-right: var(--ck-image-style-spacing);
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-align-center {
    margin-left: auto;
    margin-right: auto;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-align-right {
    float: right;
    margin-left: var(--ck-image-style-spacing);
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-block-align-right {
    margin-right: 0;
    margin-left: auto;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-style-block-align-left {
    margin-left: 0;
    margin-right: auto;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content p + .image-style-align-left,
.ck-content p + .image-style-align-right,
.ck-content p + .image-style-side {
    margin-top: 0;
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-inline.image-style-align-left,
.ck-content .image-inline.image-style-align-right {
    margin-top: var(--ck-inline-image-style-spacing);
    margin-bottom: var(--ck-inline-image-style-spacing);
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-inline.image-style-align-left {
    margin-right: var(--ck-inline-image-style-spacing);
}
/* ckeditor5-image/theme/imagestyle.css */
.ck-content .image-inline.image-style-align-right {
    margin-left: var(--ck-inline-image-style-spacing);
}
/* ckeditor5-language/theme/language.css */
.ck-content span[lang] {
    font-style: italic;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list {
    list-style: none;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list li {
    margin-bottom: 5px;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list li .todo-list {
    margin-top: 5px;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label > input {
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    display: inline-block;
    position: relative;
    width: var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size);
    height: var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size);
    vertical-align: middle;
    border: 0;
    left: -25px;
    margin-right: -15px;
    right: 0;
    margin-left: 0;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label > input::before {
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    content: '';
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    border: 1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 20%);
    border-radius: 2px;
    transition: 250ms ease-in-out box-shadow, 250ms ease-in-out background, 250ms ease-in-out border;
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label > input::after {
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    box-sizing: content-box;
    pointer-events: none;
    content: '';
    left: calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 3 );
    top: calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 5.3 );
    width: calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 5.3 );
    height: calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 2.6 );
    border-style: solid;
    border-color: transparent;
    border-width: 0 calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 8 ) calc( var(--ck-todo-list-checkmark-size) / 8 ) 0;
    transform: rotate(45deg);
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label > input[checked]::before {
    background: hsl(126, 64%, 41%);
    border-color: hsl(126, 64%, 41%);
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label > input[checked]::after {
    border-color: hsl(0, 0%, 100%);
}
/* ckeditor5-list/theme/todolist.css */
.ck-content .todo-list .todo-list__label .todo-list__label__description {
    vertical-align: middle;
}
/* ckeditor5-media-embed/theme/mediaembed.css */
.ck-content .media {
    clear: both;
    margin: 0.9em 0;
    display: block;
    min-width: 15em;
}
/* ckeditor5-page-break/theme/pagebreak.css */
.ck-content .page-break {
    position: relative;
    clear: both;
    padding: 5px 0;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
}
/* ckeditor5-page-break/theme/pagebreak.css */
.ck-content .page-break::after {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    border-bottom: 2px dashed hsl(0, 0%, 77%);
    width: 100%;
}
/* ckeditor5-page-break/theme/pagebreak.css */
.ck-content .page-break__label {
    position: relative;
    z-index: 1;
    padding: .3em .6em;
    display: block;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    border: 1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 77%);
    border-radius: 2px;
    font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Sans-Serif;
    font-size: 0.75em;
    font-weight: bold;
    color: hsl(0, 0%, 20%);
    background: hsl(0, 0%, 100%);
    box-shadow: 2px 2px 1px hsla(0, 0%, 0%, 0.15);
    -webkit-user-select: none;
    -moz-user-select: none;
    -ms-user-select: none;
    user-select: none;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecaption.css */
.ck-content .table > figcaption {
    display: table-caption;
    caption-side: top;
    word-break: break-word;
    text-align: center;
    color: var(--ck-color-table-caption-text);
    background-color: var(--ck-color-table-caption-background);
    padding: .6em;
    font-size: .75em;
    outline-offset: -1px;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content .table table {
    overflow: hidden;
    table-layout: fixed;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content .table td,
.ck-content .table th {
    position: relative;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content .table .table-column-resizer {
    position: absolute;
    top: -999999px;
    bottom: -999999px;
    right: var(--ck-table-column-resizer-position-offset);
    width: var(--ck-table-column-resizer-width);
    cursor: col-resize;
    user-select: none;
    z-index: var(--ck-z-default);
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content .table[draggable] .table-column-resizer {
    display: none;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content .table .table-column-resizer:hover,
.ck-content .table .table-column-resizer__active {
    background-color: var(--ck-color-table-column-resizer-hover);
    opacity: 0.25;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content[dir=rtl] .table .table-column-resizer {
    left: var(--ck-table-column-resizer-position-offset);
    right: unset;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/tablecolumnresize.css */
.ck-content.ck-read-only .table .table-column-resizer {
    display: none;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content .table {
    margin: 0.9em auto;
    display: table;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content .table table {
    border-collapse: collapse;
    border-spacing: 0;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    border: 1px double hsl(0, 0%, 70%);
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content .table table td,
.ck-content .table table th {
    min-width: 2em;
    padding: .4em;
    border: 1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 75%);
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content .table table th {
    font-weight: bold;
    background: hsla(0, 0%, 0%, 5%);
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content[dir="rtl"] .table th {
    text-align: right;
}
/* ckeditor5-table/theme/table.css */
.ck-content[dir="ltr"] .table th {
    text-align: left;
}
/* ckeditor5-code-block/theme/codeblock.css */
.ck-content pre {
    padding: 1em;
    color: hsl(0, 0%, 20.8%);
    background: hsla(0, 0%, 78%, 0.3);
    border: 1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 77%);
    border-radius: 2px;
    text-align: left;
    direction: ltr;
    tab-size: 4;
    white-space: pre-wrap;
    font-style: normal;
    min-width: 200px;
}
/* ckeditor5-code-block/theme/codeblock.css */
.ck-content pre code {
    background: unset;
    padding: 0;
    border-radius: 0;
}
/* ckeditor5-horizontal-line/theme/horizontalline.css */
.ck-content hr {
    margin: 15px 0;
    height: 4px;
    background: hsl(0, 0%, 87%);
    border: 0;
}
/* ckeditor5-mention/theme/mention.css */
.ck-content .mention {
    background: var(--ck-color-mention-background);
    color: var(--ck-color-mention-text);
}
@media print {
    /* ckeditor5-page-break/theme/pagebreak.css */
    .ck-content .page-break {
        padding: 0;
    }
    /* ckeditor5-page-break/theme/pagebreak.css */
    .ck-content .page-break::after {
        display: none;
    }
}

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Content styles

# Sharing content styles between front–end and back–end

# The full list of content styles