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How to Select all Child Elements Recursively using CSS?

Last Updated : 13 Jan, 2025
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Here are three methods to achieve to Select all Child Elements Recursively using CSS:

1. Using the Universal Selector (*)

The universal selector applies styles to all child elements within a parent recursively.

HTML
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .parent * {
            color: blue;
            font-weight: bold;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="parent">
        <p>First child</p>
        <div>
            <p>Nested child</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

In this Example:

  • The * selector targets all descendant elements of .parent and applies the styles.
  • It selects children at all levels, ensuring consistent styling.

2. Using Descendant Combinator ( )

The descendant combinator targets all nested child elements of a parent element.

html
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .parent p {
            color: green;
            font-size: 18px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="parent">
        <p>Direct child</p>
        <div>
            <p>Nested child</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

In this Example:

  • The descendant combinator (.parent p) applies styles to all <p> elements within .parent, regardless of nesting.

3. Using Direct Child Selector (>)

This method applies styles only to the direct children of a parent element.

html
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .parent > p {
            color: red;
            text-decoration: underline;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="parent">
        <p>Direct child</p>
        <div>
            <p>Nested child</p>
        </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

In this Example:

  • The > selector targets only the direct <p> children of .parent, leaving deeper descendants unaffected.


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