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How Do I Change the Background Color of My Header in CSS?

Published in CSS Styling 3 mins read

To change the background color of your header using CSS, you typically identify the header element in your website's code and apply a background-color style to it.

This is commonly done through a platform's custom CSS editor. Based on the reference provided, if you are using a platform like Squarespace:

Steps to Change Header Background Color via Custom CSS

You can use Custom CSS to change the color of the header. To do this, navigate from your platform's main dashboard using the following path:

  1. Go to "Home": Start from your site's main administration area.
  2. Navigate to "Design": Look for the design or styling options menu.
  3. Select "Custom CSS": Find the section that allows you to add custom CSS code.

Once you are in the Custom CSS editor, you will Insert the code and adjust the background property by inserting the hex color or name of your desired color, if applicable.

CSS Code Examples

The exact CSS selector for your header might vary depending on your website's theme or template. Common selectors for headers include:

  • .header
  • #header
  • .site-header
  • #site-header
  • .header-wrapper

You might need to inspect your website's code to find the correct selector.

Here are examples of how you would insert the CSS code:

Using a Hex Color Code:

.header {
  background-color: #ff5733; /* Example: A shade of orange */
  padding: 20px 0; /* Optional: Add some padding */
}

Using a CSS Color Name:

.site-header {
  background-color: navy; /* Example: The color navy blue */
}

Using RGBA (for transparency):

#header {
  background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.7); /* Example: Semi-transparent black */
}

Understanding the CSS Property

The key CSS property used here is background-color.

  • background-color: This property sets the background color of an element.
    • You can use predefined color names (like red, blue, navy).
    • You can use Hexadecimal codes (like #ff0000 for red, #00ff00 for green).
    • You can use RGB values (like rgb(255, 0, 0) for red).
    • You can use RGBA values (like rgba(255, 0, 0, 0.5) for semi-transparent red).

Table of Color Formats:

Format Description Example
Color Name Simple, predefined names blue
Hex Code # followed by 6 hex digits (RRGGBB) #0000ff
RGB rgb(red, green, blue) values 0-255 rgb(0, 0, 255)
RGBA rgba(red, green, blue, alpha) alpha 0-1 rgba(0, 0, 255, 0.5)

After adding the code to your Custom CSS area, save the changes. Your header's background color should update on your website.

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