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CSS Selector Extractor

Extract and categorize all CSS selectors from CSS content

CSS Selector Extractor

This tool helps you analyze and extract CSS selectors from your stylesheets:

Supported Selector Types:

  • Class Selectors: .class-name, .multiple.classes
  • ID Selectors: #id-name
  • Element Selectors: div, span, button
  • Attribute Selectors: [type="text"], [data-*]
  • Pseudo-classes: :hover, :nth-child(2), :not(.class)
  • Pseudo-elements: ::before, ::after, ::first-line
  • Combinators: descendant (>), adjacent (+), general sibling (~)

Features:

  • Ignores CSS comments
  • Tracks line numbers
  • Handles nested selectors (SCSS/LESS)
  • Supports @media queries and @keyframes
  • Deduplicates results
  • Calculates CSS specificity

Use Cases:

  • Audit CSS for complexity
  • Find unused class names
  • Generate selector documentation
  • Analyze CSS performance
  • Optimize stylesheet structure

Include selectors inside @media queries

Include selectors inside @keyframes

Remove duplicate selectors from results

Calculate CSS specificity for each selector

Key Facts

Category
Development
Input Types
textarea, checkbox
Output Type
json
Sample Coverage
4
API Ready
Yes

Overview

The CSS Selector Extractor is a web-based tool that analyzes CSS content to extract and categorize all selectors, including classes, IDs, elements, and pseudo-classes. It helps developers audit stylesheet complexity, identify unused selectors, and generate documentation by providing detailed insights with options for specificity calculation and deduplication.

When to Use

  • •When auditing CSS files to assess complexity and improve maintainability.
  • •When identifying and removing unused class names or selectors from stylesheets.
  • •When generating reference documentation for CSS selectors in a development project.

How It Works

  • •Paste your CSS content into the input textarea or upload a file.
  • •Configure options such as including media queries, keyframes, deduplication, and specificity calculation.
  • •Extract the selectors to receive a categorized JSON output with details like selector type, line number, and specificity score.

Use Cases

Auditing stylesheet complexity to optimize performance and reduce file size.
Finding and cleaning up unused CSS selectors to streamline code.
Creating automated documentation for CSS classes and IDs in a project.

Examples

1. Audit Complex Stylesheet

Front-end Developer
Background
A developer is working on a legacy project with a large, minified CSS file that has grown unwieldy over time.
Problem
The file contains many selectors, and it's unclear which are redundant or overly specific, leading to maintenance issues.
How to Use
Paste the minified CSS content into the tool, enable 'Deduplicate Results' and 'Calculate Specificity', then extract.
Example Config
{ "includeMediaQueries": true, "includeKeyframes": true, "deduplicate": true, "calculateSpecificity": true }
Outcome
The tool outputs a JSON list of unique selectors with specificity scores, revealing duplicate rules and high-specificity selectors that can be refactored for better maintainability.

2. Generate Selector Documentation

Tech Lead
Background
A team is onboarding new developers and needs a quick reference for all CSS selectors used in the project's stylesheets.
Problem
There is no centralized documentation, making it hard for new members to understand the CSS structure.
How to Use
Input the main CSS file content, extract selectors without deduplication to see all instances, and export the results.
Outcome
A categorized list of selectors is generated, which can be formatted into documentation, helping the team quickly locate and understand CSS classes and IDs.

Try with Samples

video
CSS Selector Samples
Collection of CSS selector examples for extraction and analysis testing
title token css,selector
sample
Markdown Link Extractor Samples
Sample Markdown documents with various link types for testing the Markdown Link Extractor tool
title token extractor
sample
Phone Number Extractor Samples
Collection of mixed text containing phone numbers from various countries for extraction testing
title token extractor
sample
Changelog Extractor Samples
Various changelog formats for testing changelog parsing and extraction tools
title token extractor
sample

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FAQ

What CSS selector types are supported?

It supports class selectors, ID selectors, element selectors, attribute selectors, pseudo-classes, pseudo-elements, and combinators like descendant and adjacent siblings.

Can it process SCSS or LESS files?

Yes, it handles nested selectors from SCSS and LESS, extracting them as part of the analysis.

Does it remove duplicate selectors?

Yes, if the 'Deduplicate Results' option is enabled, it removes duplicate selectors from the output.

How is CSS specificity calculated?

Specificity is calculated based on CSS rules, providing a score for each selector to help understand precedence and conflicts.

Is the tool free to use?

Yes, the CSS Selector Extractor is free and requires no installation, running directly in your browser.

API Documentation

Request Endpoint

POST /en/api/tools/css-selector-extractor

Request Parameters

Parameter Name Type Required Description
cssContent textarea Yes -
includeMediaQueries checkbox No Include selectors inside @media queries
includeKeyframes checkbox No Include selectors inside @keyframes
deduplicate checkbox No Remove duplicate selectors from results
calculateSpecificity checkbox No Calculate CSS specificity for each selector

Response Format

{
  "key": {...},
  "metadata": {
    "key": "value"
  },
  "error": "Error message (optional)",
  "message": "Notification message (optional)"
}
JSON Data: JSON Data

AI MCP Documentation

Add this tool to your MCP server configuration: 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "elysiatools-css-selector-extractor": {
      "name": "css-selector-extractor",
      "description": "Extract and categorize all CSS selectors from CSS content",
      "baseUrl": "https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=css-selector-extractor",
      "command": "",
      "args": [],
      "env": {},
      "isActive": true,
      "type": "sse"
    }
  }
}

You can chain multiple tools, e.g.: `https://elysiatools.com/mcp/sse?toolId=png-to-webp,jpg-to-webp,gif-to-webp`, max 20 tools.

If you encounter any issues, please contact us at [email protected]