What CSS Can and Cannot Do: A Beginner-Friendly Explanation
What CSS Can and Cannot Do: A Beginner-Friendly Explanation Last updated: 2026/02/05 When you start learning web development, one of the first questions you’ll face is: “What exactly can CSS do?” “And what can’t it do?” This article explains the true role of CSS by clearly separating its “can do” and “cannot do” capabilities in a way beginners can easily understand. What CSS Can Do (✓) CSS is all about visual styling. Colors, layout, animation—anything related to appearance is its specialty. 1. Change colors, text, and backgrounds Set text color (color) Add background colors or images Adjust fonts and sizes 2. Control spacing and layout Adjust margins and padding Create layouts using flexbox or grid Align content left, center, or right 3. Create animations and visual effects Fade-in effects (opacity) Rotation and scaling (transform) Complex animations with @keyframes 4. Apply reusable design patterns One of the biggest strengths of CSS is that you can apply the same design to many elements using classes. What CSS Cannot Do (✕) On the other hand, CSS cannot handle logic, data, or interaction. In simple terms: CSS controls appearance, nothing more. 1. Save or store data Store user input (✕) Keep users logged in […]