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CSS Pseudo-class / Element

:first-child

Structural

Selects an element that is the first child of its parent.

Syntax

selector:first-child { }

Example

li:first-child { font-weight: bold; }

Common use cases

  • Removing top margin on first element
  • Styling the first item in a list differently
  • Adding borders between items without affecting the first

Practical developer insight

If the first child is not the element type you're targeting, the selector won't match — use :first-of-type in that case.

Related

:last-child:nth-child()