First Line

Pseudo-element

::first-line

Styles the first line of a block-level element. What counts as the first line depends on viewport width.

Example

p::first-line {
  font-weight: bold;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
}

Specificity

0-0-1

Browser Support

All browsers

About the First Line

The ::first-line CSS selector belongs to the Pseudo-element category.Styles the first line of a block-level element. What counts as the first line depends on viewport width. Understanding CSS selector specificity and combinators is essential for writing maintainable stylesheets that behave predictably.

The specificity of this selector is 0-0-1. CSS specificity determines which styles are applied when multiple rules target the same element. Higher specificity values take precedence. The specificity hierarchy from lowest to highest is: universal (*) → type/element → class/attribute/pseudo-class → ID → inline styles → !important.

Browser support for First Line is: All browsers. When using newer CSS selectors like :has(), :is(), or CSS nesting, consider providing fallback styles for older browsers. Use @supports to progressively enhance your stylesheets with modern features while maintaining backward compatibility.

Related Selectors

::first-letter ::before ::after