I’m having trouble changing the text color of specific menu items in my WordPress navigation. I’m using the Vantage theme and trying to use CSS classes to highlight two items.
I added a custom class called ‘sample’ to a menu item through the Screen Options. Then I edited the style.css file in my theme folder and added this at the end:
.sample {
color: blue;
}
But when I refresh the page, nothing changes. Oddly enough, if I add inline styles directly to the menu item, it works fine.
Why isn’t the CSS class method working? Is there something I’m missing about how WordPress handles menu item styling? Any help would be great because I’d rather not use inline styles for everything.
hey there! i had a similar problem. try using the browser inspector to see whats actually being applied. sometimes wordpress adds weird classes or ids that override stuff. also, make sure ur CSS is loading after the theme’s. u could try adding it to the customizer’s additional CSS section instead of editing theme files directly. good luck!
I’ve faced similar issues before, and here’s what worked for me:
First, make sure you’re using the correct class name in your CSS. WordPress sometimes adds extra classes to menu items, so inspect the HTML to confirm.
If that’s not the issue, try adding your custom CSS to a child theme instead of directly editing the parent theme’s style.css. This prevents your changes from being overwritten during theme updates.
Another trick is to use the wp_nav_menu_items filter to add custom classes dynamically. This way, you can target specific menu items more easily.
Lastly, check if your theme has a custom CSS option in the Customizer. Many themes provide this feature, and it’s a safer way to add custom styles without touching theme files.
Remember, WordPress theming can be tricky. Don’t get discouraged if it takes a few attempts to get it right!
It sounds like your CSS might be getting overridden by more specific styles in the theme. Try using a more specific selector to target the menu items. Something like this could work:
.main-navigation .menu-item.sample a {
color: blue;
}
You may also need to add !important to override stubborn theme styles:
.main-navigation .menu-item.sample a {
color: blue !important;
}
If that doesn’t work, check your browser’s developer tools to see what styles are being applied and where they’re coming from. Sometimes themes use complex selectors that are hard to override.
As a last resort, you could try adding your custom styles to the Customizer’s Additional CSS section instead of editing the theme files directly. This ensures your styles load after the theme’s styles.