Everyone has a different opinion which is great because it demonstrates the messy, non-linear craft that is thinking like a front-end developer.

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CSS-Tricks team members share their picks for the top 4 CSS properties they'd choose if limited to only four for building a website. Responses vary from typography-focused selections (font, color, padding) to layout-oriented choices (display, flex-direction, grid). The exercise reveals different developer priorities and approaches to web styling, with most favoring shorthand properties like font and background for maximum versatility within tight constraints.

What’re Your Top 4 CSS Properties?

I’m a huge fan of working with layouts using:
&quot; * { border: 1px solid green; } &quot;
Edit: really no love for this? This changed my life when someone first showed me lol. I’m still out here waiting on even a modest, “oh neat” 😂

Great question! My top 4 CSS properties would be:
display – because choosing between flex, grid, block, or inline sets the entire layout direction.
gap – an absolute game-changer for spacing without extra wrappers or margins.
color – simple but essential; it defines brand, accessibility, and overall visual clarity.
border-radius – because rounded corners make almost any UI feel more modern and friendly.
Amazing how these basic properties can completely shape the feel of a design!

Grid’s are great but for React Native, not having it is a big issue. Flex is great too but it’s the only way, cases change, limited resource.

<code>backdrop-filter: /* something, mostly often it is &quot;blur&quot; */</code> - I really love layering and transitioning, when something translucent blurs backward elements
<code>scroll-behavior: smooth</code> - I remember days when this could be done only using JS. And now literally in every modern browser this property saves so much time.
<code>box-sizing: border-box</code> - with this property the positioning of items goes like I imagine it while writing. Just a minimal and a perfect thing I start with in every vanilla project