How to remove only underline from a:before?

Asked 11/1, 2012 at 13:43 Answered 20/2, 2014 at 8:49

Solved html css hyperlink pseudo-element text-decorations

111

I have a set of styled links using the :before to apply an arrow.

It looks good in all browser, but when I apply the underline to the link, I don't want to have underline on the :before part (the arrow).

See jsfiddle for example: http://jsfiddle.net/r42e5/1/

Is it possible to remove this? The test-style I sat with #test p a:hover:before does get applied (according to Firebug), but the underline is still there.

Any way to avoid this?

#test {
  color: #B2B2B2;
}

#test p a {
  color: #B2B2B2;
  text-decoration: none;
}

#test p a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}

#test p a:before {
  color: #B2B2B2;
  content: "► ";
  text-decoration: none;
}

#test p a:hover:before {
  text-decoration: none;
}

<div id="test">
  <p><a href="#">A link</a></p>
  <p><a href="#">Another link</a></p>
</div>

Cosme answered 11/1, 2012 at 13:43 Comment(3)

Well, you obviously want a list... Use an UL element instead of the DIV/P combination. With lists you get the bullets (or discs, ... ) for free... – Toast 11/1, 2012 at 13:49

Why not to use list with custom bullets instead of paragraphs in your case? Otherwise apply before-content to parent p, not to link itself. – Daffodil 11/1, 2012 at 13:50

Possible duplicate of #8536515 – Winegar 27/6, 2013 at 15:20

197

Is it possible to remove this?

Yes, if you change the display style of the inline element from display:inline (the default) to display:inline-block:

#test p a:before {
    color: #B2B2B2;
    content: "► ";
    display:inline-block;
}

This is because the CSS specs say:

When specified on or propagated to an inline element, it affects all the boxes generated by that element, and is further propagated to any in-flow block-level boxes that split the inline (see section 9.2.1.1). […] For all other elements it is propagated to any in-flow children. Note that text decorations are not propagated to floating and absolutely positioned descendants, nor to the contents of atomic inline-level descendants such as inline blocks and inline tables.

(Emphasis mine.)

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/r42e5/10/

_{Thanks to @Oriol for providing the workaround that prompted me to check the specs and see that the workaround is legal.}

Rae answered 11/1, 2012 at 13:56 Comment(3)

You can override a text-decoration:underline applied to a parent element with display:inline-block. See an example: jsfiddle.net/aZdhN/1 . Then, asker's problem can be solved like this: https://mcmap.net/q/88457/-how-to-remove-only-underline-from-a-before – Winegar 27/6, 2013 at 15:31

As far as I can see, this does not work in Internet Explorer (tested 8-10). Any ideas how to deal with IE? – Ploy 17/10, 2013 at 17:8

I've found a solution that is working in IE8-11 too: https://mcmap.net/q/88457/-how-to-remove-only-underline-from-a-before – Deepdyed 20/2, 2014 at 8:50

There is a Bug in IE8-11, so using display:inline-block; alone won't work there.

I've found a solution for this bug, by explicitly setting text-decoration:underline; for the :before-content and then overwrite this rule again with text-decoration:none;

a {text-decoration:none;}
a:hover {text-decoration:underline;}
a:before {content:'>\a0'; text-decoration:underline; display:inline-block;}
a:before,
a:hover:before {text-decoration:none;}

Working example here: http://jsfiddle.net/95C2M/

Update: Since jsfiddle does not work with IE8 anymore, just paste this simple demo-code in a local html file and open it in IE8:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>demo</title>
    <style type="text/css">
        a {text-decoration:none;}
        a:hover {text-decoration:underline;}
        a:before {content:'>\a0'; text-decoration:underline; display:inline-block;}
        a:before,
        a:hover:before {text-decoration:none;}
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <a href="#">Testlink</a> With no Underline on hover under before-content
</body>
</html>

Deepdyed answered 20/2, 2014 at 8:49 Comment(8)

Had a case were IE8 underlining of a hyperlinked image could only be turned off by <img style="text-decoration:underline"> inside (and here was the key) <a style="padding:0; border:none;"> – Unsuspecting 13/7, 2014 at 21:26

Unfortunately that jsfiddle can't be verified in IE8 because jsfiddle doesn't work in IE8. – Assyria 20/1, 2015 at 19:4

Unfortunately I could not find any online code sharing tool that still works with IE8. I've added a code snipped to the answer above which you can just paste into an html file and open it locally in IE8. – Deepdyed 21/1, 2015 at 16:34

Tested and approved on IE9, event without two different states. – Offen 25/9, 2015 at 10:52

Had a link with an icon in :before that was supposed to NOT be underlined in resting state, then be underlined on hover, but not the icon. Here is what I had to do to convince IE to get this right: a {text-decoration: none} a:before {text-decoration: underline} a:before {text-decoration: none} (yes really, first underline, then overwrite with none) a:hover {text-decration: underline} a:hover:before {text-decoration: none} – Placeeda 8/7, 2016 at 9:10

This was the only solution that worked for me on IE11 without additional markup. Thanks! – Montsaintmichel 4/4, 2017 at 8:24

I don't get why it's working. It's so dumb, that I can't stop laughing but more important it has solved my problem. I've tried also other solutions but with no success. Thanks. – Fontenot 17/7, 2017 at 12:27

Sadly doesn't seem to work in combination with :nth-child in IE. Edit: Never mind! As long as you set the style before the nth-loop its fine! – Deciduous 19/8, 2017 at 19:46

You can do it adding the following to the :before element:

display: inline-block;
white-space: pre-wrap;

With display: inline-block the underline disappears. But then the problem is that the space after the triangle collapses and is not shown. To fix it, you can use white-space: pre-wrap or white-space: pre.

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/r42e5/9/

Winegar answered 27/6, 2013 at 15:19 Comment(1)

+1 for the pre-wrap hint. I was using content:'►\a0' (\a0 =  ) – Iatrochemistry 25/9, 2013 at 4:36

Wrap your links in spans and add the text-decoration to the span on the a:hover like this,

a:hover span {
   text-decoration:underline;
}

I have updated your fiddle to what I think you are trying to do. http://jsfiddle.net/r42e5/4/

Mervinmerwin answered 11/1, 2012 at 13:47 Comment(3)

Good idea. That was how I did it before. The problem is that this link is produced in a cms-system and our customers are filling this in as rich-text themselves. – Cosme 11/1, 2012 at 13:49

what language is the CMS? Could get it to spit out link and then wrap it in a span before sending it to the browser? – Mervinmerwin 11/1, 2012 at 13:50

The company is using modx. I guess I could do that as a last way out, but I really wanted to void that. Guess it's not possible. Thanks anyways. – Cosme 11/1, 2012 at 14:11

-3

try using instead:

#test p:before {
    color: #B2B2B2;
    content: "► ";
    text-decoration: none;
}

will that do?

Postpone answered 11/1, 2012 at 13:48 Comment(1)

I have may paragraphs in my div, so that won't work. Good idea tho. – Cosme 11/1, 2012 at 14:9

-5

use this

#test  p:before {
    color: #B2B2B2;
    content: "► ";

}

Satisfactory answered 11/1, 2012 at 13:55 Comment(1)

does not do anything. the text-decoration is ignored. – Cosme 11/1, 2012 at 14:10

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Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/r42e5/10/

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