:visited

Summary

The :visited CSS pseudo-class lets you select only links that have been visited. This style may be overridden by any other link-related pseudo-classes, that is :link, :hover, and :active, appearing in subsequent rules. In order to style appropriately links, you need to put the :visited rule after the :link rule but before the other ones, defined in the LVHA-order: :link — :visited — :hover — :active. 

Note: For privacy reasons, browsers strictly limit the styles you can apply using an element selected by this pseudo-class: only color, background-color, border-color, border-bottom-color, border-left-color, border-right-color, border-top-color, outline-color, column-rule-color, fill and stroke. Note also that the alpha component will be ignored: the alpha component of the not-visited rule is used instead (except when the opacity is 0, in that case the whole color is ignored, and the one of the not-visited rule is used.

Though the color can be changed, the method getComputedStyle will lie and always give back the value of the non-visited color.

For more information on the limitations and the motivation for them, see Privacy and the :visited selector.

Examples

a:visited { color: #4b2f89; }
a:visited { background-color: white }

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
Selectors Level 4
:visited		 Working Draft No change.
Selectors Level 3
:visited		 Recommendation No change.
CSS Level 2 (Revision 1)
:visited		 Recommendation Lift the restriction to only apply it for <a> element. Let browsers restricts its behavior for privacy reasons.
CSS Level 1
:visited		 Recommendation Initial definition.

Browser compatibility

Feature Chrome Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari (WebKit)
Basic support 1.0 1.0 (1.7 or earlier) 3.5 3.5 1.0
Restrictions in CSS properties allowed in a statement using :visited 6 4.0 (2.0) 8 (or earlier) ? 5.0
Feature Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) IE Phone Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support ? 1.0 (1.0) ? ? ?

See also

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