I had a similar issue, I believe the problem was coming from the name of my CSS folder in which I had the CSS file. The folder was named "CSS", I'm not sure why it was causing issues but when I put my css file into my "js" folder it worked perfectly fine. Then I created a new folder named "myCSS" and it worked still. This is a weird workaround but it solved my issue and it may be useful to someone else.

also for the link I just had <link rel="stylesheet" href="myCSS/style.css" />

Answer from DaltonR on Stack Overflow
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freeCodeCamp
forum.freecodecamp.org › html-css
My CSS isn't working - HTML-CSS - The freeCodeCamp Forum
June 5, 2022 - Tell us what’s happening: t The effects of my CSS isn’t showing even though i’ve linked my CSS to HTML. This also happened on the previous project where i had completed my HTML codes, who knows what’s wrong? Describe your issue in detail here. **Your code so far** /* file: index.html ...
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meyerweb
meyerweb.com › eric › articles › webrev › 199904.html
Help! My CSS Isn't Working!
Either of the CSS validators listed above will catch this too. Another very common author error is the tendency to put HTML in places it shouldn't be-- especially external stylesheets. If you are LINKing or @importing a stylesheet, then there should be no HTML whatsoever in that stylesheet. That includes HTML comments, the <STYLE> tag, or anything else. So assume that you have the following file, called mystyles.css, which you're importing into HTML documents.
Find elsewhere
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
🎨 Why is My CSS Not Working in HTML? (Quick Fix) - YouTube
🎨 Why is My CSS Not Working in HTML? (Quick Fix)Are your styles not showing up? Don’t worry — in this quick video, we’ll walk you through the most common re...
Published   April 21, 2025
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/html › why isn't my css file linking to my html page?
r/HTML on Reddit: Why isn't my CSS file linking to my HTML page?
April 20, 2022 -

I have two files in the same folder.

index.html and style.css

When the CSS is inside the HTML code itself, it works just fine.

<!DOCTYPE HTML>

<html>

<head>

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
    <title>Title</title>

</head>

<body>

    <div class="header">
        <h1> Heading </h1>
    </div>

</body>

</html>

What's wrong then? I've removed <style> and every other HTML code from the CSS as it should be, yet nothing works.

I tried replacing href with src - still nothing happens.

Appreciate any help!

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freeCodeCamp
forum.freecodecamp.org › html-css
CSS not working in HTML, help please - HTML-CSS - The freeCodeCamp Forum
March 31, 2018 - This is my first attempt at coding and I do not understand why the CSS is not working. As you can see, I used CSS selector to style an element and as well as classes. However, when I load the .html, classes do not wor…
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Position Is Everything
positioniseverything.net › home › css not linking to html: explaining 13 reasons and their solutions
CSS Not Linking to HTML: Explaining 13 Reasons and Their Solutions - Position Is Everything
December 29, 2025 - If the rel attribute is missing, your CSS will fail to work, as you will be able to see if you run this code: The fix for this error is to write “stylesheet” with no “s” at the end. In case you didn’t notice it, read this section’s title again, this time pay attention to the names. Did you spot the error? There is an extra “s” in the second stylesheet. When you make this mistake, it will result in HTML not linking to CSS, as happened when running the coding example below:
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sebhastian
sebhastian.com › css-not-linking-html
How to fix CSS not linking to your HTML document | sebhastian
August 17, 2021 - Here are six fixes that you can try to make your CSS work on your HTML page · When you add an external CSS file to your HTML document, you need to add the rel="stylesheet" attribute to the <link> tag to make it work.
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SitePoint
sitepoint.com › html & css
CSS not loading - HTML & CSS - SitePoint Forums | Web Development & Design Community
It sounds to me like you are loading other HTML and CSS instead of just copying the above “working page” to a new file with an HTML suffix and double-clicking the new file to open it in your browser. For your first test run on the code that I posted, copy and paste the “working page” to a new file on your computer. Give that file a .htm or .html suffix and double-click it to open it in your browser. It should open instantly. Make a screen shot if it does not resemble my screen shot.
Published   May 19, 2018
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Team Treehouse
teamtreehouse.com › community › my-stylescss-isnt-being-applied
My styles.css isn't being applied (Example) | Treehouse Community
February 26, 2017 - Everything else has worked as planned in this project. ... I spent ages with the same problem. Turns out there was a typo in the actual "styles.css" file - ":" instead of a ";". Damn stupid mistake. ... Hoping to save people the pain and heartbreak AND time that I experienced from a small but important error - check that your STATIC folder is under the project folder and not hiding in the LAYOUTS folder.
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Alyamanalhayekdesign
alyamanalhayekdesign.com › home › why won’t my css link to my html?
Why Won't My CSS Link to My HTML? - Alyaman Alhayek Design
July 1, 2021 - According to experienced coders, if the CSS file is not saved to the same folder as the HTML, then the path to the CSS will not work properly. Also, if you do not specify in the HTML that the CSS file is in a different folder and file than the ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/webdev › help needed - html + css files not linking
Help needed - HTML + CSS files not linking : r/webdev
February 2, 2024 - You are trying to style the html and the head element which shouldn’t be done. You style only what the website shows and that’s all in the body element · AWS data centre got hit by missiles and this is how they frame it lmaoo
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WPForms
wpforms.com › docs › styling › troubleshooting css
Troubleshooting CSS - WPForms
May 21, 2024 - In this situation, the browser prefers the specificity of the default CSS over the !important rule, so this CSS will not be applied to your site. Let’s look at an example where adding the !important rule does work. By default, the asterisk (*) that marks a ‘required’ field in WPForms will be red: Here is the CSS that creates that style (#ff0000 is a hex code for the color red):
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Fix CSS Not Working in Your Website 👌 | Website CSS Not Updating Fix | HTML and CSS Tutorial - YouTube
If you experience your CSS not being updated in your website, then this video should help you troubleshoot why it isn't updating. 🙂 Hard Refresh shortcuts: ...
Published   March 18, 2023
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DhiWise
dhiwise.com › post › why-is-my-css-not-linking-to-my-html-troubleshooting-guide
Why is My CSS Not Linking to My HTML:Solved
October 10, 2024 - But fear not! Understanding the intricacies of linking CSS files to your HTML documents is the first step towards resolving this issue. This blog will walk you through the basics of CSS and HTML, help you check your CSS file and link it correctly to your HTML, and dive into common mistakes and how to avoid them. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to ensure your stylesheets and HTML work ...