The @counter-style rule's prefix descriptor specifies content that will be added to the beginning of the counter's marker representation.

When the counter value is negative, the prefix comes before the negative sign and any other <symbol>s added by the negative descriptor.

Syntax

/* <symbol> value: string, image, or identifier */
prefix: "»";
prefix: "Page ";
prefix: url("bullet.png");

Values

The prefix descriptor takes as its value a single <symbol>:

<symbol>

Specifies a <symbol> — a <string>, <image>, or <custom-ident> — that is prepended to the marker representation.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

prefix = 
  <symbol>  

<symbol> = 
  <string>        |
  <image>         |
  <custom-ident>  

<image> = 
  <url>       |
  <gradient>  

<url> = 
  <url()>  |
  <src()>  

<url()> = 
  url( <string> <url-modifier>* )  |
  <url-token>                      

<src()> = 
  src( <string> <url-modifier>* )  

Examples

Adding a prefix to a counter

In this example, each counter number is prefixed by "Book " (with a space) and followed by a colon (:). The colon is added with the suffix descriptor.

HTML

<ol class="books">
  <li>Flamer, by Mike Curato</li>
  <li>Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe</li>
  <li>Tricks, by Ellen Hopkins</li>
  <li>The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood</li>
  <li>Crank, by Ellen Hopkins</li>
</ol>

CSS

@counter-style books {
  system: numeric;
  symbols: "0" "1" "2" "3" "4" "5" "6" "7" "8" "9";
  prefix: "Book ";
  suffix: ": ";
}

.books {
  list-style: books;
  padding-left: 15ch;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• Other @counter-style descriptors: system, symbols, additive-symbols, negative, suffix, range, pad, speak-as, and fallback
• list-style, list-style-image, list-style-position
• symbols(): the functional notation for creating anonymous counter styles
• CSS counter styles module
• CSS lists and counters module