CSS-Tricks is an independent site once again.

Just to recap: DigitalOcean purchased CSS-Tricks in 2022 from Chris Coyier, who founded the site in 2007. Chris ran it all the way up to that purchase.

Here we are in 2026, and the site is under new independent ownership, with a small team helping with day-to-day management.

Some things will change — planned changes, and hopefully very good ones. Here’s a rundown of the most pressing questions.

Do you, like, own the site now?

Yes. And even after 12 years of working on the site, it’s a little overwhelming. It’s an investment, and it’s become a full-time job — at least for a while.

The goal is to make CSS-Tricks both a real community and a place that’s inclusive of everyone, no matter where they are in their front-end learning journey. That’s going to take some work and time.

How can you afford this?

It’s going to be hard. Advertising will certainly be needed. But in order to keep the lights on, it has to be approached differently.

In the pre-DigitalOcean days, CSS-Tricks sold real ad packages — display ads, sponsored posts, newsletter sponsors, and the like. As an independent website, it will need to return to those advertising roots. If you’re looking to advertise, please reach out.

What about other revenue?

Ad revenue can’t be the only thing paying the bills. One effort already underway is developing an HTML/CSS course for beginners. You can also become a member to support the site directly.

Educational content has been struggling lately, but the aim is for CSS-Tricks to be more inclusive regardless of where someone is in their learning journey. The site has traditionally catered to folks who already know what they’re doing, but there’s a genuine commitment to creating more entry points for those getting started — particularly as our field faces a growing skills gap.

Learning the basics is more important now than ever, but how that learning happens is what matters. Front-end courses are down across the board, so it has to be done differently.

The newsletter is also coming back after a long hiatus.

What about publishing new articles?

Articles are still very much happening, though perhaps a bit less frequently than before — expect one or two most weeks, at least while things get rolling.

The guest writing form is back in business. There’s already a solid backlog of articles through the rest of the year, which means new submissions will need to wait a bit, but every submission will be read and followed up on — as long as it isn’t AI-generated filler.

Will you be writing most of the articles?

No. The goal is to make CSS-Tricks a platform that gives people a voice to share great ideas. The role is more publisher than author — fingers in all the bowls, but with the most important responsibilities being:

  • Helping writers develop a voice, and
  • giving them a platform to use that voice, so that
  • they help others get a little better at their jobs.

How can readers help?

Support doesn’t have to be financial. Sharing articles, clicking through from RSS, and engaging with sponsors are all meaningful ways to help. For those who want to go further, there’s a membership with a members-only Discord community and perks, a shop, and advertising options for companies.

It’s a new chapter for CSS-Tricks, and the comments are open for anyone with questions.