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How can I create a CSS-only tooltip that appears on hover?

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How can I create a CSS-only tooltip that appears on hover?

Asked on Mar 06, 2026

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To create a CSS-only tooltip that appears on hover, you can use the `:hover` pseudo-class to display a hidden element. This involves positioning the tooltip text relative to the element it describes.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
    <div class="tooltip">
      Hover over me
      <span class="tooltiptext">Tooltip text</span>
    </div>

    <style>
      .tooltip {
        position: relative;
        display: inline-block;
        cursor: pointer;
      }

      .tooltiptext {
        visibility: hidden;
        width: 120px;
        background-color: black;
        color: #fff;
        text-align: center;
        border-radius: 5px;
        padding: 5px 0;
        position: absolute;
        z-index: 1;
        bottom: 125%; /* Position the tooltip above the text */
        left: 50%;
        margin-left: -60px;
        opacity: 0;
        transition: opacity 0.3s;
      }

      .tooltip:hover .tooltiptext {
        visibility: visible;
        opacity: 1;
      }
    </style>
    <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

The `.tooltip` class is used to wrap the element that will trigger the tooltip.
The `.tooltiptext` class is initially hidden and becomes visible on hover.
Positioning is achieved using `position: absolute` for the tooltip text, and `position: relative` for the parent.
Transitions are used for a smooth fade-in effect.

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How can I create a CSS-only tooltip that appears on hover?

Asked on Mar 06, 2026

Answer

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