How combo classes can ruin your Webflow site and how to avoid it
Using utility classes incorrectly in Webflow can lead to site-wide issues, messy code, and poor maintainability. Prioritize custom classes to maintain control and flexibility, ensuring efficient site management and future-proofing.
Key Points from this video:
Misuse of Utility Classes:
- Directly applying utility classes to elements can unintentionally affect multiple elements.
- Leads to a confusing mix of combo classes, making the site hard to manage.
Impact on Maintainability:
- Changing an element's class requires removing and reapplying multiple utility classes.
- Overusing utilities for simple elements defeats the purpose of global reuse.
Development Restrictions:
- Over-reliance on utilities leads to plain, templated sites.
- Utilities cannot solve for every situation, creating unused CSS.
- Solution: Webflow Variables:
- Store values in reusable variables for consistency across custom classes.
- Apply values on specific breakpoints or states without limitations.
Utility Classes Pros:
- Speeds up workflow by quickly applying existing styles.
- Keeps code cleaner and faster-loading by reusing classes.
Best Practice:
- Ensure every element has a custom class.
- Custom classes add no extra code unless styles are applied.
Future-Proofing:
- Custom classes allow for easy, site-wide changes without affecting global styles.
- Simplifies updating elements like headings and containers without disrupting the site.
Efficient Class Management:
- Use custom classes first, then apply utility classes for specific styles.
- Rename classes to change styles site-wide without extra steps.
Practical Tips:
- If renaming classes causes a bug, temporarily change the class name and revert.
- Use custom classes to set a base, then layer utility classes for specific changes.
Conclusion:
Always prioritize custom classes to maintain control, flexibility, and clean code in your Webflow projects, ensuring efficient site management and future-proofing.