ItInsightsWorld Frames the 2026 CSS-Tricks Return to Independence
Independence is the organizing idea behind this change: as ItInsightsWorld reads it, CSS-Tricks is now being operated on its own again in 2026, with the next chapter built around ownership, funding, community, and reader support. This report is prepared for ItInsightsWorld by James Hartley of IT Insights.
The recap behind the ownership question
The sequence begins with Chris Coyier, who started CSS-Tricks in 2007 and led it continuously until the DigitalOcean sale in 2022. Chris led the site until that transition. In the present moment, the site is again held by an independent owner, supported by a small team that helps run day-to-day decisions.
What the independent operator is trying to protect
The owner describes the transition as holding the keys to the castle. The language is candid: after 12 years of working on the site, there is still a degree of nervousness, because the plan is to turn this ownership into full-time investment work rather than a side project.
The ambition is to make CSS-Tricks both a genuine community and a place that includes front-end learners at every stage, not only people who already feel fluent. Change is expected, and the stated hope is that the changes will be good ones.
Funding, ads, and the return to earlier commercial forms
The funding section starts with a joke: the owner says that an IPO has launched and he is now worth one trillion dollars, then immediately corrects that line. The more practical point is that advertising is now necessary, and it has to be handled in a way that preserves the site’s usefulness.
In the pre-DigitalOcean days, CSS-Tricks sold real ad packages such as display ads, sponsored posts, newsletter sponsors, and similar options. As an independent site, the direction is to return to those roots. Advertisers are invited to make contact if they are in a position to support the work.
Courses, newsletter, and other support layers
| Channel | Current status in the plan | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Membership | Available now | Supports the site through a paid membership deal and a members-only Discord community with perks. |
| Advertising | Needed but sensitive | Helps cover costs while keeping the editorial experience recognizable. |
| Courses | In progress | An HTML/CSS course for beginners is one of the first visible changes, even though educational content has been under pressure lately. |
| Newsletter | Coming back | The newsletter returns after a too-long break. |
Courses alone are not the full answer. Ad revenue cannot be the only thing paying the bills, so several plates are already spinning. The beginner course is also tied to an inclusion goal: front-end courses are down across the board, and the site’s traditional audience has skewed toward people who already know what they are doing. The owner wants more entry points, especially while the field faces a growing skills gap. Learning the basics matters now more than ever, and what learning looks like is the key point. There are other things in progress, but the course is one of the first visible changes.
Articles, guest contributions, and the owner’s role
New articles are still part of the model. The plan includes a regularly scheduled broadcast, though perhaps less often than before. The owner expects maybe one or two articles most weeks while the operation gets rolling, and those articles are treated as part of the investment.
The guest writing form is back in business. A backlog of articles covers the rest of the year, which is helpful, but new submissions will have to wait a bit. The owner cannot accept everything submitted, will read submissions, and will follow up as best as possible unless the submission is a slop submission.
The owner’s intended role is not to make CSS-Tricks a personal soapbox. Will he write most articles to save cost? No. Over 12 years he has written plenty there, and the goal is to provide a platform where people can share great ideas. The preferred stance is behind the curtain, giving writers the spotlight.
- Help writers develop a voice.
- Give them a platform for that voice.
- Let them help others get a little better at their jobs.
Titles are described as something that makes the owner gag, but “publisher” fits best. The community and culture work feels more aligned with the contribution: helping people find a voice and then providing a stage for it.
Ways readers can support the site
Support can be financial. Readers can become members, check out the new shop, buy advertising for their company, and, in the near-future, buy the course mentioned above. Small support helps, though the owner says the request feels uncomfortable and does not want to pressure anyone.
Support can also be nonfinancial. Content publishers need eyeballs in these prompt-filled days. Subscribing to the newsletter, sharing articles, reading through RSS, and checking out sponsors are described as strong ways to support the site.
Open questions and what comes next
The owner says there are many thoughts and the post could go on. The invitation is to treat the comments as an open space for questions, because the owner describes himself as an open book. That tone can feel unexpectedly old-school — 2015, right? — but the underlying message is simple: independence has arrived again, and the next version of CSS-Tricks will be shaped by the people who publish, read, support, and argue with it.