Upvote button styles

The default Bear Blog theme keeps the upvote button simple, a small arrow icon with a count underneath. That leaves some room to give it a bit more personality.

This page collects small CSS tweaks and variations for Bear's built-in upvote button. Each one works out of the box, but they're just as much meant as a starting point. Mix and match, tweak the values, or use them to learn more about theme styling.

Last updated 1 day ago.

Inherit font size

/* Upvote: inherit font size | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button,
#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  font-size: inherit;
}

Pill

/* Upvote: pill | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.2em;
  padding: 0.2em 0.9em;
  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--text-color), transparent 92%);
  border-radius: 999px;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0.15em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

Star

/* Upvote: star | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  display: inline-flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.3rem;
  opacity: 0.9;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "☆";
  font-size: 1.5rem;
  line-height: 1;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  font-size: inherit;
  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover {
    opacity: 1;
  }

  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    color: var(--link-color);
    transform: scale(1.08);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] {
  opacity: 0.6;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "★";
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Inline

/* Upvote: inline | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.3em;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "▲";
  font-size: 1.8em;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  font-size: 1.2em;
  transform: translateY(0.25em);
}

Text

/* Upvote: text | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  padding-block: 0.3em;
  padding-inline: 0.6em;
  font-size: inherit;
  border: 1px solid;
  border-radius: 4px;
  opacity: 0.9;
  transition: color 0.15s ease, background 0.15s ease, border-color 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg,
#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "Like it?";
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover {
    color: var(--link-color);
    background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--link-color), transparent 94%);
    border-color: var(--link-color);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] {
  opacity: 0.6;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "Thank you!";
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Heart

/* Upvote: heart | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  font-size: calc(var(--font-scale) * 0.8);
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count::before {
  content: "♡";
  display: inline-block;
  margin-inline-end: 0.15em;
  font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
  font-size: 1.7em;
  color: var(--link-color);
  vertical-align: -0.11em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] .upvote-count {
  color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--text-color), transparent 40%);
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] .upvote-count::before {
  content: "♥";
  color: color-mix(in srgb, var(--text-color), transparent 40%);
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover .upvote-count::before {
    transform: scale(1.15);
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-count::before {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Thumbs up

/* Upvote: thumbs up | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0.3em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count::before {
  content: "👍";
  display: block;
  margin-block-end: 0.2em;
  font-size: 1.5em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover .upvote-count::before {
    transform: scale(1.15) rotate(-8deg);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] .upvote-count::before {
  transform: scale(1.1) rotate(-8deg);
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:hover .upvote-count::before,
  #upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] .upvote-count::before {
    transform: none;
  }
}

Outline

/* Upvote: outline | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.1em;
  margin-block-start: 1.5em;
  padding: 0.3em 0.9em;
  font-size: inherit;
  border: 1px solid;
  border-radius: 999px;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0;
  font-size: inherit;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:hover {
    border-color: var(--link-color);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] {
  border-color: var(--link-color);
}

Count first

/* Upvote: count first | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row-reverse;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.3em;
  margin-block-start: 1.7em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "🍞";
  display: inline-block;
  font-size: 1.3em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "🔥";
  transform: scale(1.1);
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    transform: scale(1.15) rotate(-6deg);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0.3em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Hover reveal

/* Upvote: hover reveal | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.1em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "♡";
  font-size: 1.6em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "♥";
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  display: inline-block;
  width: 1.5em;
  margin-block-start: 0.3em;
  font-size: inherit;
  opacity: 0;
  transition: opacity 0.2s ease;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:hover .upvote-count {
    opacity: 1;
  }

  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    transform: scale(1.15);
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] .upvote-count {
  opacity: 1;
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button::before,
  #upvote-form .upvote-count {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Icon only

/* Upvote: icon only | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "👏";
  font-size: 1.6em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "🙏";
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  display: none;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    transform: scale(1.15);
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Divider

/* Upvote: divider | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.8em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "♡";
  padding-inline-end: 0.6em;
  font-size: 1.4em;
  border-inline-end: 1px solid;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    content: "♥";
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "♥";
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0.1em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

Badge

/* Upvote: badge | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  position: relative;
  margin-block-start: 1.7em;
  font-size: inherit;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "♡";
  font-size: 1.8em;
  transition: transform 0.15s ease;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "♥";
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  position: absolute;
  inset-block-start: -0.4em;
  inset-inline-end: -0.6em;
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  min-width: 1.4em;
  height: 1.4em;
  padding-inline: 0.2em;
  font-size: 0.7em;
  line-height: 1;
  color: var(--background-color);
  background: var(--link-color);
  border-radius: 999px;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover::before {
    transform: scale(1.15);
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
    transition: none;
  }
}

Bordered box

/* Upvote: bordered box | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.1em;
  margin-block-start: 1.8em;
  padding: 0.4em 1em;
  font-size: inherit;
  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--code-background-color), transparent 80%);
  border: 2px dotted;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  margin-block-start: 0;
  font-size: inherit;
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:hover {
    border-style: solid;
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled] {
  border-style: solid;
}

Text link

/* Upvote: text link | robertbirming.com */
#upvote-form .upvote-button {
  flex-direction: row;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.3em;
  margin-block-start: 1.7em;
  font-size: 1.1em;
  color: var(--link-color);
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button svg {
  display: none;
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button::before {
  content: "♡ Upvote";
}

#upvote-form .upvote-button[disabled]::before {
  content: "♥ Upvoted";
}

@media (hover: hover) {
  #upvote-form .upvote-button:not([disabled]):hover {
    text-decoration: underline;
    text-underline-offset: 4px;
  }
}

#upvote-form .upvote-count {
  display: none;
}

Halloween jack-o'-lantern

A seasonal one: a pumpkin that flickers on hover, lights up when you upvote, and lets a startled bat fly out. Pure CSS, no scripts. You'll find the full code and the story behind it in Bear Halloween upvote button.

Have fun giving your readers a nicer way to say thanks.

Want more? Check out the full Bear Blog library.