Clarify that the universal selector does not match pseudo-elements

[codersjj]

Description

Add note clarifying that the universal selector does not match pseudo-elements.

This PR adds a clarification note to the Universal selector (*) documentation to explain that it matches elements only, not pseudo-elements. This helps avoid the common misunderstanding that the universal selector can directly select pseudo-elements.

Motivation

The current MDN page states that:

“The CSS universal selector (*) matches elements of any type.”

However:

• It does not explicitly distinguish “elements” from “pseudo-elements”.
• Developers often confuse *::before with “universal selector matching pseudo-elements”.
• In reality, *::before means “match all elements, then apply the ::before pseudo-element”.

This PR adds a concise NOTE block clarifying this behavior.

Additional details

CSS Selectors Level 4

1. Universal selector definition:

• “The universal selector represents an element of any element type.”

2. Pseudo-elements:

• "a pseudo-element represents an element not directly present in the document tree. They are used to create abstractions about the document tree beyond those provided by the document tree."
• “Pseudo-elements do not exist independently in the tree: they are always bound to another element on the page, called their originating element.”

These specifications collectively establish that pseudo-elements are abstract representations bound to originating elements rather than actual elements in the document tree, therefore the universal selector—which exclusively targets elements—cannot match pseudo-elements directly.

Related issues and pull requests

[github-actions]

Preview URLs

• /en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/Selectors/Universal_selectors

Flaws (2)

URL: /en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/Selectors/Universal_selectors
Title: Universal selectors
Flaw count: 2

• macros:
  • Macro produces link /en-US/docs/Web/CSS/@namespace which is a redirect
  • Macro produces link /en-US/docs/Web/CSS/::before which is a redirect

(comment last updated: 2025-11-17 17:33:16)

[chrisdavidmills]

@codersjj You are correct, and I think this is a good addition to the page. However, I feel that your second and last sentences are a bit repetitive. I've provided some suggestions for fixing this problem and making the provided example a bit clearer/more instructive.

Let me know what you think.

[codersjj]

@codersjj You are correct, and I think this is a good addition to the page. However, I feel that your second and last sentences are a bit repetitive. I've provided some suggestions for fixing this problem and making the provided example a bit clearer/more instructive.

Let me know what you think.

@chrisdavidmills LGTM! 👍

[chrisdavidmills]

Looking good, thanks @codersjj! Let's get this merged.