CSS Variable Extractor
Extract all CSS custom properties from any stylesheet online for free with our css variable extractor. Instantly find every --variable declaration, filter by selector scope, sort alphabetically, and export as CSS, JSON, TypeScript, SCSS, or Markdown — no signup required.
Paste your CSS stylesheet and click Extract. The tool finds every --custom-property declaration, groups them by selector, and exports them in your chosen format — CSS block, JSON, JavaScript object, TypeScript const, SCSS map, or Markdown table. All extraction runs locally in your browser.
Why Use Our CSS Variable Extractor?
Fast, accurate, and multi-format CSS custom property extraction
Instant CSS Variable Extraction
Our CSS variable extractor scans your entire stylesheet and finds every --custom-property declaration in milliseconds. Extract CSS variables from any stylesheet — design systems, component libraries, or theme files — instantly in your browser.
Secure CSS Variable Extractor Online
All CSS variable extraction runs entirely in your browser. Your stylesheet code never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy when you extract CSS variables online.
CSS Variable Extractor — No Installation
Use our CSS variable extractor directly in any browser with no downloads, plugins, or account required. Extract CSS custom properties from any device — desktop, tablet, or mobile — for free.
7 Export Formats for Every Workflow
Our CSS variable extractor exports to CSS :root blocks, JSON, JavaScript objects, TypeScript const objects, SCSS maps, flat lists, and Markdown tables — covering design token pipelines, documentation, and code generation workflows.
Common Use Cases for CSS Variable Extractor
From design tokens to TypeScript — CSS variable extraction for every workflow
Design Token Documentation
Design system teams use our CSS variable extractor to generate Markdown tables of all design tokens from their stylesheet. Export every --color, --spacing, and --font variable into a documentation-ready format instantly.
Design Token Pipeline Integration
Frontend engineers use our CSS variable extractor to export CSS custom properties as JSON for integration with design token tools like Style Dictionary, Theo, or custom build pipelines.
Theme Migration & Refactoring
Developers migrating between CSS frameworks or refactoring theme files use our CSS variable extractor to audit all custom properties in a stylesheet. Identify every variable, its value, and which selector it belongs to.
TypeScript Design System Integration
TypeScript developers use our CSS variable extractor to generate type-safe const objects from their CSS variables. Get autocomplete and type checking for CSS custom property names in your TypeScript code.
SCSS Design System Conversion
Teams converting CSS custom properties to SCSS variables use our extractor to generate SCSS maps from their :root declarations. Export all CSS variables as a SCSS $map ready for use in your SCSS codebase.
Dark Mode & Theme Auditing
Developers building dark mode themes use our CSS variable extractor to compare variables across selectors. Filter by :root vs. [data-theme="dark"] to see exactly which variables are overridden in each theme.
Understanding CSS Variable Extraction
How CSS custom properties work and how our extractor finds them
What are CSS Custom Properties (CSS Variables)?
CSS custom properties (also called CSS variables) are entities defined by CSS authors that contain specific values to be reused throughout a document. They are set using the -- prefix (e.g. --color-primary: #3b82f6) and accessed using the var() function. CSS custom properties are defined within a CSS selector — most commonly :root for global scope — and cascade like any other CSS property. Our CSS variable extractor scans your entire stylesheet and finds every custom property declaration, regardless of which selector it appears in.
How Our CSS Variable Extractor Works
- Paste Your CSS: Enter any CSS stylesheet — a full design system file, a component stylesheet, or a theme file. Our css variable extractor accepts any valid CSS including minified stylesheets, multi-selector rules, and nested custom property declarations.
- Instant Browser-Based Extraction: Click Extract Variables and the tool scans every line for
--property: valuepatterns, tracks which selector each variable belongs to, and applies your scope and sort filters. All processing runs locally in your browser — your CSS never leaves your device. - Copy or Download the Output: The extracted CSS variables are displayed in your chosen format. Copy to clipboard or download as a
.css,.json,.ts, or.scssfile.
What the CSS Variable Extractor Outputs
- CSS :root Block: Groups extracted variables by selector and formats them as valid CSS blocks — ready to paste directly into a stylesheet or design token file.
- JSON / JavaScript / TypeScript: Exports variables as key-value objects for use in design token pipelines, JavaScript theming systems, or TypeScript codebases with type-safe variable name references.
- SCSS Map: Generates a
$css-variablesSCSS map for use in SCSS-based design systems, enabling programmatic access to CSS variable values in SCSS functions and mixins. - Markdown Table: Creates a documentation-ready table with variable name, value, and selector columns — perfect for style guides, design system documentation, and code review references.
Scope Filtering and Sort Options
The scope filter lets you extract only :root variables (global design tokens), only non-:root variables (component-level overrides), or all variables from the entire stylesheet. The sort options let you order variables by source order (as they appear in the CSS), alphabetically by name, or grouped by selector — making it easy to organize large design systems with hundreds of custom properties.
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Frequently Asked Questions About CSS Variable Extractor
Common questions about CSS custom property extraction and how our tool works
A CSS variable extractor is a tool that scans a CSS stylesheet and finds every --custom-property declaration, along with its value and the selector it belongs to. Our CSS variable extractor supports 7 output formats including CSS blocks, JSON, TypeScript, SCSS maps, and Markdown tables — all running locally in your browser.
CSS custom properties are entities defined with a -- prefix (e.g. --color-primary: #3b82f6) that store reusable values in a CSS stylesheet. They are accessed using the var() function and cascade like regular CSS properties. They are widely used for design tokens, theming, and dark mode implementations.
Yes. Our CSS variable extractor finds custom properties in any CSS selector — :root, [data-theme="dark"], .component, @media queries, and more. Use the scope filter to extract only :root variables, only non-:root variables, or all variables from the entire stylesheet.
Absolutely. All CSS variable extraction runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your stylesheet code never leaves your device and is never transmitted to any server. You can safely extract variables from proprietary design systems and private codebases.
Yes — our CSS variable extractor is 100% free with no signup, no account, no premium tier, and no usage limits. Extract CSS variables from any stylesheet, at no cost.
The CSS variable extractor supports 7 output formats: CSS :root block (ready to paste into a stylesheet), flat list (name: value), JSON object (for design token pipelines), SCSS $map (for SCSS design systems), JavaScript object, TypeScript const object (with type export), and Markdown table (for documentation).
Yes. The CSS variable extractor handles minified CSS where all declarations are on a single line. The extractor uses pattern matching rather than line-by-line parsing, so it correctly identifies --property: value patterns regardless of whitespace or formatting.
The TypeScript output generates a const object with all CSS variable names as keys and their values as strings, plus a CSSVariableKey type alias using keyof typeof. This gives you autocomplete and type checking for CSS variable names in your TypeScript code when building theming systems or design token utilities.
The CSS variable extractor treats each selector as a separate scope. If --color-primary appears in both :root and [data-theme="dark"], both declarations are extracted separately with their respective selectors. Use the scope filter to focus on a specific selector context.