If you are familiar with HTML tags, you can use the same technique not only to edit text on web pages, but also to replace images, change formatting styles, and much more. To use this feature, you can copy the HTML or CSS you want to experiment with and paste it into your web page or a test page, or you can save it to your computer along with the web page for editing and experimenting with it there. Once you close or reload the page, the changes will disappear; you'll only see the changes on your computer and you won't be editing the actual website itself. Inspect Elements allows you to modify the appearance and content of a web page by adding temporary edits to your site's CSS and HTML files.
We have only scratched the surface of what the live editing functionality of Chrome DevTools is capable of, especially in the CSS domain. Chrome's inspection tool technique is useful for making a couple of quick edits, but if you're making multiple text changes on a web page, there's a better approach. Depending on the browser you are using, you may have the option of saving the editing web file to your desktop. Web pages are read-only, but I knew that it is possible to edit the content of a web page directly in your web browser.
One of the most useful functions of DevTools for web developers is the ability to edit in real time the HTML and CSS of a page. This step-by-step tutorial explains how you can easily edit the content of any web page with Developer Tools. Your first instinct may be to hit the Escape key, but this will prevent you from editing while discarding your changes. In this tutorial on how to configure the default text editor in SpiceWorks Firefox, you can view the source of the page and edit it in your text editor quickly and easily.
With the live editing functionality of Chrome DevTools, I added a div placeholder containing only the letter “X” as an impromptu temporary check mark. The process involved a bit of trial and error, but the live editing made the iteration cycle very short, which was particularly useful for a CSS beginner like me. Editing text is practical, exchanging images is fun, and changing colors and styles can help you quickly create the changes you want to make to your site.
