Stylus Compiler
Compile Stylus into browser-ready CSS with variable resolution, nesting flattening, and mixin expansion — all client-side.
Last updated: May 25, 2026
Stylus compilation runs locally in your browser. Your pasted Stylus and generated CSS are not uploaded.
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Buy me a coffeeWhat is Stylus Compiler?
A Stylus Compiler converts Stylus source code into standard CSS. Stylus is a CSS preprocessor famous for its flexible syntax: colons, semicolons, and braces are all optional, variables are declared with simple `name = value` assignments, and mixins are plain identifiers followed by parentheses. It also supports nested selectors, parent references (`&`), and at-rules such as `@media`.
This compiler runs entirely in your browser. It first normalises the Stylus source — auto-detecting the indent unit, adding the punctuation CSS requires, rewriting variable assignments as `$name: value;`, and prefixing bare identifier references with `$` when they match a declared variable — and then compiles the resulting SCSS into CSS. Variable references are substituted, nested selectors flatten into descendant rules, and mixin bodies are inlined wherever they are called.
It is meant for quick compilations of common Stylus stylesheets — converting a Stylus snippet from a tutorial into a static page, prototyping CSS from a Stylus partial, or sanity-checking how nesting will collapse. Stylus features that need a full compiler (transparent mixins, control flow, built-in colour and math helpers, `@block`-style assignments) are not evaluated; for those use the official Stylus CLI.
How to Use Stylus Compiler
Paste Stylus into the input panel, or click Load Sample.
The compiled CSS appears instantly on the right as you type.
Inspect how variables, mixins, and nested rules collapse into CSS.
Copy the CSS or download it as a .css file.
Replace any unsupported Stylus features manually for production.
Common Use Cases
- Compile a Stylus component snippet into plain CSS for a static page.
- Test how Stylus variables, nested selectors, and mixins resolve into CSS.
- Produce a quick CSS file from a Stylus partial without installing the Stylus CLI.
- Convert documentation examples from Stylus into browser-ready CSS.
- Sanity-check indentation and bare-identifier handling before committing.
Example Input and Output
Compile a small Stylus stylesheet with a mixin and nesting into plain CSS.
primary = #0f766e
pill()
padding 4px 12px
border-radius 999px
.tag
pill()
color primary.tag {
padding: 4px 12px;
border-radius: 999px;
color: #0f766e;
}How This Tool Works
The compiler runs Stylus source through a normaliser that detects the indent unit (or brace style), collects `name = value` assignments into a variable table, rewrites Stylus mixin definitions and calls into SCSS-style @mixin/@include, and adds the colons, semicolons, and braces SCSS expects. The resulting SCSS is then compiled to CSS by flattening nested rules, expanding & parent references, substituting $variable references, and inlining mixin bodies. @media, @supports, @container, and @keyframes blocks are preserved as wrappers with their contents flattened.
Technical Stack
Compiler scope
This compiler covers the most common authoring features — variables, nesting, mixins, and at-rules. For Stylus control flow, transparent mixins, and built-in helpers, use the official Stylus CLI.
Flexible syntax
Stylus accepts indented and brace-style input, and the compiler handles both. Stick to one style per file for the most predictable output.
Privacy
All compilation happens locally in your browser. No Stylus or CSS is transmitted to any server.