Editorial Policy
How we review and list tools
Last updated: 10 August 2026
Every tool in the directory is reviewed manually against the same criteria — whether it's a free submission or a paid featured listing. This page documents exactly what that process looks like.
Our review criteria
A submission has to clear all four of these before it goes live — see the submission form for the exact fields we ask for.
It's live and functional
We open every submitted tool and use it before listing. Dead links, broken demos, or tools that don't do what they claim get rejected.
It's relevant to CSS/frontend
The directory is scoped to CSS, frontend development, and closely adjacent web design tooling — general-purpose software gets declined even if it's well-built.
It's genuinely useful, not a wrapper
Thin repackagings of an existing tool or library with no real added value don't get listed, regardless of how polished the submission page looks.
It's accurately described
The category, tags, and description have to match what the tool actually does — we edit submitted copy when it's inflated or inaccurate.
Review timeline
Free listings are reviewed on a first-come basis, typically within 7 days. Featured (paid) listings receive priority review, typically within 24 hours. If a submission is declined, we send a brief reason so you can fix the issue and resubmit — see our Contact page if you have questions about a decision.
Featured (paid) listings
Paying for a featured listing buys priority review and additional placement (homepage grid, top of category pages) — it does not buy approval. A tool still has to clear the same four criteria above regardless of tier, and payments for rejected featured submissions are refunded in full.
What paid placement never changes: the description, category, and tags for a listing reflect what the tool actually does — payment does not buy more favorable copy, a higher star rating, or exemption from the correction process below.
Advertising & how we make money
CSSAWWWARDS is funded by featured (paid) listings and a small amount of clearly labeled, self-managed display advertising. Advertisers and featured-listing customers have no influence over which free-tier tools get listed, how they're described, or editorial content like blog posts and guides.
Corrections & delisting
Tools change — pricing shifts, projects get abandoned, demos break. When we're notified (via the feedback icons on any tool page, or by email) that a listed tool is broken, discontinued, or materially changed, we re-review it and update or remove the listing accordingly. See Sources & References for how we source claims made in articles and comparison content.