How to Change a Web Site Visitor's Cursor

Visitors using Internet Explorer 4.0 or later can view different cursors on your Web page. This tutorial shows you how to change the cursor from the traditional arrow to a hand cursor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Modems
• Internet Access
• Microsoft Notepad
• Web Browsers

1. Start a text-editing program, such as Notepad or EditPad, and open the desired page.
2. Position the cursor at the point of insertion (after the body tag).
3. Type the following:
Position the cursor where you want the effect to end (for example, at the end of the line of text or at the end of the Web page).
4. Step5
   Close the style tag by typing the following:
5. Save the page and preview it in a browser.

Tips & Warnings

• Because many browsers make the hand cursor the default cursor when a viewer hovers over a link, this effect is best used when you have links that are not underlined or do not look like traditional links.
• You can find several other cursor styles, including right- or left-pointing arrow cursors and crosshair cursors by clicking on the Webmonkey Cursor Reference in the Related Sites section below. Although the page is titled "CSS Cursor Reference," the cursors can be used in any Web page viewed in Internet Explorer 4.0 or later.
• Internet Explorer 3.x and most other browsers do not recognize this effect. Viewers will see a regular arrow cursor.