Client‑First

What is Client‑First in the Webflow context?

Client‑First is a methodology for naming and organizing CSS classes specially designed for Webflow. It aims to structure Webflow projects in a clear, legible and easily maintainable manner, with an emphasis on ease of use by non-developer customers and collaborators. Rather than thinking of styles in purely technical terms, Client‑First prioritizes understanding design and content for those who will have to manage or modify the site after its creation.

This class convention allows for a clear hierarchical approach, where each class has an explicit name indicating its role. This method not only improves the speed of work, but also the collaboration between designers, developers, and end customers.

The key principles of the Client‑First Agreement

The Client‑First method is based on several simple but powerful rules:

• Functional naming: Each class describes the function or role of the element (e.g. btn-primary for a main button).
• Hierarchical organization: The classes follow a structure of blocks, elements, and modifiers similar to BEM, but adapted to Webflow.
• Modularity and reusability: The components are designed to be easily reused and combined without conflict.
• Standardized prefixes and suffixes: Client‑First uses conventions like -Wrap or -happy to clarify structural areas.
• Avoid duplication: Promote cascading and inheritance rather than redundant or unnecessarily redefined classes.

This convention aims to make the project intuitive for anyone, even unfamiliar with CSS or Webflow subtleties. It is particularly useful for sites that need to evolve or be corrected by several different users.

Benefits of Client‑First Methodology for Webflow

Adopting Client‑First in a Webflow project has several benefits:

In addition, the method is compatible with modern design systems and collaborative workflows, meeting the current requirements of low-code/no-code web development.

How do I use Client‑First in a Webflow project?

To apply Client‑First, here is a simple procedure:

• Define main blocks : Each major section is assigned a class block-name-wrap to encompass its contents.
• Structuring content : Inside the blocks, use block-name-content or block-name-inner to demarcate internal areas.
• Name functional elements : Buttons, titles, images, etc. receive functional and descriptive classes (btn-primary, Heading-main).
• Apply modifiers : For style variations, suffixes are used like btn-primary--large to specify the differences.
• Avoid unnecessary classes : Do not multiply classes without reason; favor simplicity and clarity.

A good reflex is also to use a palette of colors and fonts defined in global styles, thus reducing local redundancies.

Concrete example of Client‑First nomenclature

This clear organization allows anyone to immediately identify the role and level of each element, even without knowing the project in detail.

Conclusion

Client‑First is much more than just a naming style: it's a philosophy that makes it easy to create, maintain, and evolve Webflow sites. By adopting this convention, web creators ensure structured code, consistent design, and harmonious collaboration between developers, designers, and customers. This method perfectly meets the contemporary needs of the web, combining simplicity, efficiency and scalability.