---
title: "Style Marketo lead forms"
slug: "/help/demos/personalize/lead-forms/style-marketo-forms"
last_updated: "2026-02-11T16:07:33Z"
zendesk_id: 48969509534099
zendesk_url: "https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/48969509534099-Styling-Marketo-Lead-Forms-in-Walnut"
locale: "en-us"
category: "Connect and Optimize"
section: "Optimize"
product: "demos"
topic: "personalize/lead-forms"
displayed_sidebar: "demosSidebar"
sidebar_position: 9
tags: ["lead forms","marketo","embed lead forms"]
---

## **Overview**

This guide walks through how to style Marketo forms when they are embedded inside Walnut demos. There are **three supported styling approaches**: two managed directly in Marketo and one applied inside Walnut at the template level.

The right option depends on whether you want **global styling** across all uses of a form, or **experience-specific styling** that only applies inside Walnut.

**In this guide:**

-   [Overview](#h_overview)
-   [Styling Options in Marketo](#h_marketo_options)
-   [Styling Marketo Forms in Walnut](#h_walnut_option)
-   [Best Practices](#h_best_practices)

:::note[Looking for setup instructions? 🔨]

This article focuses on styling. For full lead form implementation guidance, see:

-   [**Embedding Marketo Lead Forms**](https://help.walnut.io/hc/en-us/articles/XXXXXXXXXX) 

:::

---

## **Marketo Form Styling**

Marketo forms can be styled in two locations:

-   **In Marketo:** Apply a pre-built theme or add custom CSS within the form’s settings in Marketo.
-   **In Walnut:** Add custom CSS inside a `



---

## **Best Practices & Considerations**

-   **Understand scope:** CSS added in Walnut applies only to the template where it is defined. Marketo styling applies globally wherever the form is used.
-   **Keep global styles in Marketo (if possible):** Use Marketo for foundational branding and consistency. Reserve Walnut CSS for demo-specific refinements.
-   **Target deliberately:** Use specific IDs or Marketo classes (for example, `.mktoForm`, `.mktoButton`) to avoid unintended side effects. Use your browser’s **Inspect** tool to identify the correct selectors and preview CSS changes live before applying them in Marketo or Walnut.
-   **Use** `**!important**` **intentionally:** This is commonly required for buttons and key visual elements, but avoid overusing it to prevent future maintenance issues.

:::note[⚠️ Important]

Be sure to test your form in a **published demo**, _not the template preview_, and use an **incognito/private browser window** to prevent cookies or prior submissions from affecting display behavior.

:::

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