Django static files working from template but not from CSS file

Question

I am just getting back into Django, and I have a new project set up here in the development server. I set up static files and I have been able to load the files from the templates however when the files are accessed via CSS there is a 404 error. Here is how the image is accessed in CSS:

background-image: linear-gradient(rgba(206, 27, 40, 0.25), rgba(206, 27, 40, 0.25)), url(../images/cta01.jpg);

The 404 error in the browser is looking in the staic/images/ folder but his location is not being served. I know this static file thing is always tricky butt I don't remember it being such as issue before. What am I doing wrong? Here is the settings file and main URL file.

Also I tried to use whitenoise and it seems to be working but same behavior: static files load in templates but not from CSS.

settings.py

"""
Django settings for tmx_intranet project.

Generated by 'django-admin startproject' using Django 3.1.6.

For more information on this file, see
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/topics/settings/

For the full list of settings and their values, see
https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/
"""

from pathlib import Path
import os

# Build paths inside the project like this: BASE_DIR / 'subdir'.
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent


# Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
# See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/howto/deployment/checklist/

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = ''

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = True

ALLOWED_HOSTS = []


# Application definition

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'data_viz.apps.DataVizConfig',
    'mainsite.apps.MainsiteConfig',
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',

]

ROOT_URLCONF = 'tmx_intranet.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'tmx_intranet.wsgi.application'


# Database
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/#databases

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}


# Password validation
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators

AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
    },
]


# Internationalization
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/topics/i18n/

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'

TIME_ZONE = 'UTC'

USE_I18N = True

USE_L10N = True

USE_TZ = True


# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/howto/static-files/

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
# STATICFILES_DIRS = [ os.path.join(BASE_DIR,'static') ]
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'static')
STATICFILES_STORAGE = 'whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage'

urls.py

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import include, path
from django.contrib.staticfiles.urls import staticfiles_urlpatterns

urlpatterns = [
    path('data_viz/', include('data_viz.urls')),
    path('admin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('', include('mainsite.urls')),
]

urlpatterns += staticfiles_urlpatterns()

Answer 1

use the absolute URL to point to any static file in app.

settings.py

...
STATIC_URL = '/static/'

while you have STATIC_URL = '/static/' in your settings. so you can something like this is css

style.css

url('/static/images/cta01.jpg');

Answer 2

Had the same issue, try adding in settings.py

STATICFILES_DIRS = ["C:/Users/user/mysite/djangoapp/static"]

(the path of the static file in your pc).

Worked for me!

https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/3.1/ref/settings/#std:setting-STATICFILES_DIRS