tailwindcss by einverne

Decision brief

What it does: where it fits

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that enables rapid UI development by providing pre-built utility classes. It generates optimized CSS at build-time by scanning your project files, resulting in zero runtime overhead and minimal production bundles.

Best for

Building responsive layouts with mobile-first design
Implementing dark mode and theme customization
Creating custom design systems with consistent spacing, colors, and typography

Not for

Classes Not Working
Build Issues

Compatibility matrix

Platform support, with evidence labels

Platform	Status	Evidence	What to check
Codex	Not declared	No explicit evidence	Portability before use
Claude Code	Not declared	No explicit evidence	Portability before use
Cursor	Not declared	No explicit evidence	Portability before use
Gemini CLI	Not declared	No explicit evidence	Portability before use

Open the compatibility checker

Installation

Inspect first. Install second.

The source command is displayed only when detected. A safe inspection prompt is always available so your agent can explain every action before execution.

Source-detected install commandSource

npx skills add https://github.com/einverne/dotfiles --skill "claude/skills/tailwindcss"

Safe inspection promptEditorial

Inspect the Agent Skill "tailwindcss" from https://github.com/einverne/dotfiles/blob/850d0c69601d15865b49caa4aa422f2968156d4a/claude/skills/tailwindcss/SKILL.md at commit 850d0c69601d15865b49caa4aa422f2968156d4a. List every install step, command, network request, credential, file read/write, external action, and rollback step. Explain whether it fits my task. Do not install or execute anything until I approve.

Workflow

What the source asks the agent to do

01
Installation & Setup
Step 1: Install dependencies
Step 1: Install dependenciesbash npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
02
Modern Setup with Vite
Step 1: Install dependencies
Step 1: Install dependenciesbash npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
03
Framework-Specific Setup
Review the “Framework-Specific Setup” section in the pinned source before continuing.
Review and apply the “Framework-Specific Setup” source section.
04
PostCSS Setup (Alternative)
Review the “PostCSS Setup (Alternative)” section in the pinned source before continuing.
Review and apply the “PostCSS Setup (Alternative)” source section.
05
Setup Dark Mode
Media query approach (automatic):
Media query approach (automatic):Class-based approach (manual toggle):

Permission review

Static risk signals and limitations

Runs scripts

medium · line 65

The documentation asks the agent to run terminal commands or scripts.

npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Runs scripts

medium · line 67

The documentation asks the agent to run terminal commands or scripts.

pnpm add -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Evidence record

Why each signal appears

EvidenceSourceComputedTestedEditorial

Signal	Value	Evidence type	Meaning
Quality score	95/100	Computed	Documentation, specificity, maintenance, and trust rules
Repository stars	121	Source	Repository attention, not individual Skill quality
Compatibility	0 platforms	Source	Declared in the catalog source record
Usage guide	automated source guide	Editorial	Generated or reviewed according to the visible evidence level

Pinned source

Provenance and original SKILL.md

Repository: einverne/dotfiles
Skill path: claude/skills/tailwindcss/SKILL.md
Commit: 850d0c69601d15865b49caa4aa422f2968156d4a
License: GPL-3.0
Collected: 2026-08-28
Default branch: master

View the original SKILL.md

Tailwind CSS Skill

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that enables rapid UI development by providing pre-built utility classes. It generates optimized CSS at build-time by scanning your project files, resulting in zero runtime overhead and minimal production bundles.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

Building responsive layouts with mobile-first design
Implementing dark mode and theme customization
Creating custom design systems with consistent spacing, colors, and typography
Styling React, Vue, Svelte, or any web framework components
Prototyping interfaces with rapid visual feedback
Building production applications with optimized CSS bundles
Working with state-based styling (hover, focus, disabled, etc.)
Creating complex layouts with Grid and Flexbox utilities

Core Concepts

Utility-First Approach

Tailwind provides low-level utility classes that you apply directly to HTML elements instead of writing custom CSS:

<!-- Traditional CSS approach -->
<div class="card">
  <h2 class="card-title">Title</h2>
</div>

<!-- Tailwind utility-first approach -->
<div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">
  <h2 class="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900">Title</h2>
</div>

Benefits:

No CSS file switching - styles live with markup
No naming conventions needed
Automatic dead code elimination
Consistent design tokens across team
Fast iteration without CSS bloat

Build-Time Processing

Tailwind scans your source files at build-time and generates only the CSS classes you actually use:

// Tailwind analyzes these files
content: [
  "./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
  "./app/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
  "./components/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}"
]

Result: Optimized production bundles with zero runtime overhead.

Installation & Setup

Modern Setup with Vite

Step 1: Install dependencies

npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
# or
pnpm add -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
# or
yarn add -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Step 2: Configure Vite

// vite.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [tailwindcss()]
})

Step 3: Import in CSS

/* src/index.css */
@import "tailwindcss";

Step 4: Reference stylesheet in HTML

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="./src/index.css">
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="bg-blue-500 text-white p-4">Hello Tailwind!</div>
  </body>
</html>

Framework-Specific Setup

Next.js (App Router):

npx create-next-app@latest --tailwind

Next.js (Manual):

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  content: [
    "./app/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}",
    "./components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}"
  ]
}

React with Vite:

npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react
npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Vue:

npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Svelte:

npm install -D tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Astro:

npx astro add tailwind

PostCSS Setup (Alternative)

npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

// postcss.config.js
export default {
  plugins: {
    tailwindcss: {},
    autoprefixer: {}
  }
}

Design System & Tokens

Default Design System

Tailwind includes a comprehensive default design system:

Colors: 18 color palettes with 11 shades each (50-950)
Spacing: Consistent scale from 0.25rem to 96rem
Typography: Font sizes, weights, line heights
Breakpoints: Mobile-first responsive system
Shadows: Elevation system for depth
Border radius: Rounded corners at different scales

Customizing Theme

Use the @theme directive in CSS:

@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  /* Custom colors */
  --color-brand-50: oklch(0.97 0.02 264);
  --color-brand-500: oklch(0.55 0.22 264);
  --color-brand-900: oklch(0.25 0.15 264);

  /* Custom fonts */
  --font-display: "Satoshi", "Inter", sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Inter", system-ui, sans-serif;

  /* Custom spacing */
  --spacing-18: calc(var(--spacing) * 18);
  --spacing-navbar: 4.5rem;

  /* Custom breakpoints */
  --breakpoint-3xl: 120rem;
  --breakpoint-4xl: 160rem;

  /* Custom shadows */
  --shadow-glow: 0 0 20px rgba(139, 92, 246, 0.3);
}

Usage:

<div class="bg-brand-500 font-display shadow-glow">
  Custom themed element
</div>

Color System

Using default colors:

<div class="bg-blue-500">Background</div>
<p class="text-red-600">Text</p>
<div class="border-green-400">Border</div>

Color scale:

50: Lightest
100-400: Light variations
500: Base color
600-800: Dark variations
950: Darkest

Color opacity modifiers:

<div class="bg-black/75">75% opacity</div>
<div class="text-blue-500/30">30% opacity</div>
<div class="bg-purple-500/[0.87]">87% opacity</div>

Utility Classes

Layout

Display:

<div class="block">Block</div>
<div class="inline-block">Inline Block</div>
<div class="flex">Flex</div>
<div class="inline-flex">Inline Flex</div>
<div class="grid">Grid</div>
<div class="hidden">Hidden</div>

Flexbox:

<div class="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
</div>

<div class="flex flex-col items-start">
  <div>Vertical stack</div>
</div>

Grid:

<div class="grid grid-cols-3 gap-4">
  <div>Column 1</div>
  <div>Column 2</div>
  <div>Column 3</div>
</div>

<div class="grid grid-cols-[1fr_500px_2fr] gap-6">
  <div>Flexible</div>
  <div>Fixed 500px</div>
  <div>More flexible</div>
</div>

Positioning:

<div class="relative">
  <div class="absolute top-0 right-0">Positioned</div>
</div>

<div class="fixed bottom-4 right-4">Fixed</div>
<div class="sticky top-0">Sticky header</div>

Spacing

Padding & Margin:

<div class="p-4">Padding all sides</div>
<div class="px-6 py-3">Padding X and Y</div>
<div class="pt-8 pb-4">Padding top/bottom</div>
<div class="m-4">Margin all sides</div>
<div class="mx-auto">Center horizontally</div>
<div class="-mt-4">Negative margin</div>

Gap (Flexbox/Grid):

<div class="flex gap-4">Flex with gap</div>
<div class="grid grid-cols-3 gap-x-6 gap-y-4">Grid with X/Y gap</div>

Typography

Font Size:

<p class="text-xs">Extra small</p>
<p class="text-sm">Small</p>
<p class="text-base">Base (16px)</p>
<p class="text-lg">Large</p>
<p class="text-xl">Extra large</p>
<p class="text-2xl">2XL</p>
<h1 class="text-4xl font-bold">Heading</h1>

Font Weight:

<p class="font-light">Light (300)</p>
<p class="font-normal">Normal (400)</p>
<p class="font-medium">Medium (500)</p>
<p class="font-semibold">Semibold (600)</p>
<p class="font-bold">Bold (700)</p>

Text Alignment:

<p class="text-left">Left aligned</p>
<p class="text-center">Center aligned</p>
<p class="text-right">Right aligned</p>
<p class="text-justify">Justified</p>

Line Height:

<p class="leading-tight">Tight line height</p>
<p class="leading-normal">Normal line height</p>
<p class="leading-relaxed">Relaxed line height</p>

Combining font utilities:

<h1 class="text-4xl/tight font-bold">
  Font size 4xl with tight line-height
</h1>

Colors & Backgrounds

Background colors:

<div class="bg-white">White background</div>
<div class="bg-gray-100">Gray background</div>
<div class="bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-500 to-purple-600">
  Gradient background
</div>

Text colors:

<p class="text-gray-900">Dark text</p>
<p class="text-blue-600">Blue text</p>
<a class="text-blue-500 hover:text-blue-700">Link</a>

Borders

<div class="border">Default border</div>
<div class="border-2 border-gray-300">2px border</div>
<div class="border-t border-b-2">Top and bottom borders</div>
<div class="rounded">Rounded corners</div>
<div class="rounded-lg">Large rounded</div>
<div class="rounded-full">Fully rounded</div>
<div class="border border-red-500 rounded-md">Combined</div>

Shadows

<div class="shadow">Small shadow</div>
<div class="shadow-md">Medium shadow</div>
<div class="shadow-lg">Large shadow</div>
<div class="shadow-xl">Extra large shadow</div>
<div class="shadow-none">No shadow</div>

Responsive Design

Mobile-First Breakpoints

Tailwind uses a mobile-first approach. Base styles apply to all screen sizes, then use breakpoint prefixes to override at larger sizes:

Breakpoints:

sm: - 640px and up
md: - 768px and up
lg: - 1024px and up
xl: - 1280px and up
2xl: - 1536px and up

Example:

<!-- Mobile: 1 column, Tablet: 2 columns, Desktop: 4 columns -->
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4 gap-4">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
  <div>Item 3</div>
  <div>Item 4</div>
</div>

<!-- Hide on mobile, show on desktop -->
<div class="hidden lg:block">Desktop only content</div>

<!-- Show on mobile, hide on desktop -->
<div class="block lg:hidden">Mobile only content</div>

<!-- Responsive text sizes -->
<h1 class="text-2xl md:text-4xl lg:text-6xl">
  Responsive heading
</h1>

Custom Breakpoints

@theme {
  --breakpoint-3xl: 120rem;
  --breakpoint-tablet: 48rem;
}

<div class="tablet:grid-cols-2 3xl:grid-cols-6">
  Custom breakpoints
</div>

Max-width Queries

<!-- Only apply styles below 768px -->
<div class="flex max-md:hidden">Hidden on mobile</div>

<!-- Between breakpoints -->
<div class="md:block lg:hidden">Only visible on tablets</div>

Container Queries

Style elements based on parent container width:

<div class="@container">
  <div class="@md:grid-cols-2 @lg:grid-cols-3">
    Responds to parent width
  </div>
</div>

Interactive States

Hover States

<button class="bg-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white">
  Hover me
</button>

<a class="text-blue-600 hover:underline">
  Hover link
</a>

<div class="scale-100 hover:scale-105 transition-transform">
  Scale on hover
</div>

Focus States

<input class="border focus:border-blue-500 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-200" />

<button class="bg-blue-500 focus:outline-none focus:ring-4 focus:ring-blue-300">
  Accessible button
</button>

Active States

<button class="bg-blue-500 active:bg-blue-800">
  Click me
</button>

Disabled States

<button class="bg-blue-500 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled>
  Disabled button
</button>

<input class="disabled:bg-gray-100" disabled />

Form States

<input class="invalid:border-red-500 focus:invalid:ring-red-200" required />

<input class="placeholder:text-gray-400 placeholder:italic" placeholder="Search..." />

<input type="checkbox" class="checked:bg-blue-500" />

Group Hover (Parent State)

<div class="group hover:bg-gray-100">
  <p class="group-hover:text-blue-600">
    Text changes when parent is hovered
  </p>
  <img class="group-hover:opacity-50" src="..." />
</div>

Peer State (Sibling State)

<input type="checkbox" class="peer" id="terms" />
<label for="terms" class="peer-checked:text-blue-600">
  I accept terms
</label>

<input type="email" class="peer" required />
<p class="hidden peer-invalid:block text-red-600">
  Invalid email
</p>

Dark Mode

Setup Dark Mode

Media query approach (automatic):

<div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
  Auto switches based on system preference
</div>

Class-based approach (manual toggle):

// Add .dark class to <html> element
document.documentElement.classList.toggle('dark')

Dark Mode Utilities

<!-- Colors -->
<div class="bg-white dark:bg-slate-900">Background</div>
<p class="text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100">Text</p>

<!-- Borders -->
<div class="border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700">Border</div>

<!-- Complete example -->
<div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 rounded-lg p-6">
  <h2 class="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900 dark:text-white">
    Dark mode card
  </h2>
  <p class="text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300">
    Content adapts to theme
  </p>
</div>

Dark Mode Toggle Implementation

// Store preference
function toggleDarkMode() {
  const isDark = document.documentElement.classList.toggle('dark')
  localStorage.setItem('theme', isDark ? 'dark' : 'light')
}

// Initialize on load
if (localStorage.theme === 'dark' ||
    (!('theme' in localStorage) &&
     window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches)) {
  document.documentElement.classList.add('dark')
}

Arbitrary Values

Use square brackets for one-off custom values:

Pixel values:

<div class="top-[117px]">Custom position</div>
<p class="text-[22px]">Custom font size</p>
<div class="w-[500px]">Custom width</div>

Colors:

<div class="bg-[#bada55]">Custom hex color</div>
<div class="text-[rgb(123,45,67)]">RGB color</div>
<div class="bg-[oklch(0.55_0.22_264)]">OKLCH color</div>

CSS variables:

<div class="bg-[var(--my-brand-color)]">CSS variable</div>
<div class="text-[length:var(--my-font-size)]">Type hint</div>

Complex values:

<div class="grid-cols-[1fr_500px_2fr]">Custom grid</div>
<div class="content-['>']">Custom content</div>
<div class="[mask-type:luminance]">Custom property</div>

Transitions & Animations

Transitions

<button class="bg-blue-500 transition-colors hover:bg-blue-700">
  Smooth color transition
</button>

<div class="transform transition-transform hover:scale-110">
  Scale with transition
</div>

<div class="transition-all duration-300 ease-in-out hover:shadow-lg">
  Multiple transitions
</div>

<!-- Duration options -->
<div class="transition duration-150">Fast</div>
<div class="transition duration-300">Normal</div>
<div class="transition duration-500">Slow</div>

Transforms

<!-- Scale -->
<div class="scale-95 hover:scale-100">Scale</div>

<!-- Rotate -->
<div class="rotate-45">Rotate 45deg</div>
<div class="hover:rotate-6">Slight rotation</div>

<!-- Translate -->
<div class="translate-x-4 translate-y-2">Move</div>

<!-- Skew -->
<div class="skew-x-12">Skew</div>

<!-- Combined -->
<div class="transform scale-110 rotate-3 translate-x-2">
  Multiple transforms
</div>

Animations

<div class="animate-spin">Spinning</div>
<div class="animate-ping">Pinging</div>
<div class="animate-pulse">Pulsing</div>
<div class="animate-bounce">Bouncing</div>

Custom Animations

@theme {
  --animate-slide-in: slide-in 0.5s ease-out;
}

@keyframes slide-in {
  from {
    transform: translateX(-100%);
  }
  to {
    transform: translateX(0);
  }
}

<div class="animate-slide-in">Custom animation</div>

Advanced Patterns

Custom Utilities

Create reusable utility classes:

@utility content-auto {
  content-visibility: auto;
}

@utility tab-* {
  tab-size: var(--tab-size-*);
}

<div class="content-auto">Custom utility</div>
<pre class="tab-4">Custom tab size</pre>

Custom Variants

@custom-variant theme-midnight (&:where([data-theme="midnight"] *));
@custom-variant aria-checked (&[aria-checked="true"]);

<div theme-midnight:bg-navy-900>
  Applies when data-theme="midnight"
</div>

Layer Organization

@layer base {
  h1 {
    @apply text-4xl font-bold;
  }

  body {
    @apply bg-white text-gray-900;
  }
}

@layer components {
  .btn {
    @apply px-4 py-2 rounded bg-blue-500 text-white hover:bg-blue-700;
  }

  .card {
    @apply bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6;
  }
}

Apply Directive

Extract repeated utilities into CSS classes:

.btn-primary {
  @apply bg-blue-500 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-bold py-2 px-4 rounded;
}

.input-field {
  @apply border border-gray-300 rounded-md px-3 py-2 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500;
}

Component Examples

Button Component

<!-- Primary button -->
<button class="bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 active:bg-blue-800 text-white font-semibold px-6 py-3 rounded-lg shadow-md hover:shadow-lg transform hover:scale-105 transition-all duration-200 focus:outline-none focus:ring-4 focus:ring-blue-300 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed">
  Click me
</button>

<!-- Secondary button -->
<button class="bg-white hover:bg-gray-50 border-2 border-gray-300 text-gray-700 font-semibold px-6 py-3 rounded-lg">
  Secondary
</button>

<!-- Icon button -->
<button class="p-2 rounded-full hover:bg-gray-100 transition-colors">
  <svg class="w-6 h-6">...</svg>
</button>

Card Component

<div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 rounded-xl shadow-lg hover:shadow-xl transition-shadow overflow-hidden">
  <img class="w-full h-48 object-cover" src="..." alt="Card image" />
  <div class="p-6">
    <h3 class="text-2xl font-bold text-gray-900 dark:text-white mb-2">
      Card Title
    </h3>
    <p class="text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-300 mb-4">
      Card description text goes here
    </p>
    <button class="bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-semibold px-4 py-2 rounded-lg">
      Learn More
    </button>
  </div>
</div>

Form Component

<form class="max-w-md mx-auto bg-white dark:bg-gray-800 rounded-lg shadow-md p-8">
  <div class="mb-6">
    <label class="block text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 font-semibold mb-2" for="email">
      Email
    </label>
    <input
      type="email"
      id="email"
      class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 focus:border-transparent dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white"
      placeholder="[email protected]"
    />
  </div>

  <div class="mb-6">
    <label class="block text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 font-semibold mb-2" for="password">
      Password
    </label>
    <input
      type="password"
      id="password"
      class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-gray-300 dark:border-gray-600 rounded-lg focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500 invalid:border-red-500 dark:bg-gray-700 dark:text-white"
    />
  </div>

  <button type="submit" class="w-full bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white font-bold py-3 rounded-lg transition-colors">
    Sign In
  </button>
</form>

Navigation Component

<nav class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 shadow-md sticky top-0 z-50">
  <div class="container mx-auto px-4">
    <div class="flex items-center justify-between h-16">
      <div class="flex items-center gap-8">
        <a href="/" class="text-2xl font-bold text-blue-600">Logo</a>
        <div class="hidden md:flex gap-6">
          <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors">Home</a>
          <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors">About</a>
          <a href="#" class="text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-300 hover:text-blue-600 transition-colors">Services</a>
        </div>
      </div>
      <button class="md:hidden p-2 rounded hover:bg-gray-100 dark:hover:bg-gray-800">
        <svg class="w-6 h-6">...</svg>
      </button>
    </div>
  </div>
</nav>

Grid Layout

<div class="container mx-auto px-4 py-8">
  <div class="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 xl:grid-cols-4 gap-6">
    <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">Item 1</div>
    <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">Item 2</div>
    <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">Item 3</div>
    <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">Item 4</div>
  </div>
</div>

Best Practices

1. Use Consistent Spacing Scale

<!-- Good: Use spacing scale -->
<div class="p-4 mb-6">

<!-- Avoid: Arbitrary values unless necessary -->
<div class="p-[17px] mb-[23px]">

2. Leverage Design Tokens

<!-- Good: Use semantic color names -->
<button class="bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700">

<!-- Avoid: One-off colors -->
<button class="bg-[#3B82F6] hover:bg-[#2563EB]">

3. Mobile-First Responsive Design

<!-- Good: Mobile first, then scale up -->
<div class="text-base md:text-lg lg:text-xl">

<!-- Avoid: Desktop first -->
<div class="text-xl lg:text-base">

4. Component Extraction

// React component with Tailwind
function Button({ children, variant = 'primary' }) {
  const baseClasses = "font-semibold px-6 py-3 rounded-lg transition-colors"
  const variants = {
    primary: "bg-blue-600 hover:bg-blue-700 text-white",
    secondary: "bg-gray-200 hover:bg-gray-300 text-gray-900"
  }

  return (
    <button className={`${baseClasses} ${variants[variant]}`}>
      {children}
    </button>
  )
}

5. Use @apply for Repeated Patterns

/* Only use @apply for truly repeated patterns */
@layer components {
  .card {
    @apply bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow;
  }
}

6. Accessibility First

<button class="focus:outline-none focus:ring-4 focus:ring-blue-300">
  Accessible button
</button>

<a class="text-blue-600 hover:underline focus:outline-2 focus:outline-offset-2">
  Accessible link
</a>

7. Performance Optimization

Use PurgeCSS in production (automatic with modern setup)
Avoid dynamic class names: class={text-${color}-500} won't work
Use safelist for dynamic classes if needed

8. Dark Mode Consistency

<!-- Ensure all elements have dark mode variants -->
<div class="bg-white dark:bg-gray-900 text-gray-900 dark:text-white border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700">
  Complete dark mode support
</div>

Common Patterns

Centering Content

<!-- Horizontal center -->
<div class="flex justify-center">Content</div>
<div class="mx-auto w-fit">Content</div>

<!-- Vertical center -->
<div class="flex items-center h-screen">Content</div>

<!-- Center both axes -->
<div class="flex items-center justify-center h-screen">
  Centered content
</div>

Full-Width Container with Max Width

<div class="container mx-auto px-4 max-w-7xl">
  Content with consistent max width
</div>

Aspect Ratio Boxes

<div class="aspect-square">Square</div>
<div class="aspect-video">16:9 video</div>
<div class="aspect-[4/3]">4:3 ratio</div>

Truncate Text

<p class="truncate">Long text that will be truncated with ellipsis...</p>

<p class="line-clamp-3">
  Long text that will be truncated after 3 lines with ellipsis...
</p>

Smooth Scrolling

<html class="scroll-smooth">
  <a href="#section">Smooth scroll to section</a>
</html>

Troubleshooting

Classes Not Working

Check content configuration:

// tailwind.config.js
content: [
  "./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
  // Add all file paths where you use Tailwind
]

Dynamic classes won't work:

// ❌ Won't work
const color = 'blue'
<div className={`text-${color}-500`} />

// ✅ Works
<div className={color === 'blue' ? 'text-blue-500' : 'text-red-500'} />

Specificity issues:

/* Use !important sparingly */
<div class="!text-red-500">Overrides other styles</div>

Build Issues

# Clear cache and rebuild
rm -rf .next node_modules/.cache
npm run dev

IntelliSense Not Working

Install official extension:

VS Code: "Tailwind CSS IntelliSense"
Configure in .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "tailwindCSS.experimental.classRegex": [
    ["cva\\(([^)]*)\\)", "[\"'`]([^\"'`]*).*?[\"'`]"]
  ]
}

Resources

Official Documentation: https://tailwindcss.com/docs
Tailwind UI Components: https://tailwindui.com
Headless UI (unstyled components): https://headlessui.com
Tailwind Play (online playground): https://play.tailwindcss.com
Color Palette Generator: https://uicolors.app
Community Components: https://tailwindcomponents.com

Framework Integration Examples

React

export function Card({ title, description }) {
  return (
    <div className="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow">
      <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold mb-2">{title}</h3>
      <p className="text-gray-600">{description}</p>
    </div>
  )
}

Vue

<template>
  <div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow">
    <h3 class="text-2xl font-bold mb-2">{{ title }}</h3>
    <p class="text-gray-600">{{ description }}</p>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
defineProps(['title', 'description'])
</script>

Svelte

<script>
  export let title
  export let description
</script>

<div class="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow">
  <h3 class="text-2xl font-bold mb-2">{title}</h3>
  <p class="text-gray-600">{description}</p>
</div>

Implementation Checklist

When implementing Tailwind CSS:

Frequently asked questions

What to verify before installation and use

What does the tailwindcss source document cover?

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that enables rapid UI development by providing pre-built utility classes. It generates optimized CSS at build-time by scanning your project files, resulting in zero runtime overhead and minimal production bundles.

How do I install tailwindcss?

The source record exposes this install command: npx skills add https://github.com/einverne/dotfiles --skill "claude/skills/tailwindcss". Inspect the command and pinned source before running it.

Which permission-related actions were detected?

Static rules flagged exec-script in the source; the page lists the matching lines and excerpts.