Tailwind CSS v4 Best Practices

You have access to up-to-date Tailwind CSS documentation via MCP tools. Use these tools to provide accurate, current information.

Available MCP Tools

Use these tools for dynamic, up-to-date Tailwind information:

`mcptailwindcsssearch_tailwind_docs`

Use when user asks about any Tailwind feature, utility, or concept.

Examples:

•"How do I use dark mode in Tailwind?"
•"What are container queries?"
•"How do responsive breakpoints work?"

`mcptailwindcssget_tailwind_utilities`

Use when user needs utility classes for a specific CSS property.

Examples:

•"What utilities are available for flexbox?"
•"Show me spacing utilities"
•"What text alignment classes exist?"

`mcptailwindcssget_tailwind_colors`

Use when user asks about colors, palettes, or color-related utilities.

Examples:

•"What colors are available?"
•"Show me the blue palette shades"
•"How do I use custom colors?"

`mcptailwindcssconvert_css_to_tailwind`

Use when user has CSS they want to convert to Tailwind utility classes.

Examples:

•"Convert this CSS to Tailwind: display: flex; justify-content: center;"
•"What's the Tailwind equivalent of margin: 0 auto?"

`mcptailwindcssgenerate_component_template`

Use when user needs a component template with Tailwind styling.

Examples:

•"Generate a button component"
•"Create a card template"
•"Show me a navbar example"

Official Documentation URLs

When MCP tools are unavailable, use WebFetch with these URLs to get current documentation:

Getting Started

Topic	URL
Installation	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation
Using Vite	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation/using-vite
Using PostCSS	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation/using-postcss
Tailwind CLI	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/installation/tailwind-cli
Editor Setup	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/editor-setup
Upgrade Guide	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/upgrade-guide

Core Concepts

Topic	URL
Utility Classes	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/styling-with-utility-classes
Hover, Focus, States	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/hover-focus-and-other-states
Responsive Design	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/responsive-design
Dark Mode	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/dark-mode
Theme Variables	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/theme
Colors	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/colors
Custom Styles	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/adding-custom-styles
Functions & Directives	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/functions-and-directives

Layout

Topic	URL
Display	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/display
Flexbox	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/flex
Grid	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/grid-template-columns
Gap	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/gap
Container	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/container
Position	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/position
Z-Index	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/z-index

Spacing

Topic	URL
Padding	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/padding
Margin	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/margin
Space Between	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/space

Sizing

Topic	URL
Width	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/width
Height	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/height
Min/Max Width	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/min-width
Min/Max Height	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/min-height

Typography

Topic	URL
Font Family	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/font-family
Font Size	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/font-size
Font Weight	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/font-weight
Line Height	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/line-height
Text Color	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/text-color
Text Align	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/text-align

Backgrounds & Borders

Topic	URL
Background Color	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/background-color
Background Image	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/background-image
Border Radius	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/border-radius
Border Width	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/border-width
Border Color	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/border-color
Box Shadow	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/box-shadow

Effects

Topic	URL
Opacity	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/opacity
Shadow	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/box-shadow
Blur	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/blur

Transforms & Animation

Topic	URL
Transform	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/transform
Scale	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/scale
Rotate	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/rotate
Translate	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/translate
Transition	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/transition-property
Animation	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/animation

Interactivity

Topic	URL
Cursor	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/cursor
User Select	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/user-select
Scroll Behavior	https://tailwindcss.com/docs/scroll-behavior

Tailwind CSS v4 Core Syntax

CRITICAL: Tailwind v4 changed significantly from v3. Always use v4 syntax.

CSS Entry Point

css

@import "tailwindcss";

This single import replaces the old @tailwind base; @tailwind components; @tailwind utilities; directives.

Theme Configuration (@theme directive)

All theme customization is done in CSS, not JavaScript:

css

@theme {
  /* Colors - use oklch for better color manipulation */
  --color-primary: oklch(0.6 0.2 250);
  --color-primary-foreground: oklch(1 0 0);
  --color-secondary: oklch(0.5 0.02 250);
  --color-secondary-foreground: oklch(1 0 0);

  /* Semantic colors */
  --color-background: oklch(1 0 0);
  --color-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --color-muted: oklch(0.95 0 0);
  --color-muted-foreground: oklch(0.4 0 0);
  --color-border: oklch(0.9 0 0);
  --color-destructive: oklch(0.55 0.25 25);

  /* Font families */
  --font-sans: "Inter", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "Fira Code", ui-monospace, monospace;

  /* Custom spacing (extends default scale) */
  --spacing-18: 4.5rem;
  --spacing-22: 5.5rem;

  /* Custom border radius */
  --radius-4xl: 2rem;
}

Source Detection (@source directive)

Tailwind auto-detects most template files. Use @source for custom paths:

css

@source "./templates/**/*.templ";
@source "./components/**/*.html";
@source "./src/**/*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx,vue,svelte}";

Dark Mode (@variant directive)

css

@variant dark {
  --color-background: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --color-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --color-muted: oklch(0.25 0 0);
  --color-muted-foreground: oklch(0.6 0 0);
  --color-border: oklch(0.3 0 0);
  --color-card: oklch(0.205 0 0);
}

Component Layer (@layer components)

Extract repeated patterns:

css

@layer components {
  .btn {
    @apply px-4 py-2 rounded-lg font-medium transition-colors;
  }
  .btn-primary {
    @apply btn bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90;
  }
  .btn-secondary {
    @apply btn bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground hover:bg-secondary/90;
  }
  .card {
    @apply p-6 bg-card rounded-xl border border-border shadow-sm;
  }
}

Plugins (@plugin directive)

css

@plugin "@tailwindcss/typography";

Best Practices

Class Ordering Convention

Order utilities consistently for readability:

Order: layout → spacing → sizing → typography → colors → effects → interactive

html

<!-- Good: Logical order -->
<div class="flex items-center gap-4 p-4 w-full text-sm text-gray-700 bg-white shadow-sm hover:bg-gray-50 transition-colors">

<!-- Bad: Random order -->
<div class="hover:bg-gray-50 flex bg-white p-4 text-sm shadow-sm w-full gap-4 items-center text-gray-700 transition-colors">

Responsive Design

Mobile-first: base styles for mobile, add breakpoints for larger screens.

html

<!-- Mobile first -->
<div class="w-full md:w-1/2 lg:w-1/3">

<!-- Breakpoints -->
sm: 640px   <!-- Small devices -->
md: 768px   <!-- Medium devices -->
lg: 1024px  <!-- Large devices -->
xl: 1280px  <!-- Extra large -->
2xl: 1536px <!-- 2X large -->

Component Extraction Rule

Extract when a class combination appears 3+ times:

css

/* Instead of repeating in HTML */
@layer components {
  .flex-center {
    @apply flex items-center justify-center;
  }
  .text-muted {
    @apply text-sm text-muted-foreground;
  }
}

Use Theme Variables

Always prefer theme variables over hardcoded values:

html

<!-- Good: Uses theme variable -->
<div class="bg-primary text-primary-foreground">

<!-- Bad: Hardcoded color -->
<div class="bg-[#3b82f6] text-white">

Accessibility

html

<!-- Focus states -->
<button class="focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-primary focus-visible:outline-none">

<!-- Screen reader only -->
<span class="sr-only">Close menu</span>

<!-- Ensure contrast -->
<!-- Use oklch colors with sufficient lightness difference -->

v4 Anti-Patterns to Avoid

DO NOT USE (v3 patterns):

Wrong (v3)	Correct (v4)
`tailwind.config.js`	CSS `@theme { }` directive
`@tailwind base;`	`@import "tailwindcss";`
`@tailwind components;`	(included in import)
`@tailwind utilities;`	(included in import)
`darkMode: 'class'` in config	`@variant dark { }` in CSS
`theme.extend.colors` in JS	`--color-*` in @theme
`content: [...]` in JS	`@source "..."` in CSS

Common Mistakes

html

<!-- Wrong: Inline styles when utility exists -->
<div style="display: flex; gap: 1rem;">
<!-- Correct -->
<div class="flex gap-4">

<!-- Wrong: px values when scale exists -->
<div class="p-[16px]">
<!-- Correct -->
<div class="p-4">

<!-- Wrong: Duplicate utilities -->
<div class="p-4 p-6">
<!-- Correct -->
<div class="p-6">

<!-- Wrong: Conflicting utilities -->
<div class="flex block">
<!-- Correct: Choose one -->
<div class="flex">

Response Guidelines

When helping with Tailwind CSS:

•Always use v4 syntax - No tailwind.config.js, use @theme in CSS
•Use MCP tools first - Get current documentation before answering
•Prefer theme variables - bg-primary not bg-blue-500
•Include accessibility - Add focus-visible, sr-only where appropriate
•Show complete examples - Include all necessary classes
•Explain class choices - Help users understand why

Example Response Flow

User: "How do I create a button with hover effect?"

Response:

•Use mcp__tailwindcss__get_tailwind_utilities for button-related utilities
•Provide example with proper class ordering:

html

<button class="px-4 py-2 rounded-lg font-medium bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90 focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-primary focus-visible:outline-none transition-colors">
  Click me
</button>

•Explain the classes used
•Suggest extracting to component if used multiple times

Quick Reference

Spacing Scale

Class	Size
1	0.25rem (4px)
2	0.5rem (8px)
3	0.75rem (12px)
4	1rem (16px)
5	1.25rem (20px)
6	1.5rem (24px)
8	2rem (32px)
10	2.5rem (40px)
12	3rem (48px)
16	4rem (64px)

Common Patterns

html

<!-- Centered content -->
<div class="flex items-center justify-center">

<!-- Card -->
<div class="p-6 bg-card rounded-xl border border-border shadow-sm">

<!-- Responsive grid -->
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-6">

<!-- Truncated text -->
<p class="truncate">Long text that will be truncated...</p>

<!-- Gradient background -->
<div class="bg-gradient-to-r from-primary to-secondary">

<!-- Fixed header -->
<header class="fixed top-0 left-0 right-0 z-50 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-sm">

For the latest documentation, always refer to https://tailwindcss.com/docs

Tailwind CSS v4 Best Practices

Available MCP Tools

mcp__tailwindcss__search_tailwind_docs

mcp__tailwindcss__get_tailwind_utilities

mcp__tailwindcss__get_tailwind_colors

mcp__tailwindcss__convert_css_to_tailwind

mcp__tailwindcss__generate_component_template

Official Documentation URLs

Getting Started

Core Concepts

Layout

Spacing

Sizing

Typography

Backgrounds & Borders

Effects

Transforms & Animation

Interactivity

Tailwind CSS v4 Core Syntax

CSS Entry Point

Theme Configuration (@theme directive)

Source Detection (@source directive)

Dark Mode (@variant directive)

Component Layer (@layer components)

Plugins (@plugin directive)

Best Practices

Class Ordering Convention

Responsive Design

Component Extraction Rule

Use Theme Variables

Accessibility

v4 Anti-Patterns to Avoid

DO NOT USE (v3 patterns):

Common Mistakes

Response Guidelines

Example Response Flow

Quick Reference

Spacing Scale

Common Patterns

`mcptailwindcsssearch_tailwind_docs`

`mcptailwindcssget_tailwind_utilities`

`mcptailwindcssget_tailwind_colors`

`mcptailwindcssconvert_css_to_tailwind`

`mcptailwindcssgenerate_component_template`