Tailwind CSS Core v4.1
Overview
Tailwind CSS v4.1 introduces a CSS-first approach that eliminates the need for a traditional tailwind.config.js file. All configuration is now done directly in your CSS files via specialized directives.
Key Concepts
1. @import "tailwindcss"
Entry point to load Tailwind CSS. Place at the beginning of your main CSS file.
@import "tailwindcss";This directive automatically loads:
- Base utilities
- Responsive variants
- Layers (theme, base, components, utilities)
2. @theme
Directive to define or customize theme values via CSS custom properties.
@theme {
--color-primary: #3b82f6;
--color-secondary: #ef4444;
--spacing-custom: 2.5rem;
--radius-lg: 1rem;
}Variables are accessible in generated utilities:
--color-*→ classesbg-primary,text-primary, etc.--spacing-*→ classesp-custom,m-custom, etc.--radius-*→ classesrounded-lg, etc.
3. @source
Directive to include additional source files with glob patterns.
@source "./routes/**/*.{ts,tsx}";
@source "./components/**/*.{tsx,jsx}";
@source "../packages/ui/src/**/*.{ts,tsx}";Tailwind will scan these files to generate utilities used in your project.
4. @utility and @variant
Directives to create custom utilities and variants.
@utility truncate {
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
white-space: nowrap;
}
@variant group-hover {
.group:hover &
}5. @apply
Directive to apply Tailwind classes in your custom CSS rules.
.btn {
@apply px-4 py-2 rounded-lg font-semibold;
}
.btn-primary {
@apply bg-blue-500 text-white hover:bg-blue-600;
}6. @config
Directive to load external configuration if needed.
@config "./tailwind.config.js";(Optional in v4.1, mainly used for backward compatibility)
Dark Mode
Dark mode configuration in Tailwind v4.1:
@import "tailwindcss";
/* Use system preference */
@variant dark (&:is(.dark *));Or via manual class:
@variant dark (&.dark);Responsive Breakpoints
Breakpoints are defined via @theme:
@theme {
--breakpoint-sm: 640px;
--breakpoint-md: 768px;
--breakpoint-lg: 1024px;
--breakpoint-xl: 1280px;
--breakpoint-2xl: 1536px;
}Responsive variants are used with utilities:
<div class="text-sm md:text-base lg:text-lg"></div>Layer Hierarchy
@layer theme, base, components, utilities;
@import "tailwindcss";
/* Your customizations */
@layer components {
.btn { @apply px-4 py-2 rounded; }
}
@layer utilities {
.text-shadow { text-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.1); }
}Plugin Integration
Load Tailwind plugins:
@import "tailwindcss";
@plugin "flowbite/plugin";
@source "../node_modules/flowbite";Specificity Order
In CSS-first, import and declaration order determines specificity:
@import "tailwindcss"- Base utilities@theme {...}- Theme variables@layer components {...}- Custom components@layer utilities {...}- Custom utilities
CSS-first Mode Benefits
- No complex JavaScript config file
- Type-safe via CSS variables
- Declarative and readable configuration
- Better integration with CSS preprocessors
- Simplified maintenance for large projects
Detailed References
See specific files for:
theme.md- Complete theme variable configurationdirectives.md- Syntax and examples of all directivesconfig.md- Advanced configuration and use cases