Installation
Get started with Tailwind CSS
Tailwind CSS works by scanning all of your HTML files, JavaScript components, and any other templates for class names, generating the corresponding styles and then writing them to a static CSS file.
It’s fast, flexible, and reliable — with zero-runtime.
Installation
Installing Tailwind CSS as a PostCSS plugin is the most seamless way to integrate it with build tools like webpack, Rollup, Vite, and Parcel.
Install Tailwind CSS
Install
tailwindcss
and its peer dependencies via npm, and create yourtailwind.config.js
file.Add Tailwind to your PostCSS configuration
Add
tailwindcss
andautoprefixer
to yourpostcss.config.js
file.Configure your template paths
Add the paths to all of your template files in your
tailwind.config.js
file.Add the Tailwind directives to your CSS
Add the
@tailwind
directives for each of Tailwind’s layers to your main CSS file.Start your build process
Run your build process with
npm run dev
or whatever command is configured in yourpackage.json
file.Start using Tailwind in your HTML
Make sure your compiled CSS is included in the
<head>
(your framework might handle this for you), then start using Tailwind’s utility classes to style your content.
Are you stuck? Setting up Tailwind with PostCSS can be a bit different across different build tools. Check our framework guides to see if we have more specific instructions for your particular setup.Explore our framework guides
What to read next
Get familiar with some of the core concepts that make Tailwind CSS different from writing traditional CSS.
-
Utility-First Fundamentals
Using a utility-first workflow to build complex components from a constrained set of primitive utilities.
-
Responsive Design
Build fully responsive user interfaces that adapt to any screen size using responsive modifiers.
-
Hover, Focus & Other States
Style elements in interactive states like hover, focus, and more using conditional modifiers.
-
Dark Mode
Optimize your site for dark mode directly in your HTML using the dark mode modifier.
-
Reusing Styles
Manage duplication and keep your projects maintainable by creating reusable abstractions.
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Customizing the Framework
Customize the framework to match your brand and extend it with your own custom styles.