Tailwind v4: the new config model and Vite plugin integration
A detailed look at Tailwind CSS v4 features and the lightning-fast build experience in modern frontends.
Quick answer
Does Tailwind v4 need a config file?
No — the old tailwind.config.js is gone. Everything is configured natively through @theme directives in CSS.
Machine-readable page data: /data/tailwind-v4.json
In-depth analysis
Tailwind v4 drops the legacy config file in favor of CSS-first configuration and a native Vite plugin, delivering a much faster build.
/* src/styles/global.css — Tailwind v4 CSS-first config, no tailwind.config.js needed */
@import 'tailwindcss';
@theme {
--color-brand: oklch(0.62 0.19 265);
--font-sans: 'Inter', system-ui, sans-serif;
}Tailwind CSS v4 Quickstart · Key takeaways
- Node ≥ 20.19 and pnpm ready
- Official scaffold initialized
- Dev hot reload works
- First local page reached
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What readers are asking
Questions that keep coming back in reader feedback, already answered.
- 01
Why is my custom Tailwind v4 brand colour not applied?
Colours must be declared in @theme (for example --color-brand). A missing @tailwindcss/vite plugin, or a leftover v3 config, makes bg-brand silently render nothing.
See the full guide → - 02
Why is my Astro component's interactivity not working?
Components ship as zero-JS HTML by default, so an interactive one needs a client:* directive (client:load, client:visible, …). Without it the script is never bundled into the page.
See the full guide → - 03
Why are _headers / _redirects not taking effect?
Both files must sit at the root of the output directory (dist/); anything under src/ is never uploaded. A purely static project should not add _worker.js either — that gives up the zero-cold-start advantage.
See the full guide →