Tailwind CSS v4 quickstart: 5-minute local dev environment
The shortest path to getting Tailwind CSS v4 running — a minimal starting point for first-time users.
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Quick answer
What is the biggest config difference between Tailwind v4 and v3?
v4 drops tailwind.config.js and declares themes entirely in CSS via @theme. Upgrading requires deleting the old config and installing @tailwindcss/vite — otherwise the build fails with a missing module.
Machine-readable page data: /data/tailwindcss-quickstart.json
In-depth analysis
Tailwind CSS v4 replaces the bulky JavaScript config file with a CSS-first @theme directive, improving both build speed and control. The fastest path to a win is one command to scaffold, start dev, edit a line, and see hot reload.
/* 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
FAQ & pitfalls
Why are my Tailwind v4 custom brand colors not rendering?
Colors must be declared inside @theme (e.g. --color-brand). Forgetting @tailwindcss/vite, or still referencing the old config, makes bg-brand silently fail to render.
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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 →