Tailwind V4

This gets you up to speed on Tailwind v4's CSS-first config approach using @theme directives instead of tailwind.config.js files. You'll want this when migrating from v3 or starting fresh with the new @tailwindcss/vite plugin. The big shift is defining design tokens directly in CSS with OKLCH colors and understanding the three @theme modes: default for CSS variables, inline for direct value substitution, and reference for fallbacks. Honestly, the inline mode is a nice performance win for static values, but the real win is just keeping your theme config in the same file as your styles. Includes concrete examples for two-tier variable systems, custom fonts, and animation keyframes.

skills.sh installs: 817
GitHub stars: 87
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add existential-birds/beagle --skill tailwind-v4 --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

Tailwind CSS v4 Best Practices

Quick Reference

Vite Plugin Setup:

// vite.config.ts
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite';
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [tailwindcss()],
});

CSS Entry Point:

/* src/index.css */
@import 'tailwindcss';

@theme Inline Directive:

@theme inline {
  --color-primary: oklch(60% 0.24 262);
  --color-surface: oklch(98% 0.002 247);
}

Key Differences from v3

Feature	v3	v4
Configuration	tailwind.config.js	@theme in CSS
Build Tool	PostCSS plugin	@tailwindcss/vite
Colors	rgb() / hsl()	oklch() (default)
Theme Extension	extend: {} in JS	CSS variables
Dark Mode	darkMode config option	CSS variants

@theme Directive Modes

default (standard mode)

Generates CSS variables that can be referenced elsewhere:

@theme {
  --color-brand: oklch(60% 0.24 262);
}

/* Generates: :root { --color-brand: oklch(...); } */
/* Usage: text-brand → color: var(--color-brand) */

SKILL.md on GitHub