tailwind-theme-builder

Q: How do I install tailwind-theme-builder?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills --skill tailwind-theme-builder in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/tailwind-theme-builder/ (personal) or .claude/skills/tailwind-theme-builder/ (project).

by jezwebFrontend & Design

Set up Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui themed UI with dark mode. Install deps, configure CSS variables via @theme inline, wire dark mode toggle, verify. Use whenever the user mentions Tailwind v4, setting up Tailwind theming, shadcn/ui colours, dark mode, or troubleshooting colours not working, tw-animate-css errors, @theme inline conflicts, @apply breaking after upgrade, or v3 → v4 migration issues.

Installs: 3.2K
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Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills --skill tailwind-theme-builder

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads tailwind-theme-builder automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Tailwind Theme Builder

Set up a fully themed Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui project with dark mode. Produces configured CSS, theme provider, and working component library.

Architecture: The Four-Step Pattern

Tailwind v4 requires a specific architecture for CSS variable-based theming. This pattern is mandatory -- skipping or modifying steps breaks the theme.

How It Works

CSS Variable Definition --> @theme inline Mapping --> Tailwind Utility Class
--background           --> --color-background     --> bg-background
(with hsl() wrapper)      (references variable)     (generated class)

Dark mode switching:

ThemeProvider toggles .dark class on <html>
  --> CSS variables update automatically (.dark overrides :root)
  --> Tailwind utilities reference updated variables
  --> UI updates without re-render

Best Practices

Semantic names: Use --primary not --blue-500
Foreground pairing: Every background colour needs a foreground (--primary + --primary-foreground)
WCAG contrast: Normal text 4.5:1, large text 3:1, UI components 3:1
Chart colours: Use separate variables with @theme inline mapping, reference via var(--chart-1) in style props

Workflow

Step 1: Install Dependencies

pnpm add tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite
pnpm add -D @types/node tw-animate-css
pnpm dlx shadcn@latest init

# Delete v3 config if it exists
rm -f tailwind.config.ts

Step 2: Configure Vite

Copy assets/vite.config.ts or add the Tailwind plugin:

import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react'
import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
import path from 'path'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react(), tailwindcss()],
  resolve: { alias: { '@': path.resolve(__dirname, './src') } }
})

Step 3: Four-Step CSS Architecture (Mandatory)

This exact order is required. Skipping steps breaks the theme.

src/index.css:

@import "tailwindcss";
@import "tw-animate-css";

/* 1. Define CSS variables at root (NOT inside @layer base) */
:root {
  --background: hsl(0 0% 100%);
  --foreground: hsl(222.2 84% 4.9%);
  --primary: hsl(221.2 83.2% 53.3%);
  --primary-foreground: hsl(210 40% 98%);
  /* ... all semantic tokens */
}

.dark {
  --background: hsl(222.2 84% 4.9%);
  --foreground: hsl(210 40% 98%);
  --primary: hsl(217.2 91.2% 59.8%);
  --primary-foreground: hsl(222.2 47.4% 11.2%);
}

/* 2. Map variables to Tailwind utilities */
@theme inline {
  --color-background: var(--background);
  --color-foreground: var(--foreground);
  --color-primary: var(--primary);
  --color-primary-foreground: var(--primary-foreground);
}

/* 3. Apply base styles (NO hsl() wrapper here) */
@layer base {
  body {
    background-color: var(--background);
    color: var(--foreground);
  }
}

Result: bg-background, text-primary etc. work automatically. Dark mode switches via .dark class -- no dark: variants needed for semantic colours.

Step 4: Set Up Dark Mode

Copy assets/theme-provider.tsx to your components directory, then wrap your app:

import { ThemeProvider } from '@/components/theme-provider'

ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById('root')!).render(
  <ThemeProvider defaultTheme="dark" storageKey="vite-ui-theme">
    <App />
  </ThemeProvider>
)

Add a theme toggle -- install the dropdown menu then use the ModeToggle component below:

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add dropdown-menu

// src/components/mode-toggle.tsx
import { Moon, Sun } from "lucide-react"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import {
  DropdownMenu,
  DropdownMenuContent,
  DropdownMenuItem,
  DropdownMenuTrigger,
} from "@/components/ui/dropdown-menu"
import { useTheme } from "@/components/theme-provider"

export function ModeToggle() {
  const { setTheme } = useTheme()

  return (
    <DropdownMenu>
      <DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
        <Button variant="outline" size="icon">
          <Sun className="h-[1.2rem] w-[1.2rem] rotate-0 scale-100 transition-all dark:-rotate-90 dark:scale-0" />
          <Moon className="absolute h-[1.2rem] w-[1.2rem] rotate-90 scale-0 transition-all dark:rotate-0 dark:scale-100" />
          <span className="sr-only">Toggle theme</span>
        </Button>
      </DropdownMenuTrigger>
      <DropdownMenuContent align="end">
        <DropdownMenuItem onClick={() => setTheme("light")}>Light</DropdownMenuItem>
        <DropdownMenuItem onClick={() => setTheme("dark")}>Dark</DropdownMenuItem>
        <DropdownMenuItem onClick={() => setTheme("system")}>System</DropdownMenuItem>
      </DropdownMenuContent>
    </DropdownMenu>
  )
}

Step 5: Configure components.json

{
  "tailwind": {
    "config": "",
    "css": "src/index.css",
    "baseColor": "slate",
    "cssVariables": true
  }
}

"config": "" is critical -- v4 doesn't use tailwind.config.ts.

Critical Rules

Always:

Wrap colours with hsl() in :root/.dark
Use @theme inline to map all CSS variables
Use @tailwindcss/vite plugin (NOT PostCSS)
Delete tailwind.config.ts if it exists

Never:

Put :root/.dark inside @layer base
Use .dark { @theme { } } (v4 doesn't support nested @theme)
Double-wrap: hsl(var(--background))
Use @apply with @layer base classes (use @utility instead)

All 18 Gotchas

Quick Diagnosis

#	Symptom	Cause	Fix
1	Variables ignored / theme broken	`:root` inside `@layer base`	Move `:root` and `.dark` to root level
2	Dark mode colours not switching	`.dark { @theme { } }`	Use CSS variables + single `@theme inline`
3	Colours all black/white	Double `hsl()` wrapping	Use `var(--background)` not `hsl(var(...))`
4	`bg-primary` not generated	Colours in `tailwind.config.ts`	Delete config, use `@theme inline`
5	`bg-background` class missing	No `@theme inline` block	Add `@theme inline` mapping variables
6	shadcn components break	`components.json` has config path	Set `"config": ""` (empty string)
7	Tailwind not processing	Using PostCSS plugin	Switch to `@tailwindcss/vite` plugin
8	`@/` imports fail	Missing path aliases	Add `paths` to `tsconfig.app.json`
9	Redundant `dark:` variants	Using `dark:bg-primary-dark`	Just use `bg-primary` -- variables handle it
10	Hardcoded colours everywhere	Using `bg-blue-600 dark:bg-blue-400`	Use semantic tokens: `bg-primary`
11	Class merging bugs	String concatenation for classes	Use `cn()` from `@/lib/utils`
12	Radix Select crashes	Empty string value `value=""`	Use `value="placeholder"`
13	Wrong Tailwind version	Installed `tailwindcss@^3`	Install `tailwindcss@^4.1.0` + `@tailwindcss/vite`
14	Missing peer deps	Only installed `tailwindcss`	Also install `clsx`, `tailwind-merge`, `@types/node`
15	Broken in dark mode	Only tested light mode	Test light, dark, system, and toggle transitions
16	Fails WCAG contrast	Looks fine visually	Check ratios: 4.5:1 normal text, 3:1 large/UI
17	Build fails on animation import	Using `tailwindcss-animate` (deprecated)	Use `tw-animate-css` or native CSS animations
18	CSS priority issues	Duplicate `@layer base` after shadcn init	Merge into single `@layer base` block

Gotcha Details with Code Examples

#1 -- :root inside @layer base

Tailwind v4 strips CSS outside @theme/@layer, but :root must be at root level to persist. This is the most common setup failure.

WRONG:

@layer base {
  :root { --background: hsl(0 0% 100%); }
}

CORRECT:

:root { --background: hsl(0 0% 100%); }
@layer base {
  body { background-color: var(--background); }
}

#2 -- Nested @theme

Tailwind v4 does not support @theme inside selectors. Use CSS variables in :root/.dark with a single @theme inline block.

WRONG:

@theme { --color-primary: hsl(0 0% 0%); }
.dark { @theme { --color-primary: hsl(0 0% 100%); } }

CORRECT:

:root { --primary: hsl(0 0% 0%); }
.dark { --primary: hsl(0 0% 100%); }
@theme inline { --color-primary: var(--primary); }

#3 -- Double hsl() wrapping

Variables already contain hsl(). Double-wrapping creates hsl(hsl(...)).

WRONG: background-color: hsl(var(--background)); CORRECT: background-color: var(--background);

#4 -- Colours in tailwind.config.ts

Tailwind v4 completely ignores theme.extend.colors in config files. Delete the file or leave it empty. Set "config": "" in components.json.

#5 -- Missing @theme inline

Without @theme inline, Tailwind has no knowledge of your CSS variables. Utility classes like bg-background simply won't be generated.

WRONG:

:root { --background: hsl(0 0% 100%); }
/* No @theme inline block -- bg-background won't exist */

CORRECT:

:root { --background: hsl(0 0% 100%); }
@theme inline { --color-background: var(--background); }

#7 -- PostCSS vs Vite plugin

WRONG:

export default defineConfig({
  css: { postcss: './postcss.config.js' }  // Old v3 way
})

CORRECT:

import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react(), tailwindcss()]  // v4 way
})

#8 -- Path aliases

Add to tsconfig.app.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": { "@/*": ["./src/*"] }
  }
}

#11 -- cn() utility for class merging

WRONG: className={`base ${isActive && 'active'}`} CORRECT: className={cn("base", isActive && "active")}

cn() from @/lib/utils properly merges and deduplicates Tailwind classes.

#12 -- Radix Select empty value

Radix UI Select does not allow empty string values. Use value="placeholder" instead of value="".

#14 -- Required dependencies

{
  "dependencies": {
    "tailwindcss": "^4.1.0",
    "@tailwindcss/vite": "^4.1.0",
    "clsx": "^2.1.1",
    "tailwind-merge": "^3.3.1"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "@types/node": "^24.0.0"
  }
}

#17 -- tw-animate-css

tailwindcss-animate is deprecated in Tailwind v4. shadcn/ui docs may still reference it. Causes build failures and import errors. Use tw-animate-css or @tailwindcss/motion instead.

#18 -- Duplicate @layer base after shadcn init

shadcn init adds its own @layer base block. Check src/index.css immediately after running init and merge any duplicate blocks into one.

WRONG:

@layer base { body { background-color: var(--background); } }
@layer base { * { border-color: hsl(var(--border)); } }  /* duplicate from shadcn */

CORRECT:

@layer base {
  * { border-color: var(--border); }
  body { background-color: var(--background); color: var(--foreground); }
}

Prevention Checklist

No tailwind.config.ts file (or it's empty)
components.json has "config": ""
All colors have hsl() wrapper in :root
@theme inline maps all variables
@layer base doesn't wrap :root
Theme provider wraps app
Tested in light, dark, and system modes
All text has sufficient contrast

Dark Mode Testing Checklist

Light mode displays correctly
Dark mode displays correctly
System mode respects OS setting
Theme persists after page refresh
Toggle component shows current state
All text has proper contrast
No flash of wrong theme on load
Works in incognito mode (graceful fallback)

Asset Files

Copy from assets/ directory:

index.css -- Complete CSS with all colour variables
components.json -- shadcn/ui v4 config
vite.config.ts -- Vite + Tailwind plugin
theme-provider.tsx -- Dark mode provider
utils.ts -- cn() utility

Reference Files

references/migration-guide.md -- v3 to v4 migration

Official Documentation

shadcn/ui Tailwind v4 Guide: https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/tailwind-v4
shadcn/ui Dark Mode (Vite): https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/dark-mode/vite
shadcn/ui Theming: https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/theming
Tailwind v4 Docs: https://tailwindcss.com/docs
Tailwind Dark Mode: https://tailwindcss.com/docs/dark-mode

FAQ

What does the tailwind-theme-builder skill do?

How do I install tailwind-theme-builder?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/jezweb/claude-skills --skill tailwind-theme-builder in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/tailwind-theme-builder/ (personal) or .claude/skills/tailwind-theme-builder/ (project).

Which AI agents can use tailwind-theme-builder?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is tailwind-theme-builder safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains tailwind-theme-builder?

It is published by jezweb in jezweb/claude-skills. It has 3,220 recorded installs.

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tailwind-theme-builder

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

Tailwind Theme Builder

Architecture: The Four-Step Pattern

How It Works

Best Practices

Workflow

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Step 2: Configure Vite

Step 3: Four-Step CSS Architecture (Mandatory)

Step 4: Set Up Dark Mode

Step 5: Configure components.json

Critical Rules

All 18 Gotchas

Quick Diagnosis

Gotcha Details with Code Examples

Prevention Checklist

Dark Mode Testing Checklist

Asset Files

Reference Files

Official Documentation

FAQ

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