Setting Up Tailwind CSS with Next.js 14: Complete Guide

T
Team
·5 min read
#tailwindcss#nextjs#css#web development#styling

Setting Up Tailwind CSS with Next.js 14: Complete Guide


Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework that works perfectly with Next.js. Here's how to set it up:


Installation


Step 1: Install Dependencies


bash
npm install -D tailwindcss postcss autoprefixer
npx tailwindcss init -p

Step 2: Configure Tailwind


Update tailwind.config.js:


javascript
module.exports = {
  content: [
    './app/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,mdx}',
    './components/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx,mdx}',
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {},
  },
  plugins: [],
}

Step 3: Add Tailwind to CSS


In app/globals.css:


css
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;

Customization


Custom Colors


javascript
theme: {
  extend: {
    colors: {
      'brand': {
        50: '#f0f9ff',
        500: '#0ea5e9',
        900: '#0c4a6e',
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Components


Create reusable component classes:


css
@layer components {
  .btn-primary {
    @apply px-4 py-2 bg-gray-900 text-white rounded-lg;
  }
}

Best Practices


  • Use @apply sparingly
  • Prefer utility classes
  • Keep custom CSS minimal
  • Use Tailwind's JIT mode
  • Extract reusable patterns into components

  • Your Tailwind CSS setup is now complete!


    Share this article

    Enjoyed this article?

    Support our work and help us create more free content for developers.

    Stay Updated

    Get the latest articles and updates delivered to your inbox.