Tailwind CSS: Tips and Tricks for Efficient Styling

Tailwind CSS is a utility-first framework that empowers developers to build UI faster. Here's how to level up your workflow.

1. @apply in components

Extract repeated utility classes into writable CSS using @apply.

2. Dark mode variant

Use the dark: variant to build dark mode versions seamlessly.

3. Custom plugin usage

Create plugins for design tokens or recurring patterns:

module.exports = {
    plugins: [
      require('@tailwindcss/forms'),
      require('@tailwindcss/typography'),
    ],
  };

4. JIT mode & PurgeCSS

Enable Just‑In‑Time mode to generate only used CSS, keeping build size minimal.

5. Responsive shortcuts

Use shortcuts like sm:, md:, etc. for mobile-first styling.

Conclusion

With these tips, your Tailwind projects become cleaner, faster, and more maintainable.