Tailwind CSS v4.1 Core
Documentation
- CSS theme variables, design tokens, customization -> tailwindcss-core
- Directives (@utility, @variant, @theme, @apply) -> tailwindcss-core
- Custom utilities and variants -> tailwindcss-custom-styles
- Content detection (@source scanning) -> tailwindcss-core
- Migration from v3 to v4 -> see "v3 → v4 Breaking Changes" section below
Quick Reference - @theme Namespaces
| Namespace | Generated Utilities |
|-----------|-------------------|
| --color-* | bg-, text-, border-, fill- |
| --font-* | font-* |
| --text-* | text-xs, text-sm, text-base, etc. |
| --spacing-* | p-, m-, gap-, w-, h-* |
| --radius-* | rounded-* |
| --shadow-* | shadow-* |
| --breakpoint-* | sm:, md:, lg:, xl: |
| --animate-* | animate-spin, animate-bounce, etc. |
| --ease-* | ease-in, ease-out, ease-in-out |
v3 → v4 Breaking Changes
Removed @tailwind directives
/* v3 */
@tailwind base;
@tailwind components;
@tailwind utilities;
/* v4 */
@import "tailwindcss";
Renamed utilities
| v3 | v4 |
|----|-----|
| shadow-sm | shadow-xs |
| shadow | shadow-sm |
| rounded-sm | rounded-xs |
| rounded | rounded-sm |
| outline-none | outline-hidden |
| ring | ring-3 |
Removed deprecated utilities
bg-opacity-*→ usebg-black/50text-opacity-*→ usetext-black/50flex-shrink-*→ useshrink-*flex-grow-*→ usegrow-*
Custom utilities syntax
/* v3 */
@layer utilities {
.tab-4 {
tab-size: 4;
}
}
/* v4 */
@utility tab-4 {
tab-size: 4;
}
Variables in arbitrary values
<!-- v3 -->
<div class="bg-[--brand-color]"></div>
<!-- v4 -->
<div class="bg-(--brand-color)"></div>
Important modifier position
<!-- v3 -->
<div class="!bg-red-500">
<!-- v4 -->
<div class="bg-red-500!">
Upgrade Tool
npx @tailwindcss/upgrade
Requires Node.js 20+
Detailed References
- configuration.md - Load when writing CSS-first
@themeconfig or using@utility/@variant/@custom-variantdirectives - api-functions.md - Load when using the
--alpha()/--spacing()CSS functions or@apply - installation-support.md - Load when installing Tailwind v4 (npm/Vite/CLI) or checking browser support