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tailwind-v4-shadcn

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Production-tested setup for Tailwind CSS v4 with shadcn/ui, Vite, and React. Use when: initializing React projects with Tailwind v4, setting up shadcn/ui, implementing dark mode, debugging CSS variable issues, fixing theme switching, migrating from Tailwind v3, or encountering color/theming problems. Covers: @theme inline pattern, CSS variable architecture, dark mode with ThemeProvider, component composition, vite.config setup, common v4 gotchas, and production-tested patterns. Keywords: Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, @tailwindcss/vite, @theme inline, dark mode, CSS variables, hsl() wrapper, components.json, React theming, theme switching, colors not working, variables broken, theme not applying, @plugin directive, typography plugin, forms plugin, prose class, @tailwindcss/typography, @tailwindcss/forms

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Marketplace

claude-skills

secondsky/claude-skills

Plugin

tailwind-v4-shadcn

frontend

Repository

secondsky/claude-skills
28stars

plugins/tailwind-v4-shadcn/skills/tailwind-v4-shadcn/SKILL.md

Last Verified

January 24, 2026

Install Skill

Select agents to install to:

Scope:
npx add-skill https://github.com/secondsky/claude-skills/blob/main/plugins/tailwind-v4-shadcn/skills/tailwind-v4-shadcn/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill tailwind-v4-shadcn

Installation paths:

Claude
.claude/skills/tailwind-v4-shadcn/
Powered by add-skill CLI

Instructions

# Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui Production Stack

**Production-tested**: WordPress Auditor (https://wordpress-auditor.webfonts.workers.dev)
**Last Updated**: 2025-12-04
**Status**: Production Ready ✅

## Table of Contents
1. [Before You Start](#-before-you-start-read-this)
2. [Quick Start](#quick-start-5-minutes---follow-this-exact-order)
3. [Four-Step Architecture](#the-four-step-architecture-critical)
4. [Dark Mode Setup](#dark-mode-setup)
5. [Critical Rules](#critical-rules-must-follow)
6. [Semantic Color Tokens](#semantic-color-tokens)
7. [Common Issues & Fixes](#common-issues--quick-fixes)
8. [File Templates](#file-templates)
9. [Setup Checklist](#complete-setup-checklist)
10. [Advanced Topics](#advanced-topics)
11. [Dependencies](#dependencies)
12. [Tailwind v4 Plugins](#tailwind-v4-plugins)
13. [Reference Documentation](#reference-documentation)
14. [When to Load References](#when-to-load-references)

---

## ⚠️ BEFORE YOU START (READ THIS!)

**CRITICAL FOR AI AGENTS**: If you're Claude Code helping a user set up Tailwind v4:

1. **Explicitly state you're using this skill** at the start of the conversation
2. **Reference patterns from the skill** rather than general knowledge
3. **Prevent known issues** listed in `reference/common-gotchas.md`
4. **Don't guess** - if unsure, check the skill documentation

**USER ACTION REQUIRED**: Tell Claude to check this skill first!

Say: **"I'm setting up Tailwind v4 + shadcn/ui - check the tailwind-v4-shadcn skill first"**

### Why This Matters (Real-World Results)

**Without skill activation:**
- ❌ Setup time: ~5 minutes
- ❌ Errors encountered: 2-3 (tw-animate-css, duplicate @layer base)
- ❌ Manual fixes needed: 2+ commits
- ❌ Token usage: ~65k
- ❌ User confidence: Required debugging

**With skill activation:**
- ✅ Setup time: ~1 minute
- ✅ Errors encountered: 0
- ✅ Manual fixes needed: 0
- ✅ Token usage: ~20k (70% reduction)
- ✅ User confidence: Instant success

### Known Issues This Skill Prevents

1. **tw-animate-css import

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