Tailwind CSS Best Practices for 2025

Why Tailwind CSS?

Tailwind CSS has revolutionized how we write CSS by providing utility-first classes that make styling faster and more consistent.

Best Practices

1. Use the @apply directive sparingly - Keep your HTML semantic but don't overuse @apply
2. Organize with components - Extract repeated patterns into components
3. Customize your theme - Extend Tailwind's default theme to match your brand
4. Use plugins - Leverage Tailwind plugins for additional functionality

Example: Button Component

const Button = ({ children, variant = 'primary' }) => {
  const baseStyles = 'px-4 py-2 rounded-lg font-medium transition-colors';
  const variants = {
    primary: 'bg-blue-600 text-white hover:bg-blue-700',
    secondary: 'bg-gray-200 text-gray-900 hover:bg-gray-300',
  };
  
  return (
    <button className={`${baseStyles} ${variants[variant]}`}>
      {children}
    </button>
  );
};

Performance Tips

To keep your CSS bundle size small:

• Remove unused styles with PurgeCSS (built into Tailwind)
• Use Just-in-Time mode for faster builds
• Minimize custom CSS where possible