Getting Started with Astro and Tailwind

Astro is a modern static site generator that focuses on delivering fast, content-focused websites. Combined with Tailwind CSS, you get a powerful toolkit for building beautiful, performant websites.

Why Astro?

Astro takes a unique approach to building websites:

• Zero JavaScript by default - Ships only the JavaScript you need
• Component Islands - Interactive components load independently
• Fast builds - Optimized for speed and performance
• Framework agnostic - Use React, Vue, Svelte, or plain HTML

Setting Up Your Project

Setting up a new Astro project is straightforward:

npm create astro@latest

Follow the prompts to choose your template and configuration options.

Adding Tailwind CSS

Astro makes it easy to add Tailwind with their integration:

npx astro add tailwind

This command will:

1. Install the necessary dependencies
2. Update your Astro config
3. Create a basic Tailwind configuration

Building Your First Page

Here’s a simple example of an Astro component with Tailwind:

---
// Your component logic goes here
const title = "Hello World";
---

<div class="max-w-4xl mx-auto px-6 py-12">
  <h1 class="text-4xl font-bold text-gray-900">
    {title}
  </h1>
  <p class="text-gray-600 mt-4">
    This is a simple Astro component styled with Tailwind CSS.
  </p>
</div>

Best Practices

1. Use content collections for blog posts and structured content
2. Leverage Astro’s partial hydration for better performance
3. Keep components small and focused on a single responsibility
4. Use Tailwind utilities instead of custom CSS when possible

Conclusion

Astro and Tailwind CSS make a powerful combination for building modern websites. The focus on performance and developer experience makes it a joy to work with.

Try it out for your next project and see the difference!