converting-css-to-tailwind

How to use

Copy the installation command and review the source package before installing it in your own agent environment.
Check the source document for required tools, credentials and supported hosts.
Describe your input and desired deliverable; review the output against the source material.

npx skills add https://github.com/spencerpauly/awesome-cursor-skills --skill converting-css-to-tailwind

Before you start

Installation does not include a model subscription, API allowance or permission to access your files.
Repository stars and installation counts describe activity, not an independent quality or security test.

Original skill document

Rendered from the source repository. Headings, examples, code, tables, links, and referenced images are preserved.

Converting CSS to Tailwind

Migrate plain CSS files to Tailwind utility classes applied directly in markup.

Workflow

Read the CSS file and inventory every rule
Find the corresponding markup (HTML, JSX, TSX, Vue, Svelte) that references each selector
Convert each rule using the mapping below
Delete the CSS rule once all its properties are expressed as utilities
Remove the CSS file (or import) once it's empty
Verify the page looks identical — check for visual regressions

Conversion Reference

Layout & Box Model

CSS	Tailwind
`display: flex`	`flex`
`display: grid`	`grid`
`display: none`	`hidden`
`position: relative`	`relative`
`position: absolute`	`absolute`
`justify-content: center`	`justify-center`
`align-items: center`	`items-center`
`gap: 16px`	`gap-4`
`width: 100%`	`w-full`
`max-width: 768px`	`max-w-3xl`
`margin: 0 auto`	`mx-auto`
`padding: 16px`	`p-4`
`overflow: hidden`	`overflow-hidden`

Typography

CSS	Tailwind
`font-size: 14px`	`text-sm`
`font-weight: 700`	`font-bold`
`line-height: 1.5`	`leading-normal`
`text-align: center`	`text-center`
`text-transform: uppercase`	`uppercase`
`color: #333`	`text-[#333]` or a theme color
`letter-spacing: 0.05em`	`tracking-wide`

Backgrounds & Borders

CSS	Tailwind
`background-color: #f5f5f5`	`bg-[#f5f5f5]` or `bg-neutral-100`
`border: 1px solid #e5e7eb`	`border border-gray-200`
`border-radius: 8px`	`rounded-lg`
`box-shadow: 0 1px 3px ...`	`shadow-sm`

Responsive — Media Queries

css

@media (min-width: 768px) { .card { flex-direction: row; } }

→ <div class="flex-col md:flex-row">

Map breakpoints: sm: (640), md: (768), lg: (1024), xl: (1280), 2xl: (1536)

Pseudo-classes & States

css

.btn:hover { background-color: #1d4ed8; }

→ <button class="hover:bg-blue-700">

Prefixes: hover:, focus:, active:, disabled:, first:, last:, odd:, even:, group-hover:, peer-checked:

Animations & Transitions

css

transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;

→ transition-all duration-200 ease-in-out

css

@keyframes spin { ... }
animation: spin 1s linear infinite;

→ animate-spin (built-in) or define in tailwind.config

Custom Properties / Arbitrary Values

For anything without a direct utility, use arbitrary values:

w-[calc(100%-2rem)]
grid-cols-[200px_1fr_1fr]
text-[clamp(1rem,2vw,1.5rem)]

Handling Remaining CSS

Some things can't be expressed purely as utilities:

Complex selectors (.parent > .child + .sibling) — restructure the markup or use @apply as a last resort
`@font-face` — keep in a global CSS file or globals.css
Complex `@keyframes` — define in tailwind.config.ts under theme.extend.keyframes
CSS variables — migrate to Tailwind theme values in tailwind.config.ts

Rules

Prefer semantic Tailwind classes (bg-primary) over arbitrary hex values when a theme exists
Don't use @apply to recreate the same CSS you're migrating away from — that defeats the purpose
Group related utilities logically: layout → spacing → typography → colors → effects
If a component has 10+ utilities, consider extracting a reusable component rather than a CSS class