# Install tailwindcss with Homebrew, Nix, scoop Utility-first CSS framework. Version 4.3.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-01. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:tailwindcss ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install tailwindcss ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#tailwindcss ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ta/tailwindcss/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Windows - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/tailwindcss ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/tailwindcss.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:tailwindcss - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.3.2 - **Source summary:** Utility-first CSS framework - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-01T04:28:24Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - tailwindcss (cli) - tailwindcss (alias) ## Dependencies - node ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.3.2 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-01 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://tailwindcss.com - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage Tailwind CSS is a utility-first CSS framework and command-line build tool for generating CSS from utility classes found in project source files. Tailwind Labs describes it as fast, flexible, reliable, and zero-runtime, with official docs centered on Vite, PostCSS, the Tailwind CLI, framework guides, and Play CDN usage. ### Project history Tailwind CSS grew out of the utility-first CSS movement and reached a stable 1.0 milestone before the 2.0 release. The official Tailwind CSS v2.0 announcement says v1.0 had been released almost exactly 18 months earlier and describes v2.0 as the framework's first major update, adding a new color palette, dark mode support, wider breakpoints, form styles, and other utility expansions. Tailwind CSS v2.1 brought the Just-in-Time engine into core as an opt-in feature after the separate JIT preview, changing Tailwind from a mostly ahead-of-time utility generator into a faster on-demand compiler. Tailwind CSS v2.2 followed with a rewritten high-performance CLI, making the command-line package itself a first-class workflow. Tailwind CSS v4.0 was announced as a ground-up rewrite optimized for performance and modern CSS. The v4 docs and blog emphasize CSS-first configuration with `@theme`, automatic content detection, built-in import handling, and first-party integration through `@tailwindcss/cli` and `@tailwindcss/vite`. ### Adoption history Tailwind's adoption is visible in its packaging surface: npm is primary, but Homebrew, Nix, and Scoop package the CLI for users who want a system-level executable. The official README points users to tailwindcss.com for documentation and to GitHub Discussions for community support, while the docs provide framework-specific installation paths. The framework also developed an ecosystem around editor support, Headless UI, Heroicons, Tailwind Plus, and Tailwind Play. For package-manager users, that ecosystem matters because Tailwind is often installed both as a project dependency and as an editor or CLI tool. ### How it is used Official CLI documentation installs `tailwindcss` and `@tailwindcss/cli`, imports `@import "tailwindcss";` in a CSS file, and runs `npx @tailwindcss/cli -i ./src/input.css -o ./src/output.css --watch`. Tailwind then scans templates for class names and generates the corresponding static CSS. Current v4 customization is primarily CSS-driven through theme variables and directives. Legacy JavaScript configuration can still be loaded with `@config`, but the docs mark that path as compatibility for Tailwind CSS v3.x projects and note unsupported v4 options. ### Why package nerds care Tailwind CSS is package-nerd significant because it sits at the intersection of frontend build tooling, package-manager workflows, and editor tooling. It is commonly pulled through npm in projects but also packaged as a standalone CLI for Homebrew and other managers, making it a frequent test case for how JavaScript build tools are wrapped for system package ecosystems. Its evolution from configuration-heavy JavaScript files toward CSS-first configuration and standalone CLI packages also tracks a broader packaging concern: reducing required toolchain assumptions while keeping fast incremental builds and framework integration. ### Timeline - 2019: Tailwind CSS v1.0 stability milestone, referenced by the v2.0 announcement as almost exactly 18 months before v2.0. - 2020: Tailwind CSS v2.0 released as the first major update. - 2021: Tailwind CSS v2.1 merged the JIT engine into core. - 2021: Tailwind CSS v2.2 introduced a rewritten high-performance CLI. - 2025: Tailwind CSS v4.0 released as a ground-up rewrite with CSS-first configuration and modern web-platform features. ### Related projects - Related first-party projects include Tailwind CSS IntelliSense, Headless UI, Heroicons, Tailwind Play, and Tailwind Plus. The language server and IntelliSense extension are especially relevant to CLI/package culture because they package Tailwind's class knowledge for editors. ### Sources - - - - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for tailwindcss. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** tailwindcss - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - tailwindcss: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ta/tailwindcss/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Scoop - main/tailwindcss: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/tailwindcss.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [node](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/node/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gdbgui](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gdbgui/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, frontend. - [rustywind](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/rustywind/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, css, developer-tools, frontend. - [shadcn](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/shadcn/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, frontend. - [stylelint](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/stylelint/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, css, developer-tools, frontend. - [anchor](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/anchor/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, framework. - [atf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/atf/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, framework. - [bower](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bower/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, frontend. - [brpc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/brpc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, developer-tools, framework. - [tailwindcss-language-server](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/tailwindcss-language-server/) - Both packages touch the same language runtime or ecosystem. Shared terms: cli, css, developer, developer-tools, node. - [windicss](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/npm/windicss/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, css, developer, developer-tools, first. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/tailwindcss.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/tailwindcss.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph