No,Category,Guideline,Description,Do,Don't,Code Good,Code Bad,Severity,Docs URL
1,Animation,Use Tailwind animate utilities,Built-in animations are optimized and respect reduced-motion,Use animate-pulse animate-spin animate-ping,Custom @keyframes for simple effects,animate-pulse,@keyframes pulse {...},Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/animation
2,Animation,Limit bounce animations,Continuous bounce is distracting and causes motion sickness,Use animate-bounce sparingly on CTAs only,Multiple bounce animations on page,Single CTA with animate-bounce,5+ elements with animate-bounce,High,
3,Animation,Transition duration,Use appropriate transition speeds for UI feedback,duration-150 to duration-300 for UI,duration-1000 or longer for UI elements,transition-all duration-200,transition-all duration-1000,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/transition-duration
4,Animation,Hover transitions,Add smooth transitions on hover state changes,Add transition class with hover states,Instant hover changes without transition,hover:bg-gray-100 transition-colors,hover:bg-gray-100 (no transition),Low,
5,Z-Index,Use Tailwind z-* scale,Consistent stacking context with predefined scale,z-0 z-10 z-20 z-30 z-40 z-50,Arbitrary z-index values,z-50 for modals,z-[9999],Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/z-index
6,Z-Index,Fixed elements z-index,Fixed navigation and modals need explicit z-index,z-50 for nav z-40 for dropdowns,Relying on DOM order for stacking,fixed top-0 z-50,fixed top-0 (no z-index),High,
7,Z-Index,Negative z-index for backgrounds,Use negative z-index for decorative backgrounds,z-[-1] for background elements,Positive z-index for backgrounds,-z-10 for decorative,z-10 for background,Low,
8,Layout,Container max-width,Limit content width for readability,max-w-7xl mx-auto for main content,Full-width content on large screens,max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4,w-full (no max-width),Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/container
9,Layout,Responsive padding,Adjust padding for different screen sizes,px-4 md:px-6 lg:px-8,Same padding all sizes,px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8,px-8 (same all sizes),Medium,
10,Layout,Grid gaps,Use consistent gap utilities for spacing,gap-4 gap-6 gap-8,Margins on individual items,grid gap-6,grid with mb-4 on each item,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/gap
11,Layout,Flexbox alignment,Use flex utilities for alignment,items-center justify-between,Multiple nested wrappers,flex items-center justify-between,Nested divs for alignment,Low,
12,Images,Aspect ratio,Maintain consistent image aspect ratios,aspect-video aspect-square,No aspect ratio on containers,aspect-video rounded-lg,No aspect control,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/aspect-ratio
13,Images,Object fit,Control image scaling within containers,object-cover object-contain,Stretched distorted images,object-cover w-full h-full,No object-fit,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/object-fit
14,Images,Lazy loading,Defer loading of off-screen images,loading='lazy' on images,All images eager load,<img loading='lazy'>,<img> without lazy,High,
15,Images,Responsive images,Serve appropriate image sizes,srcset and sizes attributes,Same large image all devices,srcset with multiple sizes,4000px image everywhere,High,
16,Typography,Prose plugin,Use @tailwindcss/typography for rich text,prose prose-lg for article content,Custom styles for markdown,prose prose-lg max-w-none,Custom text styling,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/typography-plugin
17,Typography,Line height,Use appropriate line height for readability,leading-relaxed for body text,Default tight line height,leading-relaxed (1.625),leading-none or leading-tight,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/line-height
18,Typography,Font size scale,Use consistent text size scale,text-sm text-base text-lg text-xl,Arbitrary font sizes,text-lg,text-[17px],Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/font-size
19,Typography,Text truncation,Handle long text gracefully,truncate or line-clamp-*,Overflow breaking layout,line-clamp-2,No overflow handling,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/text-overflow
20,Colors,Opacity utilities,Use color opacity utilities,bg-black/50 text-white/80,Separate opacity class,bg-black/50,bg-black opacity-50,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/background-color
21,Colors,Dark mode,Support dark mode with dark: prefix,dark:bg-gray-900 dark:text-white,No dark mode support,dark:bg-gray-900,Only light theme,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/dark-mode
22,Colors,Semantic colors,Use semantic color naming in config,primary secondary danger success,Generic color names in components,bg-primary,bg-blue-500 everywhere,Medium,
23,Spacing,Consistent spacing scale,Use Tailwind spacing scale consistently,p-4 m-6 gap-8,Arbitrary pixel values,p-4 (1rem),p-[15px],Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/customizing-spacing
24,Spacing,Negative margins,Use sparingly for overlapping effects,-mt-4 for overlapping elements,Negative margins for layout fixing,-mt-8 for card overlap,-m-2 to fix spacing issues,Medium,
25,Spacing,Space between,Use space-y-* for vertical lists,space-y-4 on flex/grid column,Margin on each child,space-y-4,Each child has mb-4,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/space
26,Forms,Focus states,Always show focus indicators,focus:ring-2 focus:ring-blue-500,Remove focus outline,focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2,focus:outline-none (no replacement),High,
27,Forms,Input sizing,Consistent input dimensions,h-10 px-3 for inputs,Inconsistent input heights,h-10 w-full px-3,Various heights per input,Medium,
28,Forms,Disabled states,Clear disabled styling,disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed,No disabled indication,disabled:opacity-50,Same style as enabled,Medium,
29,Forms,Placeholder styling,Style placeholder text appropriately,placeholder:text-gray-400,Dark placeholder text,placeholder:text-gray-400,Default dark placeholder,Low,
30,Responsive,Mobile-first approach,Start with mobile styles and add breakpoints,Default mobile + md: lg: xl:,Desktop-first approach,text-sm md:text-base,text-base max-md:text-sm,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/responsive-design
31,Responsive,Breakpoint testing,Test at standard breakpoints,320 375 768 1024 1280 1536,Only test on development device,Test all breakpoints,Single device testing,High,
32,Responsive,Hidden/shown utilities,Control visibility per breakpoint,hidden md:block,Different content per breakpoint,hidden md:flex,Separate mobile/desktop components,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/display
33,Buttons,Button sizing,Consistent button dimensions,px-4 py-2 or px-6 py-3,Inconsistent button sizes,px-4 py-2 text-sm,Various padding per button,Medium,
34,Buttons,Touch targets,Minimum 44px touch target on mobile,min-h-[44px] on mobile,Small buttons on mobile,min-h-[44px] min-w-[44px],h-8 w-8 on mobile,High,
35,Buttons,Loading states,Show loading feedback,disabled + spinner icon,Clickable during loading,<Button disabled><Spinner/></Button>,Button without loading state,High,
36,Buttons,Icon buttons,Accessible icon-only buttons,aria-label on icon buttons,Icon button without label,<button aria-label='Close'><XIcon/></button>,<button><XIcon/></button>,High,
37,Cards,Card structure,Consistent card styling,rounded-lg shadow-md p-6,Inconsistent card styles,rounded-2xl shadow-lg p-6,Mixed card styling,Low,
38,Cards,Card hover states,Interactive cards should have hover feedback,hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow,No hover on clickable cards,hover:shadow-xl transition-shadow,Static cards that are clickable,Medium,
39,Cards,Card spacing,Consistent internal card spacing,space-y-4 for card content,Inconsistent internal spacing,space-y-4 or p-6,Mixed mb-2 mb-4 mb-6,Low,
40,Accessibility,Screen reader text,Provide context for screen readers,sr-only for hidden labels,Missing context for icons,<span class='sr-only'>Close menu</span>,No label for icon button,High,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/screen-readers
41,Accessibility,Focus visible,Show focus only for keyboard users,focus-visible:ring-2,Focus on all interactions,focus-visible:ring-2,focus:ring-2 (shows on click too),Medium,
42,Accessibility,Reduced motion,Respect user motion preferences,motion-reduce:animate-none,Ignore motion preferences,motion-reduce:transition-none,No reduced motion support,High,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/hover-focus-and-other-states#prefers-reduced-motion
43,Performance,Configure content paths,Tailwind needs to know where classes are used,Use 'content' array in config,Use deprecated 'purge' option (v2),"content: ['./src/**/*.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}']",purge: [...],High,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/content-configuration
44,Performance,JIT mode,Use JIT for faster builds and smaller bundles,JIT enabled (default in v3),Full CSS in development,Tailwind v3 defaults,Tailwind v2 without JIT,Medium,
45,Performance,Avoid @apply bloat,Use @apply sparingly,Direct utilities in HTML,Heavy @apply usage,class='px-4 py-2 rounded',@apply px-4 py-2 rounded;,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/reusing-styles
46,Plugins,Official plugins,Use official Tailwind plugins,@tailwindcss/forms typography aspect-ratio,Custom implementations,@tailwindcss/forms,Custom form reset CSS,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/plugins
47,Plugins,Custom utilities,Create utilities for repeated patterns,Custom utility in config,Repeated arbitrary values,Custom shadow utility,"shadow-[0_4px_20px_rgba(0,0,0,0.1)] everywhere",Medium,
48,Layout,Container Queries,Use @container for component-based responsiveness,Use @container and @lg: etc.,Media queries for component internals,@container @lg:grid-cols-2,@media (min-width: ...) inside component,Medium,https://github.com/tailwindlabs/tailwindcss-container-queries
49,Interactivity,Group and Peer,Style based on parent/sibling state,group-hover peer-checked,JS for simple state interactions,group-hover:text-blue-500,onMouseEnter={() => setHover(true)},Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/hover-focus-and-other-states#styling-based-on-parent-state
50,Customization,Arbitrary Values,Use [] for one-off values,w-[350px] for specific needs,Creating config for single use,top-[117px] (if strictly needed),style={{ top: '117px' }},Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/adding-custom-styles#using-arbitrary-values
51,Colors,Theme color variables,Define colors in Tailwind theme and use directly,bg-primary text-success border-cta,bg-[var(--color-primary)] text-[var(--color-success)],bg-primary,bg-[var(--color-primary)],Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/customizing-colors
52,Colors,Use bg-linear-to-* for gradients,Tailwind v4 uses bg-linear-to-* syntax for gradients,bg-linear-to-r bg-linear-to-b,bg-gradient-to-* (deprecated in v4),bg-linear-to-r from-blue-500 to-purple-500,bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-500 to-purple-500,Medium,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/background-image
53,Layout,Use shrink-0 shorthand,Shorter class name for flex-shrink-0,shrink-0 shrink,flex-shrink-0 flex-shrink,shrink-0,flex-shrink-0,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/flex-shrink
54,Layout,Use size-* for square dimensions,Single utility for equal width and height,size-4 size-8 size-12,Separate h-* w-* for squares,size-6,h-6 w-6,Low,https://tailwindcss.com/docs/size
55,Images,SVG explicit dimensions,Add width/height attributes to SVGs to prevent layout shift before CSS loads,<svg class='size-6' width='24' height='24'>,SVG without explicit dimensions,<svg class='size-6' width='24' height='24'>,<svg class='size-6'>,High,
