Lovable ui

Tailwind Config Changes Not Reflecting in Dev

Changes to tailwind.config.js don't appear in development. Need to restart dev server to see theme changes. New colors, spacing, or custom utilities don't apply.

Vite should watch tailwind.config.js but sometimes changes aren't detected. Manual server restart required.

Common Causes

  1. Dev server not watching tailwind.config.js
  2. PostCSS not recompiling after config change
  3. Vite build cache needs clearing
  4. Content path changes not triggering rebuild
  5. IDE not saving file or watching disabled

How to Fix It

Ensure vite.config.js watches config file:

export default {
  server: {
    watch: {
      include: ['./tailwind.config.js']
    }
  }
}

Clear cache and restart: `rm -rf node_modules/.vite && npm run dev`

Or manually hard refresh browser (Shift+F5).

Real developers can help you.

Rudra Bhikadiya Rudra Bhikadiya I build and fix web apps across Next.js, Node.js, and DBs. Comfortable jumping into messy code, broken APIs, and mysterious bugs. If your project works in theory but not in reality, I help close that gap. Jared Hasson Jared Hasson Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever BurnHavoc BurnHavoc Been around fixing other peoples code for 20 years. Sage Fulcher Sage Fulcher Hey I'm Sage! Im a Boston area software engineer who grew up in South Florida. Ive worked at a ton of cool places like a telehealth kidney care startup that took part in a billion dollar merger (Cricket health/Interwell health), a boutique design agency where I got to work on a ton of exciting startups including a photography education app, a collegiate Esports league and more (Philosophie), a data analytics as a service startup in Cambridge (MA) as well as at Phillips and MIT Lincoln Lab where I designed and developed novel network security visualizations and analytics. I've been writing code and furiously devoted to using computers to make people’s lives easier for about 17 years. My degree is in making computers make pretty lights and sounds. Outside of work I love hip hop, the Celtics, professional wrestling, magic the gathering, photography, drumming, and guitars (both making and playing them) Simon A. Simon A. I'm a backend developer building APIs, emulators, and interactive game systems. Professionally, I've developed Java/Spring reporting solutions, managed relational and NoSQL databases, and implemented CI/CD workflows. David Olverson David Olverson Solo dev shipping production apps with AI-assisted development. I specialize in rescuing broken Lovable/Bolt/Cursor builds and taking them to production. 10+ apps shipped including SaaS CRMs, gaming platforms, real estate tools, and Discord bots. Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Prisma. I use Claude Code with 50+ custom skills for rapid delivery. Average turnaround: 2-4 weeks from broken prototype to production. Matt Butler Matt Butler Software Engineer @ AWS Nam Tran Nam Tran 10 years as fullstack developer Omar Faruk Omar Faruk As a Product Engineer at Klasio, I contributed to end-to-end product development, focusing on scalability, performance, and user experience. My work spanned building and refining core features, developing dynamic website templates, integrating secure and reliable payment gateways, and optimizing the overall system architecture. I played a key role in creating a scalable and maintainable platform to support educators and learners globally. I'm enthusiastic about embracing new challenges and making meaningful contributions. Matthew Jordan Matthew Jordan I've been working at a large software company named Kainos for 2 years, and mainly specialise in Platform Engineering. I regularly enjoy working on software products outside of work, and I'm a huge fan of game development using Unity. I personally enjoy Python & C# in my spare time, but I also specialise in multiple different platform-related technologies from my day job.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I force reload config?

Stop dev server, delete .vite cache folder, restart. Or hard refresh browser with Shift+F5.

Do I need to rebuild CSS?

No, Tailwind JIT compiles on demand. Changes should appear after browser refresh.

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