With the Sitecore Content SDK, Sitecore made a small but meaningful change. The default Next.js starter now ships with Tailwind CSS.

That might not sound like a big deal at first, but it lines up really well with how modern Sitecore frontends are actually built today.

A Better Fit for Component-First Development

The Content SDK is built around Next.js, the App Router, and reusable components. Tailwind fits naturally into that model.

Instead of relying on global stylesheets or abstract CSS rules, styling lives right next to the component. Layout and spacing decisions are visible where the markup is, which makes components easier to reason about when they are reused, personalized, or moved around.

Performance Comes Along for Free

One of the nicest side effects of using Tailwind is performance.

Because Tailwind only generates the CSS you actually use, you avoid shipping large bundles of unused styles. There is no extra configuration or cleanup step. You start with a smaller CSS footprint by default, which helps with first paint and overall page load.

In Sitecore projects where performance can slowly degrade over time, this is an underrated win.

Faster Iteration in CMS-Driven Projects

Sitecore projects change constantly. Components evolve, layouts get adjusted, and marketing requirements show up late.

Tailwind makes these changes easier by:

• Reducing context switching between JSX and CSS
• Making small visual tweaks quick and low risk
• Keeping changes scoped to individual components

This speeds up iteration and makes collaboration smoother.

A Signal of Where Sitecore Is Headed

Shipping Tailwind with the Content SDK is a quiet signal from Sitecore.

It says that:

• Modern frontend tooling is the default
• Performance matters from day one
• Headless Sitecore is meant to feel like a modern web platform

You can always swap Tailwind out, but starting with it gives teams a solid baseline that works well with Next.js and the App Router.

Final Thoughts

This is not about Tailwind being trendy. It is about better defaults.

The combination of the Sitecore Content SDK and Tailwind removes friction, improves performance without extra effort, and makes Sitecore frontends easier to build and maintain. For a starter template, that is exactly what you want.