Eleventy Tailwind with Vite (also known as the 11ty Starter) is an open-source boilerplate template that pairs the Eleventy static site generator with the Vite bundler and Tailwind CSS to produce fast, static websites with a modern development workflow. It takes Markdown content and template files as input and outputs a deployable static HTML site, while Vite handles JavaScript bundling and asset optimization during development.
What is Eleventy Tailwind with Vite?
Eleventy Tailwind with Vite is a starter template that integrates Eleventy (11ty) for static page generation, Vite as the dev server and module bundler, and Tailwind CSS for utility-first styling. The template ships with a complete project structure and a live demo at https://11ty-starter-oneezy.netlify.app/. It was created by GitHub user oneezy and originally forked from Adwin Mbidi's eleventy-tailwind-vite-template, with references to other Eleventy and Vite starters from Jake Ord, Stephanie Eckles, and Fotis Papadogeorgopoulous.
What makes Eleventy Tailwind with Vite stand out?
- Eleventy and Vite together — The template wires Eleventy's content pipeline to Vite's fast dev server and module bundling, giving you hot module replacement for CSS and JavaScript while still generating static HTML.
- Tailwind CSS preconfigured — Utility classes work immediately after
npm install; no separate Tailwind configuration step is needed. - Complete NPM script workflow — Includes six commands:
npm startandnpm run devfor development,npm run buildfor production output,npm run prodto serve that build locally,npm run lintfor linting, andnpm run formatfor code formatting. - Fixed local development URL — The dev server runs at http://localhost:8080 by default.
- Community-tested references — The project credits prior Eleventy plus Vite starters, including Stephanie Eckles's smol-11ty-starter and the Tailblocks UI block library, so it builds on existing solutions.
- JAMstack-oriented — The repository describes itself as "A JAMpacked starting point," aligning with the JavaScript, APIs, and Markup architecture.
Who should use Eleventy Tailwind with Vite?
- Web developers and agencies — Developers who want a preassembled stack for building static or JAMstack sites without configuring Eleventy, Vite, and Tailwind together from scratch.
- Learners exploring static-site tooling — People who want to see how Vite and Eleventy interact can clone the repo and study the scripts and project structure.
- Content-focused creators — Bloggers or documentation writers who work in Markdown can use this as a base to generate fast, styled static pages with minimal setup.
Use cases for Eleventy Tailwind with Vite
- Launch a Markdown-driven blog or portfolio — Write posts as Markdown files, let Eleventy generate the HTML pages, and use Vite to bundle any JavaScript and Tailwind styles.
- Prototype a landing page with Tailwind — Start from the included demo site and adapt the Tailwind utility classes and layout blocks for a product, event, or personal page.
- Learn the Eleventy plus Vite pattern — Inspect how this template separates content, templates, and build tooling, then apply the same pattern to custom projects.
How does Eleventy Tailwind with Vite work?
The README defines a clear workflow. First, clone the repository with git clone https://github.com/oneezy/11ty-starter.git. Then install dependencies with npm install. For development, run npm start or npm run dev and open http://localhost:8080. To prepare a production build, run npm run build, and to preview the result locally, run npm run prod.
FAQ
How do I run the development server for this template?
Run either npm start or npm run dev from the project directory after installing dependencies with npm install. The site is served at http://localhost:8080 and will automatically open in your browser.
What does the build command do in this template?
The npm run build script produces the final static files in the output directory, ready for deployment to any static hosting service such as Netlify or Vercel. This is the command to run before shipping the site.
Which tools does this starter combine?
It combines Eleventy for static page generation, Vite for bundling and serving during development, and Tailwind CSS for styling. These three tools together create a modern JAMstack workflow directly from the starter.
Is there a live demo of this template?
Yes. A deployed version of the starter is available at https://11ty-starter-oneezy.netlify.app/, letting you see the default layout and sample content before cloning the repository.
