Gatsby GraphCMS TailwindCSS Starter

Gatsby GraphCMS TailwindCSS Starter is a boilerplate template for building static websites with the Gatsby framework, pre-wired to the GraphCMS headless CMS and styled with TailwindCSS.

What is the Gatsby GraphCMS TailwindCSS Starter?

This starter is a variant of Gatsby's official default starter, enhanced with two integrations: the gatsby-source-graphql plugin for pulling content from GraphCMS, and TailwindCSS configured through a postcss.config.js file. It runs on Gatsby, a React-based static site generator, and includes the full set of Gatsby configuration files: gatsby-config.js, gatsby-node.js, gatsby-browser.js, and gatsby-ssr.js. The project also ships with a src directory containing the sample page that you edit to start building.

What makes it stand out?

• GraphCMS integration — The gatsby-source-graphql plugin is included and configured, letting you query GraphCMS content directly in your Gatsby GraphQL layer.
• TailwindCSS pre-configured — A postcss.config.js file sets up Tailwind, so utility classes work immediately without manual PostCSS setup.
• Complete Gatsby boilerplate — All standard files are present: gatsby-config.js, gatsby-node.js, gatsby-browser.js, gatsby-ssr.js, package.json, .prettierrc, and a README.md.
• Gatsby CLI workflow — Use gatsby new to create a project, then gatsby develop to run a hot-reloading dev server at http://localhost:8000.
• GraphiQL explorer — The development server exposes a browser-based GraphQL IDE at http://localhost:8000___graphql for testing your queries.
• Prettier formatting — A .prettierrc configuration keeps code style consistent across the project.
• Netlify deployment — The README includes a one-click deploy button that connects the repository to Netlify for publishing.

Who should use the Gatsby GraphCMS TailwindCSS Starter?

• Web developers — Use this starter to bypass initial setup and start a Gatsby project that already talks to GraphCMS and uses TailwindCSS.
• Teams using GraphCMS — Teams managing content in GraphCMS can use this starter to get a working site skeleton with the GraphQL source plugin already installed.
• Frontend designers — Designers who work with Tailwind utilities will find the PostCSS and Tailwind configuration ready to use out of the box.

What can you do with it?

• Create a Gatsby site in minutes — Run gatsby new my-site <repository-url> and begin development immediately.
• Fetch content from GraphCMS — Write GraphQL queries in your pages to pull structured content from the GraphCMS API via the gatsby-source-graphql plugin.
• Style with TailwindCSS — Apply Tailwind's utility classes to components right away; no extra build tooling is needed.
• Deploy to Netlify — Click the deploy button in the README to launch the site on Netlify with continuous deployment.

How does the starter work?

1. Install the Gatsby CLI globally: npm install -g gatsby-cli.
2. Create a site: gatsby new my-default-starter.
3. Enter the directory and run gatsby develop; the site appears at http://localhost:8000.
4. Edit src/pages/index.js and save — the browser updates in real time.

FAQ

Is the Gatsby GraphCMS TailwindCSS Starter free?

Yes. Gatsby itself is licensed under the MIT license, and this starter inherits that permissive license, so you can use and modify it freely for personal or commercial projects.

Does this starter include a CMS?

It integrates with GraphCMS, a GraphQL-based headless CMS, through the gatsby-source-graphql plugin. You will need a GraphCMS project with content to serve data, but the connection code is already set up.

How do I start a new project with this starter?

You need the Gatsby CLI installed (npm install -g gatsby-cli), then run gatsby new <project-name> <this-repository-url>. After creation, use gatsby develop to run the development server.

What is the http://localhost:8000___graphql page?

It is GraphiQL, a built-in GraphQL IDE that Gatsby's development server provides. It lets you explore and test the data schema and queries available to your site.