The Gatsby Starter Netlify Tailwind is a JAMstack boilerplate that pairs the Gatsby static site generator, the Netlify CMS content management system, and Tailwind CSS to build deploy-ready business websites with a Git-based content workflow.
What is the Gatsby Starter Netlify Tailwind?
The Gatsby Starter Netlify Tailwind is an open-source project boilerplate created by Emmanuel Gautier. It takes a standard Gatsby project and preconfigures it with Netlify CMS for content management and Tailwind CSS for styling, producing a static business website that deploys continuously through Netlify. A live demo is available at https://gatsby-starter-netlify-tailwind.netlify.app/. The starter follows the JAMstack architecture by using Git as the single source of truth, Netlify for continuous deployment and CDN distribution, and React for the frontend. It includes the core Gatsby configuration files you need to start developing immediately.
Key Features
The starter bundles the core tools you need for a JAMstack website, with specific files and services preconfigured.
- JAMstack architecture — Git acts as the single source of truth, with Netlify handling continuous deployment and CDN distribution.
- Gatsby framework — Built on the React-based static site generator, including configuration files like
gatsby-config.js,gatsby-browser.js,gatsby-node.js, andgatsby-ssr.js. - Netlify CMS integration — A Git-based content management system that lets editors update site content through a web UI, with changes committed back to the repository.
- Tailwind CSS — Utility-first CSS framework preconfigured in the starter for rapid UI development.
- Prettier formatting — Ships with a
.prettierrcfile to enforce consistent code formatting. - One-click deployment — Deploy directly to Gatsby Cloud using the included deploy button, or connect to Netlify for continuous deployment.
- Standard Gatsby project structure — Includes
src,node_modules,package.json,gatsby-*config files, and aREADME.mdwith learning resources. - Open source license — The starter is free to use and modify; the README includes an MIT license notice from the author.
Who is it for?
This starter is aimed at anyone who needs a preconfigured Gatsby project with a CMS and a utility-first styling system, saving hours of initial setup.
- Developers who want to bootstrap a new Gatsby project with a CMS and Tailwind CSS already configured, avoiding repetitive setup.
- Agencies and freelancers building marketing or business websites for clients who need a content editing interface without custom code.
- JAMstack learners who want a working example of how Gatsby, Netlify CMS, and Tailwind integrate in a real project.
- Startups that need a deploy-ready landing page with continuous deployment and a straightforward content update path.
What can you do with it?
With this starter, you can move from a blank repository to a deployed business website in a few commands, and you can hand content editing to non-technical users through Netlify CMS.
- Freelance web developers: create a new client site with the
gatsby newcommand, then hand over content editing to the client through Netlify CMS. - Content teams: edit page text and images via the Netlify CMS admin interface, which automatically creates Git commits for review and deployment.
- Early-stage startups: launch a marketing site quickly, then deploy automatically to Netlify or Gatsby Cloud with each merged change.
How does it work?
The quick start requires the Gatsby CLI. You create a new site with gatsby new my-default-starter https://github.com/emmanuelgautier/gatsby-starter-netlify-tailwind, navigate into the folder, and run gatsby develop to start a local development server at http://localhost:8000. Gatsby also exposes a GraphiQL explorer at http://localhost:8000/___graphql for querying site data during development. For production, the project can be deployed to Netlify or Gatsby Cloud following the provided instructions.
FAQ
Is this starter free?
Yes, this is an open-source starter. The repository is available on GitHub and the README includes an MIT license notice from the author, so you can use and modify it without cost.
Do I need to know React to use it?
Since Gatsby is built on React, a basic understanding of React components and JSX helps when editing src/pages/index.js or other templates. The quick start allows you to get a site running without writing React, but deeper customization assumes React familiarity.
Can I edit site content without touching code?
Netlify CMS provides a Git-based admin interface for content editors. Once the site is deployed, editors can log in to the CMS backend, make changes, and those changes are saved as commits in the Git repository, which then trigger a new deployment.
What configuration files are included?
The starter includes gatsby-config.js for site metadata and plugins, gatsby-browser.js for browser APIs, gatsby-node.js for Node APIs, gatsby-ssr.js for server-side rendering, and .prettierrc for code formatting. These are the standard Gatsby configuration entry points.
