Tailwind Carousel: Create Responsive Carousels Easily - Blogs

Tailwind Carousel: Create Responsive Carousels Easily
Emmanuel Uchenna
What is a Carousel
A carousel (in UI design) is a dynamic content display component frequently employed on
websites and applications. It allows sequential presentation (automatic cycle) of multiple text,
images, videos, or a blend of all, typically in a horizontal or vertical scrolling format, enabling
engaging and interactive content experiences for users.
A typical carousel will look like the image provided below:
CAROUSEL CSS TAILWIND 21 Sep 2023 10 min read

Carousel example image
Why You Need to Use a Carousel
You should consider using a carousel if you want to:
Display a series of images, such as product photos, in a limited space in an image gallery.
Highlight featured articles, products, or promotions on your website as featured content.
Rotate through customer reviews or testimonials.
Display recent news articles or updates in a news app or website as news or updates.
Show a selection of products or services as a product showcase.
Structure of Tailwind Carousel
A basic carousel contains the following structure:
1. Rotation: Carousels cycle through content items automatically or with user interaction. This
can be done by clicking or tapping on navigation arrows, buttons, or indicators.
2. Multiple Items: Carousels typically display more than one content item at a time, often in a
horizontal row, and your users can navigate through these items to see additional content.
3. Indicators: Carousels often include indicators, such as dots or numbers, to show the total
number of items and which item is being displayed.
4. Navigation Controls: Users can usually control the carousel’s movement through various
navigation controls, like next and previous arrows or swipe gestures on mobile devices.
5. Auto-play: Some carousels automatically advance through the content items at a set
interval, while others require manual interaction.

Tailwind CSS logo
The HTML structure for Flowbite Tailwind CSS Carousel
<div id="default-carousel" class="relative w-full" data-carousel="slide">

<div class="relative h-56 overflow-hidden rounded-lg md:h-96">

<div class="hidden duration-700 ease-in-out" data-carousel-item>
<img src="https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-1.svg"
class="absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2"
alt="...">
</div>

alt="...">
</div>

alt="...">
</div>

alt="...">
</div>

alt="...">
</div>
</div>

<div class="absolute z-30 flex space-x-3 -translate-x-1/2 bottom-5 left-1/2">
<button type="button" class="w-3 h-3 rounded-full" aria-current="true" aria-
label="Slide 1" data-carousel-slide-to="0"></button>
<button type="button" class="w-3 h-3 rounded-full" aria-current="false" aria-
</div>

<button type="button" class="absolute top-0 left-0 z-30 flex items-center justify-
center h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none" data-carousel-prev>
<span class="inline-flex items-center justify-center w-10 h-10 rounded-full bg-
white/30 dark:bg-gray-800/30 group-hover:bg-white/50 dark:group-hover:bg-gray-800/60
group-focus:ring-4 group-focus:ring-white dark:group-focus:ring-gray-800/70 group-
focus:outline-none">
<svg class="w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800" aria-hidden="true"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 6 10">
<path stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-
linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M5 1 1 5l4 4"/>
</svg>
<span class="sr-only">Previous</span>
</span>
</button>
<button type="button" class="absolute top-0 right-0 z-30 flex items-center justify-
center h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none" data-carousel-next>
<path stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-
linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="m1 9 4-4-4-4"/>
</svg>
<span class="sr-only">Next</span>
</span>
</button>
</div>

Tailwind CSS Flowbite carousel
Creating a Tailwind CSS Image Carousel
When it comes to creating image carousels with Tailwind CSS, you might have noticed that the
vanilla version does not inherently offer the functionality for carousel sliders. To address this
limitation, we can leverage Tailwind CSS component libraries like Tailwind Elements, Flowbite,
Tailwind Components, DaisyUI, and others.
Purecode.ai offers a repository of more than 10,000 AI-generated custom components for
TailwindCSS, MUI, and custom CSS for you to choose from, including carousel component,
Gallery, Header, Hero, Input, Loading, Login, Modal, News, Pagination, Pricing, Profile, and
many more. Get started today for free.
In this section, I will guide you through the process of building a Tailwind CSS carousel slider
specifically using Flowbite.
Flowbite is an open-source Tailwind CSS component library that harnesses the power of
Tailwind utility classes, allowing you to speed up website development by offering an array of
pre-made blocks, including a feature-rich carousel component.

Flowbite blocks
Understanding How the Carousel Works
The Flowbite carousel component uses special HTML attributes to control its behavior.
To initialize the carousel component, you need to use the data-carousel={static|slide} data
attribute while applying a unique id attribute to the parent element. Here are the two primary
options for implementing a carousel slider:
data-carousel=”static” prevents the carousel from sliding automatically.
data-carousel=”slide” enables the carousel to cycle through items infinitely.
Feel free to add as many carousel items as needed. However, ensure that you attach the data-
carousel-item data attribute to each item, designating a single item as “active” by assigning the
active value to the data attribute. Additionally, it’s essential to set the hidden class as the default
state to prevent any flickering.
Adding Carousel Controls
In this segment, we will focus on enhancing the user experience by adding previous and next
navigation buttons to your carousel. We will delve into the usage of Tailwind CSS classes for
button styling and positioning, providing code examples accompanied by detailed explanations
for seamless integration.
For interactive navigation, Flowbite provides an easy way to implement carousel controls. Utilize
the data-carousel-prev and data-carousel-next data attributes to listen for click events. These
attributes trigger the slide event within the carousel component, enabling navigation in both
directions.
Moreover, you can personalize the appearance and behavior of the control elements using
Tailwind CSS classes to align them with your project’s design.
<div id="controls-carousel" class="relative w-full" data-carousel="static">
...

<button type="button" class="absolute top-0 left-0 z-30 flex items-center justify-
center h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none" data-carousel-prev>
<path stroke="currentColor" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"

stroke-width="2" d="M5 1 1 5l4 4"/>
</svg>
</span>
</button>
stroke-width="2" d="m1 9 4-4-4-4"/>
</svg>
</span>
</button>

</div>
Flowbite carousel – Slider controls
Customizing Carousel Animation
Tailwind CSS offers a seamless way to customize the duration and animation style of the
carousel component. You can achieve this by leveraging the duration-* and ease-* utility classes
provided by Tailwind CSS for transition duration.
These classes allow you to fine-tune the animation effects applied to carousel items, ensuring a
visually pleasing user experience.

The utility class should be added in the carousel item div wrapper, alongside the data-carousel-
item attribute, like so:
<div class="hidden duration-200 ease-linear" data-carousel-item>
<img src="https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-1.svg" class="absolute
block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2" alt="..." />
</div>
Here is the complete code implementation.
<div id="animation-carousel" class="relative w-full" data-carousel="static">
<div class="relative h-56 overflow-hidden rounded-lg md:h-96">

alt="...">
</div>

alt="...">
</div>

<div class="hidden duration-200 ease-linear" data-carousel-item="active">
alt="...">
</div>
</div>

...
</div>
Below is a gif of the implementation of the animation for the carousel with duration-200 ease-
linear

Flowbite carousel – carousel animation – duration-700 ease-in-out
Below is a gif of the animation implementation for the carousel with duration-700 ease-in-out
utility classes.
Flowbite carousel – carousel animation – duration-200 ease-linear
Carousel Indicators
To enhance user navigation and provide clear visual cues, you can incorporate carousel
indicators (carousel slider). To display these indicators, include the data-carousel-slide-to=
{position} attribute within your indicator elements. The value assigned to this attribute should
correspond to the position of the slider element, allowing users to easily identify their current
location within the carousel.
Use this Tailwind CSS carousel slider component from Flowbite to create a collection of
images that can be navigated between using the control buttons and indicators.
Below is an example of the implementation of carousel indicators:
<div class="absolute z-30 flex space-x-3 -translate-x-1/2 bottom-5 left-1/2">
<button type="button" class="w-3 h-3 rounded-full" aria-current="true" aria-

</div>
Flowbite carousel – Slider indicators
Accessibility Considerations
When developing web components like carousels, it is essential to prioritize accessibility to
ensure that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and navigate your content
seamlessly. One crucial accessibility feature to consider is screen reader support. In Tailwind
CSS, we have a handy utility class called sr-only that aids in achieving this accessibility goal.
Using the sr-only Utility Class
The sr-only utility class in Tailwind CSS is designed to visually hide an element while keeping it
accessible to screen readers. This class is particularly valuable when you have elements like
icons or text that are essential for understanding and interacting with a component but may not
need to be displayed visibly on the screen.
Let’s take a look at a practical example of how to use the sr-only class in the context of carousel
controls:
...
<button type="button" class="absolute top-0 left-0 z-30 flex items-center justify-center
h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none" data-carousel-prev>

stroke-width="2" d="M5 1 1 5l4 4"/>
</svg>
</span>
</button>
stroke-width="2" d="m1 9 4-4-4-4"/>
</svg>
</span>
</button>

...
In this example, we are using a “Previous” and a “Next” button for carousel navigation. The
button includes an arrow icon for visual users, but screen readers will access the descriptive
text “Previous” and “Next” through the sr-only class. This ensures that all users, regardless of
their assistive technology, can understand the purpose of the button.
Promoting Inclusive User Experiences
By incorporating accessibility features like the sr-only class into your Tailwind CSS carousel
controls, you contribute to a more inclusive web. This ensures that individuals with disabilities,
such as those who rely on screen readers, can fully engage with your content and enjoy a
seamless user experience. Accessibility is not just a best practice; it’s a fundamental aspect of
responsible web development that benefits everyone.
JavaScript Behavior with Flowbite Carousel
Tailwind CSS carousels created using the Flowbite Tailwind component library offer not only
dynamic visual appeal but also JavaScript-driven behavior for more advanced customization.
Flowbite offers callback functions for evenlisteners for the carousel functionality. In this
section, we will delve into the JavaScript behavior of Flowbite carousels, allowing you to have

greater control over your carousel’s appearance and functionality.
Leveraging the Carousel Flowbite Class
The Carousel class from Flowbite allows you to create a JavaScript object that provides
extensive customization options. This object can be utilized to apply custom styles, alter the
active slide item, and set callback functions directly from your JavaScript code.
To explore the possibilities offered by the Carousel class, let’s take a look at the key aspects of
its JavaScript behavior:
Object Parameters
When working with the Carousel object, you can pass essential parameters to configure the
Carousel items and define various options.
Object Parameters
Customizing Options
Utilize the provided options within the Carousel object to tailor the carousel’s default position,
the interval between slides, indicator styles, and callback functions.

Customizing Options
Interactive Methods
To interact programmatically with the Carousel object and manipulate its behavior, you can
employ several useful methods:
Interactive Methods
Practical Example
Let’s put this knowledge into action with a practical example. Suppose you have a set of
carousel items and a configuration object like the one below:
const items = [
{
position: 0,
el: document.getElementById('carousel-item-1')
},
{
position: 1,
el: document.getElementById('carousel-item-2')
},
// ... more items
];
const options = {
defaultPosition: 1,
interval: 3000,
indicators: {
// ... indicator customization
},
onNext: () => {
console.log('Next slider item is displayed');
},

onPrev: () => {
console.log('Previous slider item is displayed');
},
onChange: () => {
console.log('A new slider item has been shown');
}
};
You can then create a new carousel object and customize it using these parameters:
import { Carousel } from 'flowbite';
const carousel = new Carousel(items, options);
Now, you can interact with the carousel using the following public methods:
next(): Move to the next (right) slide.
prev(): Navigate to the previous (left) slide.
slideTo(position): Jump to a specific slide based on its position.
cycle(): Start or resume automated cycling of the carousel.
pause(): Halt the automated sliding, pausing the cycle.
By leveraging JavaScript behavior with Flowbite’s carousel component, you can achieve precise
control and interactivity, enhancing the overall user experience of your Tailwind CSS carousels.
Learn more on the official Flowbite documentation.
Wrapping Up
In this article, I started by introducing you to what carousels are in terms of UI design, I walked
you through creating carousels using the Tailwind CSS component library – Flowbite, and we
also considered some accessibility concerns.
While carousels can be visually engaging and useful for presenting multiple pieces of content,
they also have some potential drawbacks. They can sometimes lead to banner blindness (users
ignoring them) and may not always be accessible to all users, especially if not implemented
properly.
Also, your users may miss important content if it rotates too quickly or if they do not interact with
it. Therefore, it is important to use carousels thoughtfully and consider alternative ways to
present content when appropriate.
Further Learnings
Create carousels with DaisyUI Tailwind CSS component
Learn how to create carousels with Bootstrap

Videos on Tailwind CSS Carousel
We have a collection of 10,000+ AI-generated custom components for you to choose from for
your next web project. Check out Purecode.ai for custom CSS, HTML, and more. 🚀
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Emmanuel Uchenna
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