New ShadCN Themed Components Break

[neinja007]

I just changed all the ShadCN files from my project. And now some selects are broken and other components are too.

for example, the tabs should not look like this. they look different in the docs and the preview. but when i copy the installation > manual code, it works, but its the default style and im not using that. when i remove and recreate it with the cli tool to listen to my theme specifications, it breaks again.

Selects are broken too, and dont look like in the project preview from shadcn:

It's all just a little frustrating to navigate. Anybody know whats going on?

[krishparmar22242]

This is a frustrating issue, but it is almost always caused by a mismatch between your Tailwind configuration and where the components were installed. When the UI looks like "default HTML" or "broken list items," it means the Radix UI logic is working, but the Tailwind CSS classes aren't being applied.

Here is a checklist to fix the style inconsistency and get your components looking like the preview again:

1. Check your tailwind.config.js (Most Likely Fix)

If you moved your components or used the CLI to recreate them in a specific directory, Tailwind might not be "scanning" them for styles. Ensure your content array includes the path where your shadcn components live.

/** @type {import('tailwindcss').Config} */
module.exports = {
  // Ensure these paths match your project structure exactly
  content: [
    "./app/**/*.{ts,tsx}",
    "./components/**/*.{ts,tsx}", // Check if your components are here
    "./src/**/*.{ts,tsx}",        // Or here
  ],
  theme: {
    extend: {
      // Ensure the shadcn animations/colors block is here
    },
  },
  plugins: [require("tailwindcss-animate")],
}

2. Verify your globals.css

Shadcn relies on CSS variables (like --primary, --background, etc.). If you re-ran the CLI, it might have overwritten your globals.css. Ensure you have the @layer base block with the required variables:

@layer base {
  :root {
    --background: 0 0% 100%;
    --foreground: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
    /* ... other variables ... */
    --radius: 0.5rem;
  }
}

3. Sync your components.json

If the CLI is "breaking" things when you run it, your components.json (in your root folder) likely has incorrect aliases. Check that the aliases section points to the correct folders:

"aliases": {
  "components": "@/components",
  "utils": "@/lib/utils"
}

4. Why the Select looks "Default"

If the Select looks like a standard browser dropdown, it usually means the SelectContent or SelectItem components are missing their styles.

• The Fix: Delete the select.tsx file manually and run npx shadcn-ui@latest add select. This ensures you have the latest version compatible with your current theme.

Sometimes the Next.js or Tailwind cache gets stuck. Try this "hard reset":

1. Delete the .next folder.
2. Run npm install (or bun install) to ensure tailwindcss-animate and lucide-react are correctly linked.
3. Restart your dev server.

I hope this helps get your theme back on track and settles the frustration with the UI! If this solves the styling issue, please consider marking this as the accepted answer to help others in the community find the fix!

[neinja007]

I'm gonna be honest, I already asked chatgpt and it didnt fix it.