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”>

<!– Carousel wrapper –>

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

<!– Item 1 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-700 ease-in-out” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-1.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 2 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-700 ease-in-out” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-2.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 3 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-700 ease-in-out” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-3.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 4 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-700 ease-in-out” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-4.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 5 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-700 ease-in-out” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-5.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

</div>

<!– Slider 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” arialabel=”

Slide 1″ data-carousel-slide-to=”0″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 2″ data-carousel-slide-to=”1″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 3″ data-carousel-slide-to=”2″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 4″ data-carousel-slide-to=”3″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 5″ data-carousel-slide-to=”4″></button>

</div>

<!– Slider controls –>

<button type=”button” class=”absolute top-0 left-0 z-30 flex items-center justifycenter

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 bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; fill=”none” viewBox=”0 0 6 10″>

<path stroke=”currentColor” stroke-linecap=”round” strokelinejoin=”

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 justifycenter

h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none” data-carousel-next>

<span class=”inline-flex items-center justify-center w-10 h-10 rounded-full bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; fill=”none” viewBox=”0 0 6 10″>

<path stroke=”currentColor” stroke-linecap=”round” strokelinejoin=”

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 datacarousel-

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”>

<!– Carousel wrapper –>

…

<!– /Carousel wrapper –>

<!– Slider controls –>

<button type=”button” class=”absolute top-0 left-0 z-30 flex items-center justifycenter

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 bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; 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 justifycenter

h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none” data-carousel-next>

<span class=”inline-flex items-center justify-center w-10 h-10 rounded-full bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; fill=”none” viewBox=”0 0 6 10″>

<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>

<!– /Slider controls –>

</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-carouselitem

attribute, like so:

<div class=”hidden duration-200 ease-linear” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-1.svg&#8221; 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”>

<!– Carousel wrapper –>

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

<!– Item 1 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-200 ease-linear” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-1.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 2 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-200 ease-linear” data-carousel-item>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-2.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

<!– Item 3 –>

<div class=”hidden duration-200 ease-linear” data-carousel-item=”active”>

<img src=”https://flowbite.com/docs/images/carousel/carousel-3.svg&#8221;

class=”absolute block w-full -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 top-1/2 left-1/2″

alt=”…”>

</div>

</div>

<!– /Carousel wrapper –>

<!– Slider controls –>

…

<!– Slider controls –>

</div>

Below is a gif of the implementation of the animation for the carousel with duration-200 easelinear

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:

<!– Slider 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” arialabel=”

Slide 1″ data-carousel-slide-to=”0″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 2″ data-carousel-slide-to=”1″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 3″ data-carousel-slide-to=”2″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 4″ data-carousel-slide-to=”3″></button>

<button type=”button” class=”w-3 h-3 rounded-full” aria-current=”false” arialabel=”

Slide 5″ data-carousel-slide-to=”4″></button>

</div>

<!– Slider indicators –>

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:

…

<!– Slider 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>

<span class=”inline-flex items-center justify-center w-10 h-10 rounded-full bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; 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 justifycenter

h-full px-4 cursor-pointer group focus:outline-none” data-carousel-next>

<span class=”inline-flex items-center justify-center w-10 h-10 rounded-full bgwhite/

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 groupfocus:

outline-none”>

<svg class=”w-4 h-4 text-white dark:text-gray-800″ aria-hidden=”true”

xmlns=”http://www.w3.org/2000/svg&#8221; fill=”none” viewBox=”0 0 6 10″>

<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>

<!– /Slider controls –>

…

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. 

‘Original article published here’