Headless UI 입문
헤드리스 컴포넌트 개념을 이해하고 @headlessui/react를 설치한 다음 Menu, Dialog, Listbox를 비롯해 사용할 수 있는 컴포넌트를 살펴봅니다.
Headless UI 입문은(는) CoddyKit의 무료 Tailwind CSS Academy 강의입니다. 이것은 4개 중 1번째 강의입니다. 아래에서 전체 강의를 무료로 읽을 수 있으며, 내장 코드 에디터와 24/7 AI 튜터와 함께 브라우저에서 직접 실습할 수 있습니다. 이 강의는 Tailwind CSS Academy 학습 경로의 일부이며, 진행 상황이 웹과 CoddyKit 앱에 동기화됩니다. Tailwind CSS Academy 강의에는 총 4개의 강의가 포함되어 있습니다.
이 강의의 일부는 아직 번역되지 않았으며 영어로 표시됩니다.
What Is a Headless Component?
A headless component provides behavior, state management, and accessibility without any built-in visual styling. It gives you all the keyboard navigation, ARIA attributes, and interaction logic — but leaves the visual presentation entirely to you. This is the opposite of a styled component library like Bootstrap, which bundles both behavior and appearance. Headless components let you apply your own Tailwind classes while getting accessibility for free.
Introducing Headless UI
Headless UI is a library of completely unstyled, accessible UI components built by the Tailwind Labs team. It provides components like Menu (dropdowns), Dialog (modals), Listbox (select menus), Combobox (autocomplete), Switch (toggles), Disclosure (accordions), and Tabs. All accessibility requirements — ARIA roles, keyboard navigation, focus management — are handled internally.
# Install for React
npm install @headlessui/react
# Install for Vue
npm install @headlessui/vue
# Available components:
# Menu, Dialog, Listbox, Combobox,
# Switch, Disclosure, Popover, RadioGroup,
# Tab (Tabs, TabGroup, TabList, TabPanel)
import { Menu, Dialog, Listbox } from '@headlessui/react';Why Headless UI With Tailwind?
Headless UI was designed with Tailwind CSS in mind — they are built by the same team. Every component accepts className props and exposes render props that give you state information (like open or active) to drive conditional Tailwind classes. Unlike component libraries that fight your custom styles, Headless UI components are a blank canvas that expects you to paint with Tailwind utilities.
import { Switch } from '@headlessui/react';
import { useState } from 'react';
function ToggleSwitch() {
const [enabled, setEnabled] = useState(false);
return (
<Switch
checked={enabled}
onChange={setEnabled}
className={cn(
'relative inline-flex h-6 w-11 items-center rounded-full transition-colors',
enabled ? 'bg-blue-600' : 'bg-gray-200'
)}
>
<span className={cn(
'inline-block h-4 w-4 transform rounded-full bg-white transition-transform',
enabled ? 'translate-x-6' : 'translate-x-1'
)} />
</Switch>
);
}The Menu Component
The Menu component creates an accessible dropdown with keyboard navigation. It is composed of Menu.Button (the trigger), Menu.Items (the dropdown panel), and Menu.Item (each option). Headless UI handles opening/closing on click, closing on outside click, and keyboard arrow navigation automatically. You style each piece with Tailwind classes.
import { Menu } from '@headlessui/react';
function UserMenu() {
return (
<Menu as='div' className='relative'>
<Menu.Button className='flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg px-3 py-2 hover:bg-gray-100'>
<img src='/avatar.png' className='h-8 w-8 rounded-full' alt='User' />
<span className='text-sm font-medium'>John Doe</span>
</Menu.Button>
<Menu.Items className='absolute right-0 mt-2 w-48 rounded-xl bg-white shadow-lg ring-1 ring-black/5 focus:outline-none'>
<div className='p-1'>
<Menu.Item>
{({ active }) => (
<button className={cn('w-full text-left px-3 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg', active && 'bg-gray-100')}>
Profile
</button>
)}
</Menu.Item>
</div>
</Menu.Items>
</Menu>
);
}Render Props for State-Driven Styling
Headless UI components expose their internal state through render props. For example, Menu.Item provides an active boolean indicating whether the item is currently focused or hovered. Menu.Button exposes open. These booleans drive your conditional Tailwind classes, creating the visual distinction between states without writing any JavaScript event handlers yourself.
// Render props expose internal state
<Menu.Button>
{({ open }) => (
<span className={cn(
'flex items-center gap-2 px-4 py-2 rounded-lg',
open ? 'bg-blue-50 text-blue-600' : 'text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-100'
)}>
Options
<ChevronDownIcon className={cn(
'h-4 w-4 transition-transform',
open && 'rotate-180'
)} />
</span>
)}
</Menu.Button>
// Menu.Item with active state
<Menu.Item>
{({ active, disabled }) => (
<button className={cn(
'w-full px-3 py-2 text-sm text-left rounded',
active && 'bg-blue-600 text-white',
disabled && 'opacity-50 cursor-not-allowed'
)}>
Edit
</button>
)}
</Menu.Item>The Dialog Component
The Dialog component creates fully accessible modals with built-in focus trapping and escape key handling. When opened, keyboard focus is automatically moved inside the dialog and constrained within it until the dialog closes. The Dialog.Panel contains the modal content, and Dialog.Overlay provides the backdrop. You apply all visual styles with Tailwind.
import { Dialog } from '@headlessui/react';
function ConfirmModal({ isOpen, onClose }) {
return (
<Dialog open={isOpen} onClose={onClose} className='relative z-50'>
{/* Backdrop */}
<div className='fixed inset-0 bg-black/40' aria-hidden='true' />
{/* Center the panel */}
<div className='fixed inset-0 flex items-center justify-center p-4'>
<Dialog.Panel className='bg-white rounded-2xl shadow-xl max-w-md w-full p-6'>
<Dialog.Title className='text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900'>
Confirm Action
</Dialog.Title>
<Dialog.Description className='mt-2 text-sm text-gray-600'>
Are you sure you want to continue?
</Dialog.Description>
<div className='mt-6 flex gap-3 justify-end'>
<button onClick={onClose} className='px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg border'>Cancel</button>
<button className='px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg bg-blue-600 text-white'>Confirm</button>
</div>
</Dialog.Panel>
</div>
</Dialog>
);
}The Disclosure Component
The Disclosure component implements accessible accordion or show/hide patterns. It provides Disclosure.Button (the toggle) and Disclosure.Panel (the expandable content). Headless UI handles the aria-expanded attribute on the button and associates it with the panel automatically. This is perfect for FAQ sections, collapsible navigation items, and settings panels.
import { Disclosure } from '@headlessui/react';
function FAQItem({ question, answer }) {
return (
<Disclosure as='div' className='border-b border-gray-200 py-4'>
{({ open }) => (
<>
<Disclosure.Button className='flex w-full justify-between items-center text-left'>
<span className='font-medium text-gray-900'>{question}</span>
<ChevronDownIcon className={cn(
'h-5 w-5 text-gray-500 transition-transform',
open && 'rotate-180'
)} />
</Disclosure.Button>
<Disclosure.Panel className='mt-3 text-sm text-gray-600 leading-relaxed'>
{answer}
</Disclosure.Panel>
</>
)}
</Disclosure>
);
}The Listbox Component
The Listbox component is an accessible alternative to the native <select> element, offering full keyboard navigation and ARIA compliance while being fully styleable with Tailwind. Use it when you need custom-styled option items with images, icons, or complex layouts that a native select cannot render. Listbox.Options and Listbox.Option compose the dropdown list.
import { Listbox } from '@headlessui/react';
const people = [{ id: 1, name: 'Alice' }, { id: 2, name: 'Bob' }];
function PersonSelect({ value, onChange }) {
return (
<Listbox value={value} onChange={onChange}>
<div className='relative'>
<Listbox.Button className='w-full rounded-lg border border-gray-300 bg-white px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm'>
{value.name}
</Listbox.Button>
<Listbox.Options className='absolute z-10 mt-1 w-full rounded-xl bg-white shadow-lg ring-1 ring-black/5'>
{people.map(person => (
<Listbox.Option key={person.id} value={person}>
{({ active, selected }) => (
<div className={cn('px-4 py-2 text-sm cursor-pointer', active && 'bg-blue-50')}>
{selected && <CheckIcon className='inline h-4 w-4 mr-2 text-blue-600' />}
{person.name}
</div>
)}
</Listbox.Option>
))}
</Listbox.Options>
</div>
</Listbox>
);
}The Tabs Component
The Tab components in Headless UI create accessible tabbed interfaces with proper ARIA roles, keyboard navigation (arrow keys switch tabs), and automatic active state management. Compose Tab.Group, Tab.List, Tab, Tab.Panels, and Tab.Panel — Headless UI wires them together; Tailwind provides the visual treatment.
import { Tab } from '@headlessui/react';
function TabbedContent() {
return (
<Tab.Group>
<Tab.List className='flex gap-1 rounded-xl bg-gray-100 p-1'>
{['Overview', 'Analytics', 'Settings'].map(tab => (
<Tab
key={tab}
className={({ selected }) => cn(
'flex-1 rounded-lg py-2 text-sm font-medium transition-colors',
selected
? 'bg-white text-blue-700 shadow'
: 'text-gray-600 hover:text-gray-900'
)}
>
{tab}
</Tab>
))}
</Tab.List>
<Tab.Panels className='mt-4'>
<Tab.Panel className='p-4 rounded-xl bg-white'><p>Overview content</p></Tab.Panel>
<Tab.Panel className='p-4 rounded-xl bg-white'><p>Analytics content</p></Tab.Panel>
<Tab.Panel className='p-4 rounded-xl bg-white'><p>Settings content</p></Tab.Panel>
</Tab.Panels>
</Tab.Group>
);
}Headless UI Accessibility Guarantees
Headless UI provides tested, production-ready accessibility implementations that would take significant effort to write correctly yourself. The Dialog traps focus within the modal, the Menu implements the ARIA combobox/menu pattern with correct roles, and Listbox follows the ARIA Listbox pattern. These are verified against the ARIA Authoring Practices Guide, so you can trust the accessibility layer without writing a single ARIA attribute yourself.
<!-- What Headless UI generates automatically -->
<!-- For Menu.Button -->
<button
id='headlessui-menu-button-1'
type='button'
aria-haspopup='true'
aria-expanded='true'
aria-controls='headlessui-menu-items-2'
>
Options
</button>
<!-- For Menu.Items -->
<ul
id='headlessui-menu-items-2'
role='menu'
aria-labelledby='headlessui-menu-button-1'
tabindex='-1'
>
<li role='menuitem'>...</li>
</ul>
<!-- All generated automatically — no manual ARIA needed -->Composing Headless UI Components
Headless UI components can be composed together to build complex UI patterns. A settings page might combine Tab groups for navigation, Switch toggles for preferences, and a Dialog for confirmation modals — all in the same view. Each component handles its own accessibility independently, and Tailwind classes unify their visual style. This compositional approach lets you build sophisticated accessible interfaces with minimal custom JavaScript.
import { Tab, Switch, Dialog } from '@headlessui/react';
// Settings page combining multiple Headless UI components
function SettingsPage() {
return (
<Tab.Group>
<Tab.List class='flex gap-1 border-b border-gray-200 mb-6'>
<Tab class={({ selected }) =>
cn('px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium border-b-2 -mb-px',
selected ? 'border-blue-500 text-blue-600' : 'border-transparent text-gray-500')
}>Profile</Tab>
<Tab class={({ selected }) =>
cn('px-4 py-2 text-sm font-medium border-b-2 -mb-px',
selected ? 'border-blue-500 text-blue-600' : 'border-transparent text-gray-500')
}>Notifications</Tab>
</Tab.List>
<Tab.Panels>
<Tab.Panel>{/* Profile settings with Switch toggles */}</Tab.Panel>
<Tab.Panel>{/* Notification settings */}</Tab.Panel>
</Tab.Panels>
</Tab.Group>
);
}Quick Check
Test your understanding of Tailwind CSS Mastery concepts from this lesson.
Lesson Recap
In this lesson you learned: Headless UI provides behavior and accessibility without visual styling, render props expose internal state (active, open, selected) for conditional Tailwind classes, and components like Menu, Dialog, Disclosure, Listbox, and Tab cover the most common accessible UI patterns. Next up we style a Headless UI Menu dropdown with Tailwind in detail.
자주 묻는 질문
“Headless UI 입문” 강의는 무료인가요?
네 — “Headless UI 입문” 전체 내용을 이 웹사이트에서 무료로 읽을 수 있습니다. 인터랙티브하게 실습하려면(내장 코드 에디터와 24/7 AI 튜터), CoddyKit PRO로 업그레이드하면 Tailwind CSS Academy 강의 전체를 잠금 해제할 수 있습니다. Tailwind CSS Academy 강의에는 총 4개의 강의가 포함되어 있습니다.
“Headless UI 입문”에서 뭘 배우나요?
헤드리스 컴포넌트 개념을 이해하고 @headlessui/react를 설치한 다음 Menu, Dialog, Listbox를 비롯해 사용할 수 있는 컴포넌트를 살펴봅니다. 브라우저에서 직접 실행하는 실습 코드로 Tailwind CSS Academy을(를) 배우며, 24/7 AI 튜터가 강의를 진행하면서 질문에 답변해줍니다.
Tailwind CSS Academy을(를) 시작하는 데 경험이 필요한가요?
사전 경험은 필요하지 않습니다. CoddyKit의 Tailwind CSS Academy은(는) 초급자부터 고급 학습자까지를 위해 구성되어 있으므로, 여기서 시작하거나 처음부터 시작할 수 있으며 자신의 속도대로 진행할 수 있습니다. 이것은 4개 중 1번째 강의입니다.
“Headless UI 입문” 강의는 얼마나 걸리나요?
대부분의 CoddyKit 강의는 약 5~10분이 소요됩니다. 각 강의는 간결하고 인터랙티브하여 꾸준한 진행이 가능하며, 웹과 앱에서 중단한 부분부터 바로 시작할 수 있습니다.
이 Tailwind CSS Academy 강의에서 코드를 작성하고 실행할 수 있나요?
네. 모든 Tailwind CSS Academy 강의에는 내장 코드 에디터가 포함되어 있으므로, 브라우저에서 바로 실제 코드를 작성하고 실행한 후 즉시 AI 피드백을 받을 수 있습니다 — 로컬 설정이 필요 없습니다.