FlowPanel styles are namespaced under its root and portal attributes. The CLI creates an application-owned `admin.css` that loads Tailwind, scans the installed FlowPanel packages, and defines `--fp-*` design tokens.

## Use the generated stylesheet

`flowpanel init` imports `styles/admin.css` or `src/styles/admin.css` from the root layout. Keep that import alongside the application's global stylesheet.

For Tailwind v4, the file contains `@source` entries for normal and pnpm package layouts because FlowPanel class names live in compiled workspace packages. The CLI calculates the relative depth to `node_modules`.

```css
@import "tailwindcss";

@source "../node_modules/@flowpanel/*/dist";
@source "../node_modules/.pnpm/node_modules/@flowpanel/*/dist";
```

For Tailwind v3, the generated Tailwind config adds the corresponding `@flowpanel/*/dist` globs to `content`, and `admin.css` uses the v3 Tailwind directives. If components render without styling, check these scan paths before adding manual CSS overrides.

## Change design tokens

Override tokens on the FlowPanel root so the host application remains unaffected:

```css
[data-flowpanel-root],
[data-flowpanel-portal] {
  --fp-accent: 220 90% 50%;
  --fp-radius: 0.375rem;
  --fp-font-sans: Inter, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
  --fp-chart-1: 220 90% 55%;
}
```

Color values are HSL triplets unless the source stylesheet states otherwise. Prefer semantic tokens—background, text, border, accent, success, warning, error, chart palette—over selectors tied to component markup.

The full, current token list is the generated stylesheet or the package stylesheet it is based on. Keeping a second hand-written token table in docs would drift.

## Support dark mode

FlowPanel uses its namespaced theme attribute rather than recoloring the host `.dark` tree. Configure `theme.mode` as `light`, `dark`, or `auto`; use `theme.accentDark` when the light accent lacks contrast on dark surfaces.

Test custom text/background and status pairs in both modes. Theme tokens make visual consistency possible, but the application still owns contrast and accessibility for its chosen values and custom content.

## Apply targeted overrides safely

Use token changes for system-wide appearance and normal class names inside your own custom components. Avoid reaching into FlowPanel's internal DOM structure: those selectors are not a public contract and make upgrades harder.

When tokens cannot express the change, replace a supported [theme slot](/docs/customization/theme-slots). Eject only when behavior or page structure must change.

See [Configuration reference](/docs/reference/define-config#themeconfig) for generated theme options.