Dark Mode Theming Stinger

The dark-mode theming surface is one of the most deceptively complex areas of a modern React/Next.js stack. Getting it right requires aligning four systems: CSS token architecture, a theme provider library, SSR hydration semantics, and (in multi-brand apps) a runtime CSS variable override layer. Getting any one of them wrong produces visible flashes, hydration warnings, inaccessible OS-native controls, or cross-tenant token leakage.

This Stinger encodes the 2026 consensus patterns for all of these. Read SKILL.md for the overview and task routing; follow the specific guide for deep implementation.

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When to use this skill

Load this skill when dark-mode-theming-worker-bee is invoked, or the user says:

• "Set up dark mode"
• "next-themes keeps flashing"
• "Dark mode on SSR"
• "Multi-brand theming"
• "CSS variable token layer"
• "Tailwind v4 dark mode"
• "prefers-color-scheme in Next.js"
• "White-label theme runtime swap"

This skill covers the full dark-mode theming surface for React/Next.js applications: CSS variable token architecture (semantic vs. primitive), next-themes wiring (ThemeProvider, storageKey, enableSystem), FOWT (flash-of-wrong-theme) prevention via a blocking inline script, SSR hydration safety (suppressHydrationWarning, typeof window guards, mounted guard pattern), Tailwind v4 dark-mode configuration (@custom-variant, selector strategy), and multi-brand/white-label runtime theme swapping via CSS variable overrides.

Do NOT use for palette creation or source-of-truth token file authorship (design-system-worker-bee), per-component visual deltas (ux-ui-svelte-worker-bee), or persisted-preference schema design (db-worker-bee). See the scope boundary table below for the full routing map.

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Task routing

Task	Guide
Understand principles and token contract	guides/00-principles.md
Build the :root / .dark CSS variable layer	guides/01-css-token-architecture.md
Wire next-themes ThemeProvider	guides/02-next-themes-wiring.md
Eliminate flash-of-wrong-theme	guides/03-fowt-prevention.md
Fix SSR hydration warnings / mounted guard	guides/04-ssr-hydration-safety.md
Configure Tailwind v4 dark mode	guides/05-tailwind-v4-dark-mode.md
Implement multi-brand / white-label theming	guides/06-multi-brand-runtime-swap.md
Happy-path example (App Router + next-themes + Tailwind v4)	examples/happy-path-app-router.md
Edge-case example (cookie-based SSR match)	examples/edge-case-cookie-ssr.md
Token layer skeleton template	templates/tokens.css.template.md
Audit report template	templates/audit-report.template.md

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The six non-negotiables

These are the directives from the Command Brief, repeated here as the guardrails for every implementation:

1. Never emit raw hex in component code. All color references go through var(--token-name). See guides/00-principles.md.
2. Always inject the FOWT-prevention script before first paint. See guides/03-fowt-prevention.md.
3. Distinguish prefers-color-scheme (system preference) from persisted preference (localStorage / cookie). System preference is the fallback, not the override. See guides/02-next-themes-wiring.md.
4. Flag typeof window guards in every SSR-executed code path that reads theme state. See guides/04-ssr-hydration-safety.md.
5. Scope multi-brand overrides to CSS variables, not JS state. CSS variable overrides are zero-JS and zero-rerender. See guides/06-multi-brand-runtime-swap.md.
6. Separate semantic tokens from primitive tokens. --color-primary must point to a semantic alias, not a raw hex value. See guides/01-css-token-architecture.md.

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Scope boundary

In scope	Out of scope: route to
CSS variable token layer (:root, .dark, per-brand blocks)	Palette creation, token source-of-truth file: design-system-worker-bee
next-themes wiring (ThemeProvider, props, storageKey)	Per-component visual deltas (which token for which role): ux-ui-svelte-worker-bee
FOWT prevention (inline script, script placement)	Persisted-preference DB schema (user_preferences.theme): db-worker-bee
SSR hydration safety (suppressHydrationWarning, guards)	CSS variable injection input validation: security-worker-bee
Tailwind v4 dark mode (@custom-variant)	Tailwind config beyond darkMode: ux-ui-svelte-worker-bee
Multi-brand CSS variable overrides	Auth-gated per-user theme (server-side preference + RBAC): auth-worker-bee + db-worker-bee

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Quick-start checklist

For a standard Next.js 15 App Router + next-themes + Tailwind v4 stack:

• Token layer: :root semantic tokens + .dark overrides in globals.css
• color-scheme CSS property set on :root and .dark
• meta[name="color-scheme"] in layout.tsx
• ThemeProvider in a "use client" providers component
• suppressHydrationWarning on <html>
• disableTransitionOnChange enabled on ThemeProvider
• Tailwind: @custom-variant dark (&:where(.dark, .dark *)) in globals.css
• No raw hex values in any component .tsx file

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Research trail: research/research-summary.md | Command Brief: ai-tools/command-briefs/dark-mode-theming-worker-bee-command-brief.md