Design token

Z-index

Z-index tokens turn stacking into a named scale — dropdown, sticky, modal, toast — instead of the familiar mess of z-50, z-9999, and z-[100000] competing for the top. A defined order is the difference between predictable layering and a modal that hides behind a header.

How Windcraft owns it

Windcraft holds your z-index scale as the source and generates it into your Tailwind config and CSS variables. AI tools read it over MCP via get_design_tokens, so generated overlays use the named layer rather than guessing a number.

Generated into

  • Tailwind config
  • CSS variables

Example

Named layer vs magic number

// uses a named z-index token
<div className="z-modal" />

// the magic-number pile a scale replaces
<div className="z-[9999]" />

FAQ

Why tokenize z-index at all?
Because untokenized stacking devolves into z-9999 wars. A named scale gives every layer a defined place, so a modal is always above a dropdown and a toast is always above both.
Do AI tools read the z-index scale?
Yes. get_design_tokens returns it over MCP, so generated overlays reference your named layers instead of inventing numbers.
Where does the scale live in my code?
In the generated Tailwind config and CSS variables, so components reference layers by name from one source.

Related

Generate your z-index tokens once, use them everywhere.