Markstream React

Markstream React

Use this skill when the host app is React or Next and the task is to wire Markstream safely.

Workflow

1. Confirm the repo is React 18+ or a compatible Next host and accepts a beta renderer API.
2. Install markstream-react plus only the requested optional peers.
3. Import markstream-react/index.css from the app shell or client entry.
4. Choose the entrypoint that matches the rendering boundary.
   • Use markstream-react for the normal client renderer.
   • Use markstream-react/next for the Next-specific component surface.
   • Use markstream-react/server for server rendering without client hooks.
5. Start with content.
   • For streaming or high-frequency AI output, keep content and use built-in smooth streaming first.
     • smoothStreaming="auto" is the default and activates when typewriter={true} or maxLiveNodes <= 0.
     • typewriter only controls the blinking cursor and defaults to false.
     • fade controls node enter and streamed-text fade animations and defaults to true.
   • Streaming vs recovering history: in chat UIs the same renderer starts streaming and later switches to history when final={true}.
     • Streaming: smoothStreaming="auto", fade={false}, typewriter={true}. This is a conservative visual/performance choice, not an API incompatibility. This adapter has not adopted Vue 3's bounded append fades, so verify its animation behavior before enabling both.
     • Recovering history: smoothStreaming={false}, fade={true}, typewriter={false}. Content is already complete — pacing would slow it down, but fade gives a polished entry animation.
     • Dynamic switch: smoothStreaming={isStreaming ? 'auto' : false}, fade={!isStreaming}.
   • Move to nodes + final only for worker-preparsed content, shared AST stores, or custom AST control.
   • Remember that htmlPolicy now defaults to safe, and Mermaid strict mode is on by default through mermaidProps.
6. Respect SSR boundaries in Next.
   • Prefer use client, dynamic imports with ssr: false, or other client-only boundaries when browser-only peers are involved.
7. Use renderer-local components before custom parser work.
   • streamingComponents receives parser-backed NodeComponentProps, supports incomplete custom tags, and automatically contributes its keys to the effective customHtmlTags list.
   • htmlComponents receives sanitized HTML attributes plus children; it does not receive the parser node/loading contract.
   • Prefer defineStreamingComponents(...) and defineHtmlComponents(...) for typed maps.
   • Keep scoped setCustomComponents for built-in node overrides or shared compatibility registration.
   • Use parseOptions transforms only when migration requires token or AST changes.
8. Validate with the smallest useful dev, build, or typecheck command.

Default Decisions

• Renderer wiring first, migration cleanup second.
• If the repo already uses react-markdown, pair this skill with markstream-migration.
• Prefer content with built-in smooth streaming for most AI chat / token streaming surfaces.
• Streaming vs recovering history: when a chat message transitions from streaming to history (e.g. final becomes true), switch props dynamically — smoothStreaming="auto", fade={false} for streaming; smoothStreaming={false}, fade={true} for history. See docs/guide/ai-chat-streaming.md for full examples.
• Move to nodes only when another layer owns parsing or AST transforms.
• Prefer renderer-local custom-tag maps over global registry mutation.
• Prefer the smallest client-only boundary that solves the SSR issue.
• Avoid smoothStreaming={true} for first-screen SSR content unless intentionally starting from blank; auto mode uses the mounted gate.
• Keep htmlPolicy="safe" and Mermaid strict mode unless the request is preserving trusted legacy rendering.
• If a trusted surface needs older behavior, use htmlPolicy="trusted" and mermaidProps={{ isStrict: false }} only on that surface and explain why.

Useful Doc Targets

• docs/guide/react-quick-start.md
• docs/guide/react-installation.md
• docs/guide/react-components.md
• docs/guide/react-next-ssr.md
• docs/guide/react-markdown-migration.md
• docs/guide/component-overrides.md