Shadcn UI

shadcn/ui Component Library

shadcn/ui is a collection of beautifully-designed, accessible components and a code distribution platform. It is built with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Radix UI primitives. It supports multiple frameworks including Next.js, Vite, Remix, Astro, and more. Open Source. Open Code. AI-Ready. It also comes with a command-line tool to install and manage components and a registry system to publish and distribute code.

Key Principles

• Open Code: Components are copied into your project, not installed as dependencies
• Composition: Build complex UIs by composing simple components
• Distribution: CLI and registry system for easy component management
• Beautiful Defaults: Production-ready styling out of the box
• AI-Ready: Designed to work well with AI assistants

Quick Reference

CLI Commands

# Initialize shadcn/ui in your project
npx shadcn@latest init

# Add a component
npx shadcn@latest add button

# Add multiple components
npx shadcn@latest add button card dialog

# Add all components
npx shadcn@latest add --all

# Update components
npx shadcn@latest diff

# List available components
npx shadcn@latest add

Configuration (components.json)

{
  "$schema": "https://ui.shadcn.com/schema.json",
  "style": "new-york",
  "rsc": false,
  "tsx": true,
  "tailwind": {
    "config": "tailwind.config.js",
    "css": "src/index.css",
    "baseColor": "neutral",
    "cssVariables": true
  },
  "aliases": {
    "components": "@/components",
    "utils": "@/lib/utils",
    "ui": "@/components/ui",
    "lib": "@/lib",
    "hooks": "@/hooks"
  }
}

Documentation Index

Overview

Installation by Framework

Installation Instructions

TanStack Router (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started with shadcn/ui and TanStack Router:

# Create new project with shadcn/ui pre-configured
npx create-tsrouter-app@latest my-app --template file-router --tailwind --add-ons shadcn

Then add components:

npx shadcn@latest add button

Usage in routes:

// src/routes/index.tsx
import { createFileRoute } from "@tanstack/react-router"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

export const Route = createFileRoute("/")({
  component: App,
})

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Button>Click me</Button>
    </div>
  )
}

Vite Installation

Step 1: Create project

npm create vite@latest
# Select: React + TypeScript

Step 2: Add Tailwind CSS

npm install tailwindcss @tailwindcss/vite

Replace src/index.css:

@import "tailwindcss";

Step 3: Configure TypeScript paths

Edit tsconfig.json:

{
  "files": [],
  "references": [
    { "path": "./tsconfig.app.json" },
    { "path": "./tsconfig.node.json" }
  ],
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": {
      "@/*": ["./src/*"]
    }
  }
}

Edit tsconfig.app.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": {
      "@/*": ["./src/*"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Configure Vite

npm install -D @types/node

Edit vite.config.ts:

import path from "path"
import tailwindcss from "@tailwindcss/vite"
import react from "@vitejs/plugin-react"
import { defineConfig } from "vite"

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [react(), tailwindcss()],
  resolve: {
    alias: {
      "@": path.resolve(__dirname, "./src"),
    },
  },
})

Step 5: Initialize shadcn/ui

npx shadcn@latest init
# Select: Neutral as base color

Step 6: Add components

npx shadcn@latest add button

Usage:

// src/App.tsx
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

function App() {
  return (
    <div className="flex min-h-svh flex-col items-center justify-center">
      <Button>Click me</Button>
    </div>
  )
}

export default App

Manual Installation (Without CLI)

Step 1: Add Tailwind CSS

Follow the Tailwind CSS installation guide.

Step 2: Add dependencies

npm install class-variance-authority clsx tailwind-merge lucide-react tw-animate-css

Step 3: Configure path aliases

In tsconfig.json:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": {
      "@/*": ["./*"]
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Configure styles

Create src/styles/globals.css:

@import "tailwindcss";
@import "tw-animate-css";

@custom-variant dark (&:is(.dark *));

:root {
  --background: oklch(1 0 0);
  --foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --card: oklch(1 0 0);
  --card-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --popover: oklch(1 0 0);
  --popover-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --primary: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --primary-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --secondary: oklch(0.97 0 0);
  --secondary-foreground: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --muted: oklch(0.97 0 0);
  --muted-foreground: oklch(0.556 0 0);
  --accent: oklch(0.97 0 0);
  --accent-foreground: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --destructive: oklch(0.577 0.245 27.325);
  --destructive-foreground: oklch(0.577 0.245 27.325);
  --border: oklch(0.922 0 0);
  --input: oklch(0.922 0 0);
  --ring: oklch(0.708 0 0);
  --chart-1: oklch(0.646 0.222 41.116);
  --chart-2: oklch(0.6 0.118 184.704);
  --chart-3: oklch(0.398 0.07 227.392);
  --chart-4: oklch(0.828 0.189 84.429);
  --chart-5: oklch(0.769 0.188 70.08);
  --radius: 0.625rem;
  --sidebar: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --sidebar-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --sidebar-primary: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --sidebar-primary-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --sidebar-accent: oklch(0.97 0 0);
  --sidebar-accent-foreground: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --sidebar-border: oklch(0.922 0 0);
  --sidebar-ring: oklch(0.708 0 0);
}

.dark {
  --background: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --card: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --card-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --popover: oklch(0.145 0 0);
  --popover-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --primary: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --primary-foreground: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --secondary: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --secondary-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --muted: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --muted-foreground: oklch(0.708 0 0);
  --accent: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --accent-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --destructive: oklch(0.396 0.141 25.723);
  --destructive-foreground: oklch(0.637 0.237 25.331);
  --border: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --input: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --ring: oklch(0.439 0 0);
  --chart-1: oklch(0.488 0.243 264.376);
  --chart-2: oklch(0.696 0.17 162.48);
  --chart-3: oklch(0.769 0.188 70.08);
  --chart-4: oklch(0.627 0.265 303.9);
  --chart-5: oklch(0.645 0.246 16.439);
  --sidebar: oklch(0.205 0 0);
  --sidebar-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --sidebar-primary: oklch(0.488 0.243 264.376);
  --sidebar-primary-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --sidebar-accent: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --sidebar-accent-foreground: oklch(0.985 0 0);
  --sidebar-border: oklch(0.269 0 0);
  --sidebar-ring: oklch(0.439 0 0);
}

@theme inline {
  --color-background: var(--background);
  --color-foreground: var(--foreground);
  --color-card: var(--card);
  --color-card-foreground: var(--card-foreground);
  --color-popover: var(--popover);
  --color-popover-foreground: var(--popover-foreground);
  --color-primary: var(--primary);
  --color-primary-foreground: var(--primary-foreground);
  --color-secondary: var(--secondary);
  --color-secondary-foreground: var(--secondary-foreground);
  --color-muted: var(--muted);
  --color-muted-foreground: var(--muted-foreground);
  --color-accent: var(--accent);
  --color-accent-foreground: var(--accent-foreground);
  --color-destructive: var(--destructive);
  --color-destructive-foreground: var(--destructive-foreground);
  --color-border: var(--border);
  --color-input: var(--input);
  --color-ring: var(--ring);
  --color-chart-1: var(--chart-1);
  --color-chart-2: var(--chart-2);
  --color-chart-3: var(--chart-3);
  --color-chart-4: var(--chart-4);
  --color-chart-5: var(--chart-5);
  --radius-sm: calc(var(--radius) - 4px);
  --radius-md: calc(var(--radius) - 2px);
  --radius-lg: var(--radius);
  --radius-xl: calc(var(--radius) + 4px);
  --color-sidebar: var(--sidebar);
  --color-sidebar-foreground: var(--sidebar-foreground);
  --color-sidebar-primary: var(--sidebar-primary);
  --color-sidebar-primary-foreground: var(--sidebar-primary-foreground);
  --color-sidebar-accent: var(--sidebar-accent);
  --color-sidebar-accent-foreground: var(--sidebar-accent-foreground);
  --color-sidebar-border: var(--sidebar-border);
  --color-sidebar-ring: var(--sidebar-ring);
}

@layer base {
  * {
    @apply border-border outline-ring/50;
  }
  body {
    @apply bg-background text-foreground;
  }
}

Step 5: Add cn() helper

Create lib/utils.ts:

import { clsx, type ClassValue } from "clsx"
import { twMerge } from "tailwind-merge"

export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
  return twMerge(clsx(inputs))
}

Step 6: Create components.json

{
  "$schema": "https://ui.shadcn.com/schema.json",
  "style": "new-york",
  "rsc": false,
  "tsx": true,
  "tailwind": {
    "config": "",
    "css": "src/styles/globals.css",
    "baseColor": "neutral",
    "cssVariables": true,
    "prefix": ""
  },
  "aliases": {
    "components": "@/components",
    "utils": "@/lib/utils",
    "ui": "@/components/ui",
    "lib": "@/lib",
    "hooks": "@/hooks"
  },
  "iconLibrary": "lucide"
}

Step 7: Add components

npx shadcn@latest add button

Components Reference

Form & Input Components

Layout & Navigation Components

Overlay & Dialog Components

Feedback & Status Components

Display & Media Components

Miscellaneous Components

Dark Mode Setup

Forms Integration

Advanced Topics

MCP Server Integration

shadcn/ui provides an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for AI integrations:

URL: https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/mcp

Features:

• Browse components from registries
• Search components by name or description
• Install components using natural language
• Works with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Codex

Setup for Claude Code:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shadcn": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "shadcn@canary", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Registry System

Registry Schemas

Common Patterns

Installing Components for a Feature

# Authentication flow
npx shadcn@latest add button input form label card

# Dashboard layout
npx shadcn@latest add sidebar navigation-menu breadcrumb avatar dropdown-menu

# Data display
npx shadcn@latest add table data-table pagination skeleton

# Forms
npx shadcn@latest add form field input select checkbox radio-group switch calendar date-picker combobox

# Feedback
npx shadcn@latest add alert toast dialog alert-dialog

File Structure After Installation

src/
├── components/
│   └── ui/
│       ├── button.tsx
│       ├── card.tsx
│       ├── dialog.tsx
│       └── ...
├── lib/
│   └── utils.ts          # cn() utility function
└── index.css             # Tailwind + CSS variables

The cn() Utility

// lib/utils.ts
import { clsx, type ClassValue } from "clsx"
import { twMerge } from "tailwind-merge"

export function cn(...inputs: ClassValue[]) {
  return twMerge(clsx(inputs))
}

// Usage
<Button className={cn("w-full", isLoading && "opacity-50")} />

Button Variants

<Button variant="default">Default</Button>
<Button variant="destructive">Destructive</Button>
<Button variant="outline">Outline</Button>
<Button variant="secondary">Secondary</Button>
<Button variant="ghost">Ghost</Button>
<Button variant="link">Link</Button>

<Button size="default">Default</Button>
<Button size="sm">Small</Button>
<Button size="lg">Large</Button>
<Button size="icon"><IconName /></Button>

Form with React Hook Form + Zod

import { useForm } from "react-hook-form"
import { zodResolver } from "@hookform/resolvers/zod"
import * as z from "zod"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import { Form, FormControl, FormField, FormItem, FormLabel, FormMessage } from "@/components/ui/form"
import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input"

const formSchema = z.object({
  email: z.string().email(),
  password: z.string().min(8),
})

export function LoginForm() {
  const form = useForm<z.infer<typeof formSchema>>({
    resolver: zodResolver(formSchema),
    defaultValues: { email: "", password: "" },
  })

  function onSubmit(values: z.infer<typeof formSchema>) {
    console.log(values)
  }

  return (
    <Form {...form}>
      <form className="space-y-4">
        <FormField
          control={form.control}
          name="email"
          render={({ field }) => (
            <FormItem>
              <FormLabel>Email</FormLabel>
              <FormControl>
                <Input placeholder="email@example.com" {...field} />
              </FormControl>
              <FormMessage />
            </FormItem>
          )}
        />
        <FormField
          control={form.control}
          name="password"
          render={({ field }) => (
            <FormItem>
              <FormLabel>Password</FormLabel>
              <FormControl>
                <Input type="password" {...field} />
              </FormControl>
              <FormMessage />
            </FormItem>
          )}
        />
        <Button type="submit">Submit</Button>
      </form>
    </Form>
  )
}

Data Table with TanStack Table

import { DataTable } from "@/components/ui/data-table"
import { ColumnDef } from "@tanstack/react-table"

type User = {
  id: string
  name: string
  email: string
}

const columns: ColumnDef<User>[] = [
  { accessorKey: "name", header: "Name" },
  { accessorKey: "email", header: "Email" },
]

export function UsersTable({ data }: { data: User[] }) {
  return <DataTable columns={columns} data={data} />
}

Theming

CSS Variables

/* index.css */
@layer base {
  :root {
    --background: 0 0% 100%;
    --foreground: 0 0% 3.9%;
    --card: 0 0% 100%;
    --card-foreground: 0 0% 3.9%;
    --popover: 0 0% 100%;
    --popover-foreground: 0 0% 3.9%;
    --primary: 0 0% 9%;
    --primary-foreground: 0 0% 98%;
    --secondary: 0 0% 96.1%;
    --secondary-foreground: 0 0% 9%;
    --muted: 0 0% 96.1%;
    --muted-foreground: 0 0% 45.1%;
    --accent: 0 0% 96.1%;
    --accent-foreground: 0 0% 9%;
    --destructive: 0 84.2% 60.2%;
    --destructive-foreground: 0 0% 98%;
    --border: 0 0% 89.8%;
    --input: 0 0% 89.8%;
    --ring: 0 0% 3.9%;
    --radius: 0.5rem;
  }

  .dark {
    --background: 0 0% 3.9%;
    --foreground: 0 0% 98%;
    /* ... dark mode values */
  }
}

Using Theme Colors

// In components
<div className="bg-background text-foreground" />
<div className="bg-primary text-primary-foreground" />
<div className="bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground" />
<div className="bg-muted text-muted-foreground" />
<div className="bg-accent text-accent-foreground" />
<div className="bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground" />
<div className="border-border" />
<div className="ring-ring" />

Best Practices

1. Component Organization

src/components/
├── ui/                 # shadcn/ui components (don't modify directly)
│   ├── button.tsx
│   └── ...
├── forms/              # Form-specific compositions
│   ├── login-form.tsx
│   └── ...
├── layout/             # Layout components
│   ├── header.tsx
│   └── sidebar.tsx
└── features/           # Feature-specific components
    └── dashboard/

2. Extending Components

// components/ui/button.tsx is the base
// Create variants in your own components:

import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

export function LoadingButton({ loading, children, ...props }) {
  return (
    <Button disabled={loading} {...props}>
      {loading ? <Spinner className="mr-2" /> : null}
      {children}
    </Button>
  )
}

3. Consistent Spacing

// Use Tailwind's spacing scale
<div className="space-y-4">      {/* 1rem gap */}
  <Card className="p-6">          {/* 1.5rem padding */}
    <CardHeader className="pb-4"> {/* 1rem bottom padding */}
    <CardContent className="pt-0">
  </Card>
</div>

4. Responsive Design

<Dialog>
  <DialogContent className="sm:max-w-[425px]">
    {/* Mobile: full width, Desktop: max 425px */}
  </DialogContent>
</Dialog>

<Sheet side="left" className="w-[300px] sm:w-[400px]">
  {/* Responsive sidebar width */}
</Sheet>

Integration with This Plugin

This skill complements other frontend plugin skills:

• react-patterns: React 19 patterns work with shadcn/ui components
• tanstack-router: Type-safe routing with shadcn/ui layouts
• tanstack-query: Data fetching for Data Tables and forms
• api-integration: API types for form validation schemas
• tooling-setup: Vite + Tailwind setup for shadcn/ui

Recommended Installation Order

1. Set up Vite + React + TypeScript + Tailwind (tooling-setup skill)
2. Initialize shadcn/ui: npx shadcn@latest init
3. Install base components: npx shadcn@latest add button card
4. Set up TanStack Router (tanstack-router skill)
5. Add form components as needed

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Cannot find module '@/components/ui/button'"

• Check tsconfig.json paths alias matches components.json aliases

Components look unstyled

• Ensure Tailwind CSS is properly configured
• Check that index.css imports are correct
• Verify CSS variables are defined in :root

Dark mode not working

• Add dark class to <html> element
• Use a theme provider (next-themes for Next.js)

TypeScript errors with form components

• Install @hookform/resolvers and zod
• Ensure react-hook-form is installed

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