Using shadcn/ui

Overview

shadcn/ui is a collection of re-usable, accessible React components built on Radix UI and Tailwind CSS. Unlike traditional component libraries, shadcn/ui copies components directly into your project, giving you full ownership and customization control.

Core principle: Components live in your codebase. You own the code. No package.json dependency.

When to Use

Use shadcn/ui when:

• Building React applications with Tailwind CSS
• Need accessible, customizable UI components
• Want pre-built patterns without library lock-in
• Implementing common UI patterns (forms, dialogs, dropdowns, etc.)
• Starting new projects that need design system foundation
• Need production-ready blocks for hero sections, pricing, testimonials, etc.

shadcnblocks.com integration:

• 829 blocks across 42 categories
• Production-ready sections (Hero, Navbar, Footer, Pricing, Testimonials, etc.)
• Copy-paste directly into your project
• Built with same shadcn/ui primitives

Don't use for:

• Non-React projects
• Projects without Tailwind CSS
• When you need a locked, versioned component library
• Simple HTML/CSS projects

Installation Workflow

1. Initialize shadcn/ui

npx shadcn@latest init

Configuration prompts:

• Style: Default or New York
• Color: Slate, Gray, Zinc, etc.
• CSS variables: Yes (recommended)
• Tailwind config: Use CSS variables for colors

2. Add Components

# Add specific components
npx shadcn@latest add button
npx shadcn@latest add dialog
npx shadcn@latest add form

# Add multiple at once
npx shadcn@latest add button card dialog dropdown-menu

Components install to: components/ui/

3. Using shadcnblocks.com

Visit: https://www.shadcnblocks.com/blocks

Workflow:

1. Browse category (Hero, Pricing, Testimonial, etc.)
2. Find desired block
3. Click "Copy Code"
4. Paste into your component file
5. Install any missing shadcn/ui dependencies
6. Customize colors, text, and layout

Component Categories Reference

Category	Common Use Cases	Example Components
Forms	User input, validation	Input, Textarea, Select, Checkbox, Radio Group
Overlays	Modals, popovers	Dialog, Popover, Tooltip, Sheet
Navigation	Menus, dropdowns	Dropdown Menu, Navigation Menu, Tabs
Feedback	User notifications	Alert, Toast, Progress, Skeleton
Data Display	Tables, cards, badges	Table, Card, Badge, Avatar
Layout	Containers, separators	Separator, Aspect Ratio, Scroll Area

shadcnblocks.com Categories (829 blocks)

Layout & Navigation (200 blocks)

• Hero (162 blocks): Landing page headers with CTAs
• Navbar (13 blocks): Navigation headers
• Footer (18 blocks): Page footers
• Banner (7 blocks): Announcement bars

Content Sections (367 blocks)

• Feature (266 blocks): Product feature showcases
• Blog (22 blocks): Blog layouts and cards
• Gallery (47 blocks): Image galleries
• Timeline (14 blocks): Event timelines
• Team (10 blocks): Team member profiles
• About (10 blocks): About us sections

Business Components (116 blocks)

• Pricing (35 blocks): Pricing tables and cards
• Testimonial (28 blocks): Customer testimonials
• Case Studies (9 blocks): Success stories
• Integration (16 blocks): Integration showcases
• Service/Services (21 blocks): Service offerings
• Stats (17 blocks): Statistics displays

User Engagement (64 blocks)

• CTA (25 blocks): Call-to-action sections
• Contact (13 blocks): Contact forms
• Signup/Login (17 blocks): Authentication forms
• Waitlist (2 blocks): Email capture
• Community (7 blocks): Community features

Information Display (82 blocks)

• FAQ (15 blocks): Frequently asked questions
• Comparison (10 blocks): Feature comparisons
• Logos (11 blocks): Logo grids
• Resources (4 blocks): Resource libraries
• Download (12 blocks): Download sections
• Changelog (7 blocks): Update logs
• Careers (9 blocks): Job listings
• Compliance (3 blocks): Legal/privacy sections

Quick Start Example

// 1. Add button component
// $ npx shadcn@latest add button

// 2. Import and use
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

export function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Button variant="default">Click me</Button>
      <Button variant="destructive">Delete</Button>
      <Button variant="outline">Cancel</Button>
      <Button variant="ghost">Subtle</Button>
    </div>
  )
}

Form Pattern with shadcn/ui

// Install: npx shadcn@latest add form input button

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("Invalid email address"),
  password: z.string().min(8, "Password must be at least 8 characters"),
})

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 onSubmit={form.handleSubmit(onSubmit)} className="space-y-4">
        <FormField
          control={form.control}
          name="email"
          render={({ field }) => (
            <FormItem>
              <FormLabel>Email</FormLabel>
              <FormControl>
                <Input placeholder="you@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">Sign In</Button>
      </form>
    </Form>
  )
}

Dialog/Modal Pattern

// Install: npx shadcn@latest add dialog button

import {
  Dialog,
  DialogContent,
  DialogDescription,
  DialogHeader,
  DialogTitle,
  DialogTrigger,
} from "@/components/ui/dialog"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

export function ConfirmDialog() {
  return (
    <Dialog>
      <DialogTrigger asChild>
        <Button variant="destructive">Delete Account</Button>
      </DialogTrigger>
      <DialogContent>
        <DialogHeader>
          <DialogTitle>Are you absolutely sure?</DialogTitle>
          <DialogDescription>
            This action cannot be undone. This will permanently delete your
            account and remove your data from our servers.
          </DialogDescription>
        </DialogHeader>
        <div className="flex justify-end gap-3">
          <Button variant="outline">Cancel</Button>
          <Button variant="destructive">Delete</Button>
        </div>
      </DialogContent>
    </Dialog>
  )
}

Using Blocks from shadcnblocks.com

Example: Adding a Hero Section

1. Visit: https://www.shadcnblocks.com/blocks 2. Navigate to: Hero category 3. Select a design 4. Click "Copy Code" 5. Create component:

// app/components/hero.tsx
// (Paste copied code from shadcnblocks.com)

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

export function Hero() {
  return (
    <section className="container flex flex-col items-center gap-8 pt-20 pb-12">
      <h1 className="text-6xl font-bold text-center">
        Build amazing products
      </h1>
      <p className="text-xl text-muted-foreground text-center max-w-2xl">
        Get started with production-ready components built with shadcn/ui
      </p>
      <div className="flex gap-4">
        <Button size="lg">Get Started</Button>
        <Button size="lg" variant="outline">Learn More</Button>
      </div>
    </section>
  )
}

6. Install missing components:

npx shadcn@latest add button

7. Import and use:

import { Hero } from "@/components/hero"

export default function Home() {
  return <Hero />
}

Example: Adding a Pricing Section

// Install: npx shadcn@latest add card button badge

import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import {
  Card,
  CardContent,
  CardDescription,
  CardFooter,
  CardHeader,
  CardTitle,
} from "@/components/ui/card"
import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge"

export function Pricing() {
  return (
    <section className="container py-20">
      <h2 className="text-4xl font-bold text-center mb-12">
        Simple, transparent pricing
      </h2>
      <div className="grid md:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
        <Card>
          <CardHeader>
            <CardTitle>Starter</CardTitle>
            <CardDescription>Perfect for trying out</CardDescription>
          </CardHeader>
          <CardContent>
            <div className="text-4xl font-bold mb-2">$9</div>
            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">per month</p>
          </CardContent>
          <CardFooter>
            <Button className="w-full">Get Started</Button>
          </CardFooter>
        </Card>

        <Card className="border-primary">
          <CardHeader>
            <Badge className="w-fit mb-2">Most Popular</Badge>
            <CardTitle>Pro</CardTitle>
            <CardDescription>For growing businesses</CardDescription>
          </CardHeader>
          <CardContent>
            <div className="text-4xl font-bold mb-2">$29</div>
            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">per month</p>
          </CardContent>
          <CardFooter>
            <Button className="w-full">Get Started</Button>
          </CardFooter>
        </Card>

        <Card>
          <CardHeader>
            <CardTitle>Enterprise</CardTitle>
            <CardDescription>For large organizations</CardDescription>
          </CardHeader>
          <CardContent>
            <div className="text-4xl font-bold mb-2">Custom</div>
            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">contact us</p>
          </CardContent>
          <CardFooter>
            <Button className="w-full" variant="outline">Contact Sales</Button>
          </CardFooter>
        </Card>
      </div>
    </section>
  )
}

Customization

Theme Colors

Edit app/globals.css or styles/globals.css:

@layer base {
  :root {
    --background: 0 0% 100%;
    --foreground: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
    --primary: 221.2 83.2% 53.3%;
    --primary-foreground: 210 40% 98%;
    /* ... more CSS variables */
  }

  .dark {
    --background: 222.2 84% 4.9%;
    --foreground: 210 40% 98%;
    /* ... dark mode colors */
  }
}

Component Variants

Components use class-variance-authority for variants:

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

// Available 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>

// Available sizes:
<Button size="default">Default</Button>
<Button size="sm">Small</Button>
<Button size="lg">Large</Button>
<Button size="icon">Icon</Button>

Extending Components

Edit the component file directly in components/ui/:

// components/ui/button.tsx
const buttonVariants = cva(
  "inline-flex items-center justify-center...",
  {
    variants: {
      variant: {
        default: "bg-primary text-primary-foreground...",
        destructive: "bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground...",
        // Add custom variant:
        success: "bg-green-600 text-white hover:bg-green-700",
      },
      // ... rest of variants
    }
  }
)

Common Patterns

Loading States

import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"
import { Loader2 } from "lucide-react"

export function LoadingButton() {
  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false)

  return (
    <Button disabled={isLoading}>
      {isLoading && <Loader2 className="mr-2 h-4 w-4 animate-spin" />}
      {isLoading ? "Loading..." : "Submit"}
    </Button>
  )
}

Toast Notifications

// Install: npx shadcn@latest add toast

import { useToast } from "@/hooks/use-toast"
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button"

export function ToastExample() {
  const { toast } = useToast()

  return (
    <Button
      onClick={() => {
        toast({
          title: "Success!",
          description: "Your changes have been saved.",
        })
      }}
    >
      Show Toast
    </Button>
  )
}

Data Tables

// Install: npx shadcn@latest add table

import {
  Table,
  TableBody,
  TableCell,
  TableHead,
  TableHeader,
  TableRow,
} from "@/components/ui/table"

const invoices = [
  { invoice: "INV001", status: "Paid", amount: "$250.00" },
  { invoice: "INV002", status: "Pending", amount: "$150.00" },
]

export function InvoiceTable() {
  return (
    <Table>
      <TableHeader>
        <TableRow>
          <TableHead>Invoice</TableHead>
          <TableHead>Status</TableHead>
          <TableHead>Amount</TableHead>
        </TableRow>
      </TableHeader>
      <TableBody>
        {invoices.map((invoice) => (
          <TableRow key={invoice.invoice}>
            <TableCell>{invoice.invoice}</TableCell>
            <TableCell>{invoice.status}</TableCell>
            <TableCell>{invoice.amount}</TableCell>
          </TableRow>
        ))}
      </TableBody>
    </Table>
  )
}

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Installing as npm package	shadcn/ui copies code. Run npx shadcn@latest add [component]
Importing from shadcn	Import from @/components/ui/[component]
Not installing dependencies	Each component may need additional packages (listed in CLI)
Modifying in node_modules	Components live in your components/ui/ - edit directly
Forgetting Tailwind config	Run npx shadcn@latest init to configure properly
Skipping shadcnblocks.com	Don't build common sections from scratch - use 829 ready blocks

Workflow Summary

Starting new project:

1. npx shadcn@latest init
2. Add needed components: npx shadcn@latest add button card dialog
3. Browse shadcnblocks.com for section blocks
4. Copy blocks, install dependencies, customize

Adding new feature:

1. Identify needed components (form, dialog, etc.)
2. npx shadcn@latest add [components]
3. Check shadcnblocks.com for similar patterns
4. Build or adapt from block
5. Customize colors and content

Customizing:

1. Edit component files in components/ui/ directly
2. Modify globals.css for theme colors
3. Add variants using class-variance-authority patterns

Resources

• Official Docs: https://ui.shadcn.com
• shadcnblocks.com: https://www.shadcnblocks.com/blocks (829 blocks)
• Components: https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/components
• Themes: https://ui.shadcn.com/themes
• Examples: https://ui.shadcn.com/examples

Integration with Other Tools

Works seamlessly with:

• Next.js (App Router or Pages)
• Remix
• Astro
• Vite + React
• React Hook Form
• Zod validation
• Tailwind CSS
• Radix UI (under the hood)