Agent Activity
A live trace of agent work: thinking, searching, reading, running and writing steps arrive one by one on a timeline, the current one pulses with a timer, and the trace folds into a summary when done.
- Category: AI
- Licence: Charcoal UI Pro
- Built with: React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, Motion
- Dependencies: motion, clsx, tailwind-merge
Examples
Agent Activity
API reference
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
steps | { kind: "think" | "search" | "read" | "run" | "write"; label: string; detail?: string; seconds?: number }[] | — | |
running | boolean | false | |
collapsible | boolean | true |
About Agent Activity
Agent Activity shows an agent's work as it happens: thinking, searching, reading, running and writing steps arrive on a timeline, the current one pulses with a timer, and the whole trace folds into a one-line summary when the run ends.
Agent Activity is an AI interface component for React 19, styled with Tailwind CSS 4 and animated with Motion. It drops into Next.js, Vite, Remix or Astro through the shadcn CLI as a single file you own.
When to use Agent Activity
- Research and browsing agents.
- Coding agents running commands.
- Background jobs a user is watching.
- Transparent AI features that show their work.
How it works
Each step type has its own icon and verb. New steps slide in on a spring, the timer is tabular, and the timeline is an ordered list with a live region so screen readers hear each new step.
Streaming and status changes go through live regions, every action is a labelled button that works from the keyboard, and decorative motion stops for people who prefer reduced motion. With prefers-reduced-motion on, it holds still or settles instantly instead of animating.
Customizing Agent Activity
Every prop is documented in the API reference above with its type and default. The ones you will reach for first are listed here.
The Customize panel next to the preview lets you change speed live, and the Code tab updates to match, so the snippet you copy already carries your values.
- steps.
- running (boolean, default false).
- collapsible (boolean, default true).
Goes well with Agent Activity
These ai pieces share its tokens and motion language, so they sit together on one page without clashing.
- Typing Indicator: A React typing indicator: a bubble with rippling dots that tells screen readers who is typing
- Thinking Orb: A React AI thinking orb with nine motions for nine kinds of busy
- AI Prompt Input: An animated React AI chat input: growing field, attachments, model picker and a stop button
- Voice Input: A React voice input: the mic expands into a live waveform with a timer and cancel
- Message Scroller: A React chat viewport that follows streaming text and lets go when you scroll up
Install Agent Activity
npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/agent-activityAgent Activity is part of Charcoal UI Pro. One seat unlocks all 393 Pro components, 112 landing-page sections and 100 full templates, for every personal and client project, with updates included. Add the @charcoal registry once with your access token, then the command above copies agent-activity.tsx into components/ui and installs clsx, tailwind-merge.
You own the file you install: no runtime package, no lock-in, nothing to keep in sync. Change it however your product needs.
See Charcoal UI Pro pricing · Pro setup
Frequently asked questions
- How do I install Agent Activity?
- Agent Activity is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/agent-activity. It copies agent-activity.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
- Is Agent Activity free for commercial use?
- Agent Activity needs a Charcoal UI Pro seat, monthly or a one-time lifetime price. A seat covers unlimited personal and commercial projects, including client work, and every future Pro component.
- Does Agent Activity work with Next.js?
- Yes. It is a client component for React 19 styled with Tailwind CSS 4, so it works in the Next.js App Router and Pages Router, Vite, Remix and Astro.
- Can an AI coding agent install Agent Activity?
- Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns Agent Activity's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.