How do I install AI Sidebar?

AI Sidebar is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/ai-sidebar. It copies ai-sidebar.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.

Is AI Sidebar free for commercial use?

AI Sidebar 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 AI Sidebar 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 AI Sidebar?

Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns AI Sidebar's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.

AI Sidebar

The workspace sidebar of an AI app: search, new chat, starred and recent chats, projects that open like folders, rename on double click, and a spring collapse to an icon rail.

Category: React AI Chat and Agent Components
Licence: Charcoal UI Pro
Built with: React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, Motion
Dependencies: motion, clsx, tailwind-merge

Examples

AI Sidebar

API reference

Prop	Type	Default
`projects`	`{ id; name; chats: { id; title; starred? }[] }[]`	—
`recent`	`{ id; title; starred? }[]`	—
`activeId`	`string`	—
`onSelect`	`(id: string) => void`	—
`onNewChat`	`() => void`	—
`defaultCollapsed`	`boolean`	`false`

About AI Sidebar

AI Sidebar is the navigation an AI app needs: search, a new chat button, starred and recent chats, projects that open like folders, rename on double click, and a spring collapse to an icon rail.

AI Sidebar 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 AI Sidebar

Chat and assistant apps.
AI writing and coding tools.
Internal copilots.
Any app organised into threads and projects.

How it works

Every action is a labelled button and project folders expose aria-expanded. Folders open on height springs, rename is an inline input that commits on Enter, and the collapsed rail keeps every chat reachable with a title and label.

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 AI Sidebar

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 defaultCollapsed live, and the Code tab updates to match, so the snippet you copy already carries your values.

projects.
recent ({ id; title; starred? }[]).
activeId (string).
defaultCollapsed (boolean, default false).

Goes well with AI Sidebar

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 AI Sidebar

npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/ai-sidebar

AI Sidebar 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 ai-sidebar.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 AI Sidebar?: AI Sidebar is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/ai-sidebar. It copies ai-sidebar.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
Is AI Sidebar free for commercial use?: AI Sidebar 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 AI Sidebar 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 AI Sidebar?: Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns AI Sidebar's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.

AI Sidebar as Markdown · llms.txt