Message Scroller
A chat viewport that follows streaming content while you're at the bottom, lets go the moment you scroll up, and shows a pill with the unread count to jump back.
- 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
Message Scroller
API reference
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
children | ReactNode | — | |
threshold | number | 48 | Pixels from the bottom that still count as following. |
About Message Scroller
Message Scroller keeps a chat pinned to the newest message while you sit at the bottom, then stops following the moment you scroll up to read. A pill counts the messages you missed and takes you back down in one click.
Message Scroller 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 Message Scroller
- Streaming AI responses.
- Live chat and support threads.
- Build and deploy logs.
- Activity feeds that update in real time.
How it works
A ResizeObserver watches the content, so it follows streaming growth without polling. Whether you are at the bottom is measured against a threshold you can tune, and the jump pill is a button with the unread count announced politely.
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 Message Scroller
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 interval live, and the Code tab updates to match, so the snippet you copy already carries your values.
- threshold (number, default 48): Pixels from the bottom that still count as following.
Goes well with Message Scroller
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
- Tool Approval: A React human-in-the-loop card that asks before an AI agent runs a tool
Install Message Scroller
npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/message-scrollerMessage Scroller 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 message-scroller.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 Message Scroller?
- Message Scroller is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/message-scroller. It copies message-scroller.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
- Is Message Scroller free for commercial use?
- Message Scroller 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 Message Scroller 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 Message Scroller?
- Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns Message Scroller's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.