How do I install Swarm Cursor?

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

Is Swarm Cursor free for commercial use?

Swarm Cursor 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 Swarm Cursor 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 Swarm Cursor?

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

Swarm Cursor

A flock of small dots chases the pointer with simple boid rules (chase, cohesion, separation) and idles in a slow orbit when the pointer leaves. Each dot trails a short streak along its velocity.

Category: Cursor
Licence: Charcoal UI Pro
Built with: React 19, Tailwind CSS 4, Motion
Dependencies: motion, clsx, tailwind-merge

Examples

Swarm Cursor

Sweep across quickly, then stop and watch the flock catch up and settle.

API reference

Prop	Type	Default	Description
`children`	`ReactNode`	—
`count`	`number`	`28`	Dots in the flock.
`speed`	`number`	`1`	Multiplier on acceleration and top speed.
`color`	`string`	`"var(--ember)"`	Any CSS colour.
`size`	`number`	`2.4`	Dot radius in px.
`className`	`string`	—

About Swarm Cursor

Swarm Cursor sends a flock of small dots after the pointer with simple boid rules, chase, cohesion and separation, and lets them idle in a slow orbit when it leaves.

Swarm Cursor is a cursor effect 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 Swarm Cursor

Playful brand sites.
Interactive heroes.
Nature and biology themes.
Creative coding portfolios.

How it works

Each dot steers toward the pointer and away from crowding on a canvas. It only reacts to a mouse, keeps the real cursor visible unless you choose otherwise, and does nothing on touch screens or under reduced motion.

It only reacts to a mouse, never hides the real cursor unless you ask it to, and does nothing on touch screens. With prefers-reduced-motion on, it holds still or settles instantly instead of animating.

Customizing Swarm Cursor

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 count, speed, size, color live, and the Code tab updates to match, so the snippet you copy already carries your values.

count (number, default 28): Dots in the flock.
speed (number, default 1): Multiplier on acceleration and top speed.
color (string, default "var(--ember)"): Any CSS colour.
size (number, default 2.4): Dot radius in px.

The example on this page

Swarm Cursor: Sweep across quickly, then stop and watch the flock catch up and settle.

Goes well with Swarm Cursor

These cursor pieces share its tokens and motion language, so they sit together on one page without clashing.

Cursor Trail: A React cursor trail: sparks fly off the pointer, drift down and cool
Blob Cursor: A React blob cursor that trails the pointer and swells over links
Spotlight Reveal: A React spotlight reveal: the pointer cuts a circle to show hidden content
Image Trail: A React image trail: photos drop along the pointer path and fade
Cursor Label: A React cursor label: a pill that follows the pointer and says View or Play

Install Swarm Cursor

npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/swarm-cursor

Swarm Cursor is part of Charcoal UI Pro. One seat unlocks all 300 Pro components, 107 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 swarm-cursor.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 Swarm Cursor?: Swarm Cursor is part of Charcoal UI Pro. Add the @charcoal registry to components.json with your access token, then run npx shadcn@latest add @charcoal/swarm-cursor. It copies swarm-cursor.tsx into components/ui and installs motion, clsx, tailwind-merge.
Is Swarm Cursor free for commercial use?: Swarm Cursor 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 Swarm Cursor 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 Swarm Cursor?: Yes. Connect the Charcoal UI MCP server (https://charcoalui.com/mcp) to Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client; get_component returns Swarm Cursor's props and get_install_command returns the exact command.

Swarm Cursor as Markdown · llms.txt