Ai Elements

# AI Elements

[AI Elements](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ai-elements) is a component library and custom registry built on top of [shadcn/ui](https://ui.shadcn.com/) to help you build AI-native applications faster. It provides pre-built components like conversations, messages and more.

Installing AI Elements is straightforward and can be done in a couple of ways. You can use the dedicated CLI command for the fastest setup, or integrate via the standard shadcn/ui CLI if you've already adopted shadcn's workflow.

> **IMPORTANT:** Run all CLI commands using the project's package runner: `npx ai-elements@latest`, `pnpm dlx ai-elements@latest`, or `bunx --bun ai-elements@latest` — based on the project's `packageManager`. Examples below use `npx ai-elements@latest` but substitute the correct runner for the project.

## Prerequisites

Before installing AI Elements, make sure your environment meets the following requirements:

- [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download/), version 18 or later
- A [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) project with the [AI SDK](https://ai-sdk.dev/) installed.
- [shadcn/ui](https://ui.shadcn.com/) installed in your project. If you don't have it installed, running any install command will automatically install it for you.
- We also highly recommend using the [AI Gateway](https://vercel.com/docs/ai-gateway) and adding `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY` to your `env.local` so you don't have to use an API key from every provider. AI Gateway also gives $5 in usage per month so you can experiment with models. You can obtain an API key [here](https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%2Fapi-keys&title=Get%20your%20AI%20Gateway%20key).

## Installing Components

You can install AI Elements components using either the AI Elements CLI or the shadcn/ui CLI. Both achieve the same result: adding the selected component’s code and any needed dependencies to your project.

The CLI will download the component’s code and integrate it into your project’s directory (usually under your components folder). By default, AI Elements components are added to the `@/components/ai-elements/` directory (or whatever folder you’ve configured in your shadcn components settings).

After running the command, you should see a confirmation in your terminal that the files were added. You can then proceed to use the component in your code.

## Usage

Once an AI Elements component is installed, you can import it and use it in your application like any other React component. The components are added as part of your codebase (not hidden in a library), so the usage feels very natural.

## Example

After installing AI Elements components, you can use them in your application like any other React component. For example:

```tsx title="conversation.tsx"
"use client";

import {
  Message,
  MessageContent,
  MessageResponse,
} from "@/components/ai-elements/message";
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react";

const Example = () => {
  const { messages } = useChat();

  return (
    <>
      {messages.map(({ role, parts }, index) => (
        <Message from={role} key={index}>
          <MessageContent>
            {parts.map((part, i) => {
              switch (part.type) {
                case "text":
                  return (
                    <MessageResponse key={`${role}-${i}`}>
                      {part.text}
                    </MessageResponse>
                  );
              }
            })}
          </MessageContent>
        </Message>
      ))}
    </>
  );
};

export default Example;
```

In the example above, we import the `Message` component from our AI Elements directory and include it in our JSX. Then, we compose the component with the `MessageContent` and `MessageResponse` subcomponents.