shadcn/ui Community Best Practices

Comprehensive best practices guide for shadcn/ui applications, maintained by the shadcn/ui community. Contains 58 rules across 10 categories, prioritized by impact to guide automated refactoring and code generation.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Installing and configuring shadcn/ui in a project
• Writing new shadcn/ui components or composing primitives
• Implementing forms with React Hook Form and Zod validation
• Building data tables or handling large dataset displays
• Customizing themes or adding dark mode support
• Reviewing code for accessibility compliance

Rule Categories by Priority

Quick Reference

1. CLI & Project Setup (CRITICAL)

• setup-components-json – Configure components.json before adding components
• setup-path-aliases – Configure TypeScript path aliases to match components.json
• setup-cn-utility – Create the cn utility before using components
• setup-use-cli-not-copy – Use CLI to add components instead of copy-paste
• setup-css-variables-theme – Enable CSS variables for consistent theming
• setup-rsc-configuration – Set RSC flag based on framework support

2. Component Architecture (CRITICAL)

• arch-use-asChild-for-custom-triggers – Use asChild prop for custom trigger elements
• arch-preserve-radix-primitive-structure – Maintain Radix compound component hierarchy
• arch-extend-variants-with-cva – Use Class Variance Authority for type-safe variants
• arch-use-cn-for-class-merging – Use cn() utility for safe Tailwind class merging
• arch-forward-refs-for-composable-components – Forward refs for form and focus integration
• arch-isolate-component-variants – Separate base styles from variant-specific styles

3. Accessibility Preservation (CRITICAL)

• ally-preserve-aria-attributes – Keep Radix ARIA attributes intact
• ally-provide-sr-only-labels – Add screen reader labels for icon buttons
• ally-maintain-focus-management – Preserve focus trapping in modals
• ally-preserve-keyboard-navigation – Keep WAI-ARIA keyboard patterns
• ally-ensure-color-contrast – Maintain WCAG color contrast ratios
• ally-dialog-title-required – Always include DialogTitle for screen readers
• ally-form-field-labels – Associate labels with form controls
• ally-aria-invalid-errors – Use aria-invalid for form error states
• ally-checkbox-label-association – Wrap Checkbox with Label for click target
• ally-focus-visible-styles – Preserve focus visible styles for keyboard navigation

4. Styling & Theming (HIGH)

• style-use-css-variables-for-theming – Use CSS variables for theme colors
• style-avoid-important-overrides – Never use !important for style overrides
• style-use-tailwind-theme-extend – Extend Tailwind theme for design tokens
• style-consistent-spacing-scale – Use consistent Tailwind spacing scale
• style-responsive-design-patterns – Apply mobile-first responsive design
• style-dark-mode-support – Support dark mode with CSS variables

5. Form Patterns (HIGH)

• form-use-react-hook-form-integration – Integrate with React Hook Form
• form-use-zod-for-schema-validation – Use Zod for type-safe validation
• form-show-validation-errors-correctly – Show errors at appropriate times
• form-handle-async-validation – Debounce async validation calls
• form-reset-form-state-correctly – Reset form state after submission

6. Data Display (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• data-use-tanstack-table-for-complex-tables – Use TanStack Table for sorting/filtering
• data-virtualize-large-lists – Virtualize lists with 100+ items
• data-use-skeleton-loading-states – Use Skeleton for loading states
• data-paginate-server-side – Paginate large datasets server-side
• data-empty-states-with-guidance – Provide actionable empty states

7. Layout & Navigation (MEDIUM)

• layout-sidebar-provider – Wrap layout with SidebarProvider
• layout-sidebar-collapsible – Configure sidebar collapsible behavior
• layout-sidebar-groups – Organize sidebar navigation with groups
• layout-sheet-mobile-nav – Use Sheet for mobile navigation overlay
• layout-breadcrumb-navigation – Implement breadcrumbs for deep navigation

8. Component Composition (MEDIUM)

• comp-compose-with-compound-components – Use compound component patterns
• comp-use-drawer-for-mobile-modals – Use Drawer on mobile devices
• comp-combine-command-with-popover – Create searchable selects with Command
• comp-nest-dialogs-correctly – Manage nested dialog focus correctly
• comp-create-reusable-form-fields – Extract reusable form field components
• comp-use-slot-pattern-for-flexibility – Use slot pattern for flexible content

9. Performance Optimization (MEDIUM)

• perf-lazy-load-heavy-components – Lazy load components over 50KB
• perf-memoize-expensive-renders – Memoize list items and expensive components
• perf-optimize-icon-imports – Use direct imports for Lucide icons
• perf-avoid-unnecessary-rerenders-in-forms – Isolate form field watching
• perf-debounce-search-inputs – Debounce search and filter inputs

10. State Management (LOW-MEDIUM)

• state-prefer-uncontrolled-for-simple-inputs – Use uncontrolled for simple forms
• state-lift-state-to-appropriate-level – Lift state to lowest common ancestor
• state-use-controlled-dialog-state – Control dialogs for programmatic access
• state-colocate-state-with-components – Keep state close to where it’s used

How to Use

Read individual reference files for detailed explanations and code examples:

• Section definitions – Category structure and impact levels
• Rule template – Template for adding new rules

Full Compiled Document

For a single-file reference containing all rules, see AGENTS.md.

Reference Files