Shadcn UI & ShadcnBlocks Integration
This skill enables building polished frontends using shadcn/ui components and premium ShadcnBlocks templates. Its primary capability is intelligently recommending the best block or component for any UI need — not just the right category, but the right variant within that category — then handling setup and installation.
When to Use
Activate this skill when:
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Creating a new frontend, landing page, marketing site, or app UI
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The project uses or should use React/Next.js with Tailwind CSS
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Pre-built UI sections (hero, pricing, features, testimonials, etc.) would accelerate development
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The user needs a specific UI element (form, chart, dialog, navigation, etc.)
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The user mentions shadcn, shadcn/ui, shadcnblocks, or Tailwind-based UI components
Blocks vs Components
Blocks Components
What Full page sections Reusable UI elements
Size Hero, pricing, footer, etc. Buttons, inputs, dialogs, etc.
Count 1,338 across 71 categories 1,189 across 60+ groups
Access Premium (API key required) Free
Install @shadcnblocks/<name><number>
@shadcnblocks/<type>-<style>-<number>
Use blocks to compose full page layouts from pre-built sections. Use components for individual UI elements inside custom code.
Intelligent Block Selection
The 0-2 Question Rule
When recommending blocks, follow this progressive disclosure flow:
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0 questions: The user's request is specific enough to match directly (e.g., "add a hero with email capture form" → match on cta_pattern: form_capture )
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1 question: The section is clear but the style/layout is ambiguous (e.g., "add a feature section" → ask about layout preference)
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2 questions max: Both section and style are unclear (e.g., "add a section to show our product" → ask section type, then style)
Never ask more than 2 questions. If still ambiguous, pick the best 2-3 and explain the tradeoffs.
Decision Flow: Infer → Ask → Shortlist
Step 1 — Infer from the request (always do this first)
Extract as many constraints as possible before asking anything:
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Section type: hero, feature, pricing, testimonial, cta, faq, navbar, footer, contact, stats
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Goal keywords: "signup" → convert/capture_leads, "trust" → trust, "compare plans" → compare
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Layout hints: "grid" → grid_cards, "side by side" → split, "accordion" → accordion interaction
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Tone hints: "clean" → minimal, "bold" → bold, "professional" → enterprise
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Media hints: "with screenshots" → screenshot media, "video" → video media
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Density hints: "simple" → minimal density, "detailed" → rich density
Step 2 — Ask targeted questions (only if needed)
Use AskUserQuestion for structured multiple-choice refinement. Consult references/block-index.md → selection_prompts for the pre-defined questions and options per section.
Sections with pre-defined prompts: hero, feature, pricing, testimonial, cta, faq, navbar, footer, contact, stats.
Example for a feature section request:
AskUserQuestion: question: "How do you want to showcase your features?" options: - "Card grid (3-4 columns with icons)" — Classic feature grid with icon + description per card - "Alternating image + text rows" — Deep-dive with large visuals, great for product tours - "Bento / asymmetric grid" — Modern editorial layout with mixed-size cards - "Simple icon list or checklist" — Compact, scannable benefit list
If AskUserQuestion is unavailable, ask the same question inline with numbered options.
Step 3 — Match tags and return 2-3 best picks
Map the user's answer to tag filters, then match against references/block-index.md entries. Return exactly 2-3 recommendations in this format:
Here are the best matches for your [section type]:
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[block-id] — [1-line "why this one"] Layout: [layout] · Tone: [tone] · [key differentiator]
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[block-id] — [1-line "why this one"] Layout: [layout] · Tone: [tone] · [key differentiator]
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[block-id] — [1-line "why this one"] Layout: [layout] · Tone: [tone] · [key differentiator]
Which one works best? I'll install it and set it up.
After the user picks, provide the install command and compose it into the page.
Tag Dimensions Used for Matching
These are the key dimensions from references/block-index.md used to differentiate blocks:
Dimension What it tells you Example values
layout
Visual arrangement centered, split_right_media, grid_cards, bento, alternating
tone
Aesthetic feel minimal, modern, bold, enterprise, elegant, playful
goal
Business purpose awareness, explain, trust, convert, capture_leads, compare
cta_pattern
Action type single_primary, primary_secondary, form_capture, multi_action
media
Visual content screenshot, illustration, video, icons, avatars, logos
interaction
Dynamic behavior static, accordion, tabs, carousel, toggle, hover
items_count
Number of items displayed few, moderate, many
content_density
How much content minimal, standard, rich
complexity
Implementation effort low, medium, high
When to Use Which Reference
Scenario Use
Recommending best-fit blocks (default) references/block-index.md — tagged picks with selection prompts
User wants a specific numbered variant references/block-catalog.md — full catalog with all variant numbers
Section not in block-index (e.g., blog, gallery) references/block-catalog.md — fall back to category defaults
User wants to browse all options Direct to https://shadcnblocks.com/explorer/blocks
Need an individual UI element references/component-catalog.md — free components
Quick Category Reference
For sections not yet in block-index.md, use these defaults:
Content & Blog
Need Category Start With
Blog listing blog (22 variants) blog1
Blog post page blogpost (7 variants) blogpost1
Changelog changelog (7 variants) changelog1
Code snippets code-example (5 variants) code-example1
About & Team
Need Category Start With
About section about (17 variants) about1
Team page team (14 variants) team1
Company timeline timeline (15 variants) timeline1
Job listings careers (9 variants) careers1
Ecommerce
Need Category Start With
Product cards product-card (10 variants) product-card1
Product listing product-list (10 variants) product-list1
Product detail product-detail (10 variants) product-detail1
Shopping cart shopping-cart (11 variants) shopping-cart1
Checkout checkout (6 variants) checkout1
Order history order-history (5 variants) order-history1
App & Dashboard
Need Category Start With
Dashboard charts chart-card (27 variants) chart-card10
Data tables data-table (32 variants) data-table1
App sidebar sidebar (21 variants) sidebar1
App shell layout application-shell (14 variants) application-shell1
User profile user-profile (12 variants) user-profile1
Portfolio
Need Category Start With
Image gallery gallery (48 variants) gallery1
Project listing projects (25 variants) projects1
Project detail project (33 variants) project1
Case studies case-studies (6 variants) case-studies1
Visual & Decorative
Need Category Start With
Background patterns background-pattern (40 variants) background-pattern1
Animated shaders shader (10 variants) shader1
Bento grid layout bento (8 variants) bento1
Navigation & Misc
Need Category Start With
Announcement bar banner (7 variants) banner1
Sale/promo bar promo-banner (7 variants) promo-banner1
Partner logos logos (13 variants) logos1
Comparisons compare (10 variants) compare1
Selecting the Right Component
Consult references/component-catalog.md for the full catalog. Key groups:
Need Component Group Example
Form layout Form (86) form-signin-1
Labeled input Field (38) field-standard-1
Input with addon Input Group (39) input-group-standard-1
Searchable select Combobox (42) combobox-standard-1
File upload File Upload (44) file-upload-standard-1
Date picker Date Picker (8) date-picker-standard-1
Alert message Alert (25) alert-error-1
Confirm dialog Alert Dialog (39) alert-dialog-standard-1
Loading skeleton Skeleton (30) skeleton-standard-1
Toast notification Sonner (24) sonner-standard-1
Empty state Empty (22) empty-standard-1
Modal dialog Dialog (17) dialog-standard-1
Side panel Sheet (29) / Drawer (22) sheet-standard-1
Accordion Accordion (21) accordion-standard-1
Data chart Chart (70) chart-standard-1
Command palette Command (21) command-standard-1
Dropdown menu Dropdown Menu (30) dropdown-menu-standard-1
Keyboard shortcuts KBD (39) kbd-standard-1
Core Workflow
- Ensure Project Foundation
Verify the project has shadcn/ui initialized. If not:
npx shadcn@latest init
This creates components.json in the project root.
- Configure ShadcnBlocks Registry
Check if components.json already has the @shadcnblocks registry. If not, run:
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/shadcn-ui/scripts/setup-shadcnblocks.sh" .
This adds the @shadcnblocks registry to components.json and sets SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY in .env .
If the script can't run (e.g., jq missing), configure manually:
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Add to .env : SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY=<key>
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Add registry to components.json :
{ "registries": { "@shadcnblocks": { "url": "https://shadcnblocks.com/r/{name}", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY}" } } } }
- Select and Install Blocks
Use the intelligent selection flow (above) to recommend the best blocks, then install:
Blocks (full page sections)
npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/hero125 npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/pricing3
Components (UI elements)
npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/accordion-standard-1 npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/file-upload-standard-1
- Compose the Page
Import and compose blocks in the page layout:
import { Navbar1 } from "@/components/navbar1"; import { Hero125 } from "@/components/hero125"; import { Feature3 } from "@/components/feature3"; import { Footer1 } from "@/components/footer1";
export default function LandingPage() { return ( <> <Navbar1 /> <Hero125 /> <Feature3 /> <Footer1 /> </> ); }
Blocks are fully editable source code, not locked dependencies. Customize props and content after installation.
Landing Page Assembly Pattern
For a typical marketing landing page, use the intelligent selection flow for each section. A common assembly:
npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/navbar1 # Simple nav with CTA npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/hero125 # Modern centered hero npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/logos1 # Trust logos strip npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/feature3 # 3-column feature cards npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/stats1 # Metrics bar npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/testimonial1 # Social proof grid npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/pricing3 # 3-tier pricing cards npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/faq1 # Accordion FAQ npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/cta1 # Final call to action npx shadcn add @shadcnblocks/footer1 # Multi-column footer
Each of these was selected for a "modern SaaS" tone. For different tones (enterprise, minimal, bold, playful), the selection flow will recommend different variants.
API Key Management
The ShadcnBlocks API key can be provided in multiple ways (checked in order):
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Environment variable (simplest): Set SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY in your shell or .env file
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1Password CLI: The helper script uses op read to retrieve the key. Set OP_SHADCNBLOCKS_REF to your 1Password reference path, or it defaults to op://Platform Infra/ShadcnBlocks API Key/credential
Retrieve the key using the helper script:
bash "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/shadcn-ui/scripts/get-api-key.sh"
Security: Never hardcode the API key in source files. Always use .env with SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY and ensure .env is in .gitignore .
Troubleshooting
Issue Resolution
Auth error on install Verify SHADCNBLOCKS_API_KEY is set in .env with a valid key
Registry not found Check registries key exists in components.json
components.json missing Run npx shadcn@latest init
1Password access Run op signin ; verify vault with op vault list
Block not found Check block name at https://shadcnblocks.com
Reference Files
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references/block-index.md — Tagged picks with selection prompts for intelligent block recommendation (primary source)
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references/block-catalog.md — Full catalog of 1,338 blocks across 71 categories with variant numbers and install commands
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references/component-catalog.md — Full catalog of 1,189 components across 60+ groups with install syntax
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references/setup-guide.md — Detailed step-by-step setup with troubleshooting
Scripts
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scripts/setup-shadcnblocks.sh — Automated project setup (retrieves key, configures registry)
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scripts/get-api-key.sh — Retrieve API key (env var or 1Password)