Heroui React

HeroUI v3 React Development Guide

HeroUI v3 is a component library built on Tailwind CSS v4 and React Aria Components, providing accessible, customizable UI components for React applications.

---

CRITICAL: v3 Only - Ignore v2 Knowledge

This guide is for HeroUI v3 ONLY. Do NOT use any prior knowledge of HeroUI v2.

What Changed in v3

Feature	v2 (DO NOT USE)	v3 (USE THIS)
Provider	<HeroUIProvider> required	No Provider needed
Animations	framer-motion package	CSS-based, no extra deps
Component API	Flat props: <Card title="x">	Compound: <Card><Card.Header>
Styling	Tailwind v3 + @heroui/theme	Tailwind v4 + @heroui/styles@beta
Packages	@heroui/system, @heroui/theme	@heroui/react@beta, @heroui/styles@beta

WRONG (v2 patterns)

// DO NOT DO THIS - v2 pattern
import { HeroUIProvider } from "@heroui/react";
import { motion } from "framer-motion";

<HeroUIProvider>
	<Card title="Product" description="A great product" />
</HeroUIProvider>;

CORRECT (v3 patterns)

// DO THIS - v3 pattern (no provider, compound components)
import { Card } from "@heroui/react@beta";

<Card>
	<Card.Header>
		<Card.Title>Product</Card.Title>
		<Card.Description>A great product</Card.Description>
	</Card.Header>
</Card>;

Always fetch v3 docs before implementing. Do not assume v2 patterns work.

---

Core Principles

• Semantic variants (primary, secondary, tertiary) over visual descriptions
• Composition over configuration (compound components)
• CSS variable-based theming with oklch color space
• BEM naming convention for predictable styling

---

Accessing Documentation & Component Information

For component details, examples, props, and implementation patterns, always fetch documentation:

Using Scripts

# List all available components
node scripts/list_components.mjs

# Get component documentation (MDX)
node scripts/get_component_docs.mjs Button
node scripts/get_component_docs.mjs Button Card TextField

# Get component source code
node scripts/get_source.mjs Button

# Get component CSS styles (BEM classes)
node scripts/get_styles.mjs Button

# Get theme variables
node scripts/get_theme.mjs

# Get non-component docs (guides, releases)
node scripts/get_docs.mjs /docs/react/getting-started/theming

Direct MDX URLs

Component docs: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/{component-name}.mdx

Examples:

• Button: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/button.mdx
• Modal: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/modal.mdx
• Form: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/form.mdx

Getting started guides: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/getting-started/{topic}.mdx

Important: Always fetch component docs before implementing. The MDX docs include complete examples, props, anatomy, and API references.

---

Installation Essentials

CRITICAL: HeroUI v3 is currently in BETA. Always use @beta tag when installing packages.

Quick Install

npm i @heroui/styles@beta @heroui/react@beta tailwind-variants

Framework Setup (Next.js App Router - Recommended)

1. Install dependencies:

npm i @heroui/styles@beta @heroui/react@beta tailwind-variants tailwindcss @tailwindcss/postcss postcss

2. Create/update app/globals.css:

/* Tailwind CSS v4 - Must be first */
@import "tailwindcss";

/* HeroUI v3 styles - Must be after Tailwind */
@import "@heroui/styles";

3. Import in app/layout.tsx:

import "./globals.css";

export default function RootLayout({
	children,
}: {
	children: React.ReactNode;
}) {
	return (
		<html lang="en" suppressHydrationWarning>
			<body>
				{/* No Provider needed in HeroUI v3! */}
				{children}
			</body>
		</html>
	);
}

4. Configure PostCSS (postcss.config.mjs):

export default {
	plugins: {
		"@tailwindcss/postcss": {},
	},
};

Critical Setup Requirements

1. Tailwind CSS v4 is MANDATORY - HeroUI v3 will NOT work with Tailwind CSS v3
2. No Provider Required - Unlike HeroUI v2, v3 components work directly without a Provider
3. Use Compound Components - Components use compound structure (e.g., Card.Header, Card.Content)
4. Use onPress, not onClick - For better accessibility, use onPress event handlers
5. Import Order Matters - Always import Tailwind CSS before HeroUI styles

---

Component Patterns

HeroUI v3 uses compound component patterns. Each component has subcomponents accessed via dot notation.

Example - Card:

<Card>
	<Card.Header>
		<Card.Title>Title</Card.Title>
		<Card.Description>Description</Card.Description>
	</Card.Header>
	<Card.Content>{/* Content */}</Card.Content>
	<Card.Footer>{/* Actions */}</Card.Footer>
</Card>

Key Points:

• Always use compound structure - don't flatten to props
• Subcomponents are accessed via dot notation (e.g., Card.Header)
• Each subcomponent may have its own props
• Fetch component docs for complete anatomy and examples

---

Semantic Variants

HeroUI uses semantic naming to communicate functional intent:

Variant	Purpose	Usage
primary	Main action to move forward	1 per context
secondary	Alternative actions	Multiple
tertiary	Dismissive actions (cancel, skip)	Sparingly
danger	Destructive actions	When needed
ghost	Low-emphasis actions	Minimal weight
outline	Secondary actions	Bordered style

Don't use raw colors - semantic variants adapt to themes and accessibility.

---

Theming

HeroUI v3 uses CSS variables with oklch color space:

:root {
	--accent: oklch(0.6204 0.195 253.83);
	--accent-foreground: var(--snow);
	--background: oklch(0.9702 0 0);
	--foreground: var(--eclipse);
}

Get current theme variables:

node scripts/get_theme.mjs

Color naming:

• Without suffix = background (e.g., --accent)
• With -foreground = text color (e.g., --accent-foreground)

Theme switching:

<html class="dark" data-theme="dark"></html>

For detailed theming, fetch: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/getting-started/theming.mdx