Use when you have a written implementation plan to execute in a separate session with review checkpoints
npx skills add crafter-station/elements --skill "create-element"
Install specific skill from multi-skill repository
# Description
|
# SKILL.md
name: create-element
description: |
Create new UI elements for tryelements.dev registry. Use when: (1) Adding new UI components (buttons, inputs, cards), (2) Building integration components (Clerk, Stripe, Uploadthing), (3) Creating theme-related elements, (4) Any shadcn-style registry component. IMPORTANT: For logo components with variants (icon/wordmark/logo + dark/light), use the logo-with-variants skill instead. This skill includes scaffolding, registry schema, and component patterns. ALWAYS use Context7 MCP to fetch latest dependency docs before implementing.
Create Element
Creates new elements for the Elements registry (tryelements.dev).
Quick Start
Step 1: Scaffold
bun run .claude/skills/create-element/scripts/scaffold-element.ts <category> <name>
Step 2: Implement
Edit component following patterns in references/component-patterns.md
Step 3: Register
bun run build:registry && bun run dev
Context7 Integration (CRITICAL)
Before implementing any component with external dependencies, fetch the latest documentation:
Step 1: Resolve Library ID
mcp__context7__resolve-library-id
libraryName: "radix-ui"
query: "dialog component accessibility patterns"
Step 2: Query Specific Docs
mcp__context7__query-docs
libraryId: "/radix-ui/primitives"
query: "Dialog API controlled vs uncontrolled portal usage"
Common Libraries
| Library | Query For |
|---|---|
radix-ui |
Primitives (Dialog, Dropdown, Tabs, Select) |
next-themes |
Theme provider, useTheme hook, hydration |
cmdk |
Command palette patterns |
class-variance-authority |
CVA variant patterns |
embla-carousel-react |
Carousel implementation |
lucide-react |
Icon usage patterns |
Element Types
| Type | Example | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
registry:ui |
button, card, input | Base UI primitives |
registry:block |
theme-switcher, polar-checkout | Feature-complete blocks |
registry:example |
button-demo | Usage examples |
References
Read these based on what you're doing:
- references/registry-schema.md - When creating/editing registry-item.json
- references/component-patterns.md - When writing component code (CVA, cn(), data-slot)
- references/documentation.md - When creating MDX documentation
Directory Structure
registry/default/blocks/{category}/{component-name}/
βββ registry-item.json # Metadata
βββ components/
β βββ elements/
β βββ {component}.tsx # Main component
βββ routes/ # Optional demo routes
βββ layout.tsx
βββ page.tsx
Workflow Example: Theme Switcher Tabs
1. Scaffold
bun run .claude/skills/create-element/scripts/scaffold-element.ts theme theme-switcher-tabs
2. Fetch Docs
mcp__context7__resolve-library-id
libraryName: "next-themes"
query: "useTheme hook theme switching"
mcp__context7__query-docs
libraryId: "/pacocoursey/next-themes"
query: "useTheme setTheme resolvedTheme hydration"
3. Implement
Edit registry/default/blocks/theme/theme-switcher-tabs/components/elements/theme-switcher-tabs.tsx:
"use client";
import { useTheme } from "next-themes";
import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
export function ThemeSwitcherTabs({ className }: { className?: string }) {
const { theme, setTheme } = useTheme();
const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(false);
useEffect(() => { setMounted(true); }, []);
if (!mounted) return <div className="h-8 w-24 animate-pulse bg-muted rounded" />;
return (
<div data-slot="theme-switcher-tabs" className={cn("...", className)}>
{/* Implementation */}
</div>
);
}
4. Update registry-item.json
{
"name": "theme-switcher-tabs",
"type": "registry:ui",
"title": "Theme Switcher Tabs",
"description": "Tab-based theme switcher with Light/Dark/System options",
"registryDependencies": [],
"dependencies": ["next-themes"],
"files": [...],
"docs": "Requires ThemeProvider. Tab-style theme switcher with system support."
}
5. Build & Test
bun run build:registry
bun run dev
Verification Checklist
- [ ] registry-item.json has all required fields ($schema, name, type, title, description, files)
- [ ] Component exports PascalCase function (e.g.,
export function ThemeSwitcherTabs) - [ ] Uses
cn()for className merging - [ ] Has
data-slotattribute on root element - [ ] Client components have
"use client"directive - [ ] Hydration-safe if using theme/client state
- [ ]
bun run build:registrysucceeds - [ ] Component renders correctly in dev
- [ ] If new category: Provider grouping configured (see "Creating New Categories" section)
Commands
# Scaffold new element
bun run .claude/skills/create-element/scripts/scaffold-element.ts <category> <name>
# Build registry
bun run build:registry
# Development server
bun run dev
# Lint/format
bun run lint
bun run format
Common Patterns
Simple Component (No Dependencies)
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
interface BadgeProps extends React.ComponentProps<"span"> {}
export function Badge({ className, ...props }: BadgeProps) {
return (
<span
data-slot="badge"
className={cn("inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-semibold", className)}
{...props}
/>
);
}
With CVA Variants
import { cva, type VariantProps } from "class-variance-authority";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
const badgeVariants = cva("inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-semibold", {
variants: {
variant: {
default: "bg-primary text-primary-foreground",
secondary: "bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground",
destructive: "bg-destructive text-white",
},
},
defaultVariants: {
variant: "default",
},
});
interface BadgeProps extends React.ComponentProps<"span">, VariantProps<typeof badgeVariants> {}
export function Badge({ className, variant, ...props }: BadgeProps) {
return (
<span
data-slot="badge"
className={cn(badgeVariants({ variant, className }))}
{...props}
/>
);
}
export { badgeVariants };
With External Dependency (Radix)
"use client";
import * as DialogPrimitive from "@radix-ui/react-dialog";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
export function Dialog({ children, ...props }: DialogPrimitive.DialogProps) {
return <DialogPrimitive.Root {...props}>{children}</DialogPrimitive.Root>;
}
export function DialogTrigger({ className, ...props }: DialogPrimitive.DialogTriggerProps) {
return <DialogPrimitive.Trigger data-slot="dialog-trigger" className={cn("", className)} {...props} />;
}
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Don't forget
"use client"for components using hooks - Don't hardcode colors - use CSS variables (
text-foreground,bg-background) - Don't skip hydration handling for theme-dependent components
- Don't use
anytypes - properly type props - Don't forget to run
build:registryafter changes
Creating New Categories (Provider Grouping)
When creating a new category of components (not just a new component in an existing category), you must configure the provider system for proper landing page display. Otherwise, each component will appear as a separate "Coming Soon" card.
When This Applies
- Creating a new integration (e.g.,
charts/,payments/,analytics/) - Adding multiple related components that should be grouped together
- The category doesn't exist in the current provider list
Two-File Setup Required
1. src/lib/registry-loader.ts
Add grouping logic in getProviderFromName() (~line 53):
// Special case: chart components go to "charts" provider
if (
name === "area-chart" ||
name === "bar-chart-vertical" ||
name === "heatmap-grid" ||
name === "growth-stats"
) {
return "charts";
}
Add provider metadata in getProviderMetadata() (~line 156):
charts: {
displayName: "Charts",
description: "Data visualization primitives - area charts, heatmaps, bar charts",
category: "DATA VIZ",
brandColor: "#14B8A6",
},
2. src/lib/providers.tsx
Add provider config in providerConfig (~line 46):
charts: {
isEnabled: true,
displayName: "Charts",
description: "Data visualization primitives - area charts, heatmaps, bar charts",
category: "Data Viz",
},
Add provider icon in ProviderIcon() (~line 196):
charts: <ChartIcon className="w-10 h-10" />,
Create the icon at src/components/icons/{provider}.tsx if needed.
Provider Metadata Fields
| Field | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
displayName |
"Charts" | Landing page card title |
description |
"Data visualization..." | Card description |
category |
"DATA VIZ" | Badge shown on card |
brandColor |
"#14B8A6" | Diagonal hatch pattern color |
Existing Providers (Reference)
| Provider Key | Display Name | Category |
|---|---|---|
clerk |
Clerk | USER MGMT |
polar |
Polar | MONETIZATION |
theme |
Theme Switcher | UI |
logos |
Brand Logos | BRAND |
uploadthing |
UploadThing | FILES |
tinte |
Tinte | THEMING |
charts |
Charts | DATA VIZ |
Naming Convention
The default extraction uses the first part before hyphen:
- clerk-sign-in β clerk
- polar-checkout β polar
Add special cases when:
- Components share a category but have different prefixes (e.g., area-chart, heatmap-grid)
- You want a custom provider name (e.g., theme-switcher-* β theme)
MDX Documentation Setup
New categories also need MDX documentation files for the docs pages to render properly:
1. Create Demo Components
For each component, create a demo in /registry/default/examples/{component}-demo.tsx:
"use client";
import { MyComponent } from "@/registry/default/blocks/{category}/{component}/components/elements/{component}";
export default function MyComponentDemo() {
return (
<div className="flex items-center justify-center p-4">
<MyComponent />
</div>
);
}
2. Register in MDX Components
Add imports and mappings in /src/mdx-components.tsx:
// Add import
import MyComponentDemo from "@/registry/default/examples/my-component-demo";
// Add to getMDXComponents return object
MyComponent: MyComponentDemo,
3. Create Provider MDX
Create /src/content/providers/{provider}.mdx:
---
title: My Provider
description: Description of the category
category: CATEGORY TAG
brandColor: "#hexcolor"
---
## Overview
Brief description.
## Components
### Component Name
<ComponentPreviewItem
componentKey="component-name"
installUrl="@elements/component-name"
category="Category"
name="Component Name"
>
<ComponentName />
</ComponentPreviewItem>
4. Create Component MDX Files
Create /src/content/components/{provider}/{component}.mdx for each component:
---
title: Component Name
description: Brief description
---
<ComponentPreviewItem
componentKey="component-name"
installUrl="@elements/component-name"
category="Category"
name="Component Name"
>
<ComponentName />
</ComponentPreviewItem>
## Overview
## Installation
## Usage
## Props
## Features
# Supported AI Coding Agents
This skill is compatible with the SKILL.md standard and works with all major AI coding agents:
Learn more about the SKILL.md standard and how to use these skills with your preferred AI coding agent.