Message Scroller 消息滚动器
管理消息列表滚动位置、可见性与回到底部操作。
"use client"
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react"
import {
ArrowUpIcon,
GlobeIcon,
ImageIcon,
MessageCircleDashedIcon,
PaperclipIcon,
PlusIcon,
RotateCwIcon,
TelescopeIcon,
} from "lucide-react"
import { createChat, getMessageText } from "@/lib/ai"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
DropdownMenu,
DropdownMenuContent,
DropdownMenuItem,
DropdownMenuSeparator,
DropdownMenuTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/dropdown-menu"
import {
Empty,
EmptyDescription,
EmptyHeader,
EmptyMedia,
EmptyTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/empty"
import {
InputGroup,
InputGroupAddon,
InputGroupButton,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/input-group"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
Tooltip,
TooltipContent,
TooltipTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/tooltip"
const chat = createChat()
.user(
"I'm building a chat for our app and the scroll behavior is driving me nuts. Every time the AI streams a reply, the whole thread jumps around."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"That's the classic streaming scroll problem. Wrap your message list in `MessageScroller` and turn on `autoScroll` — the viewport pins to the bottom as tokens arrive, so users always see the latest text land in place.\n\nThe important part: it only auto-scrolls while the reader is already at the bottom. The moment they scroll up to read something earlier, auto-scroll backs off and their position is preserved. You get smooth streaming without fighting the user's intent."
)
.user(
"Okay, but when someone sends a new message the view still feels jarring — like the whole conversation reloads from the top."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"MessageScrollerItem fixes that with turn anchoring. Set `scrollAnchor` on the turn that should settle near the top instead of blindly snapping to the document bottom.\n\nIt also leaves a small peek of the previous exchange visible above the anchor, so context isn't lost. The reply starts in view without that disorienting jump you get from a plain overflow container."
)
.user(
"And if they've scrolled up to re-read an older answer? I don't want to yank them back down."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"You won't. Auto-scroll only runs when the viewport is already pinned to the bottom, so scrolling up is a deliberate opt-out — their place in the thread stays put even as new tokens keep arriving below.\n\nWhen there is content they haven't seen yet, `MessageScrollerButton` appears at the bottom of the viewport. One tap jumps them back to the newest message and re-engages auto-scroll. Same pattern as Slack or iMessage: quiet when you're caught up, helpful when you're not."
)
.user("Last one — does this work with assistive tech?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
'`MessageScrollerContent` sets `role="log"` and `aria-relevant="additions"` by default, so screen readers announce new messages as they stream in.\n\nThe scroll button is a real `<button>` with an sr-only label, and it\'s removed from the tab order when you\'re already at the bottom — no ghost focus stops.'
)
const initialMessages = chat.get(0)
const transport = chat.transport({ delayMs: 20 })
export function MessageScrollerDemo() {
const { messages, sendMessage, status, setMessages } = useChat({
messages: initialMessages,
transport,
})
const nextMessage = chat.next(messages)
const isBusy = status === "submitted" || status === "streaming"
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>New Chat</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>How can I help you today?</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Tooltip>
<TooltipTrigger asChild>
<Button
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset conversation"
onClick={() => setMessages(initialMessages)}
disabled={isBusy}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</TooltipTrigger>
<TooltipContent>
<p>Reset</p>
</TooltipContent>
</Tooltip>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
{messages.length === 0 ? (
<Empty className="h-full">
<EmptyHeader>
<EmptyMedia variant="icon">
<MessageCircleDashedIcon />
</EmptyMedia>
<EmptyTitle>Morning, shadcn!</EmptyTitle>
<EmptyDescription>
What are we working on today? Press send to start a new
conversation
</EmptyDescription>
</EmptyHeader>
</Empty>
) : (
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent
aria-busy={isBusy}
className="p-(--card-spacing)"
>
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
/>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
)}
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="flex-col gap-2">
<form
onSubmit={(e) => {
e.preventDefault()
if (!nextMessage || isBusy) {
return
}
void sendMessage(nextMessage)
}}
className="w-full"
>
<InputGroup>
<div className="h-14 w-full px-3 py-2.5">
<span
className="line-clamp-2 opacity-60 data-[status=ready]:opacity-100"
data-status={status}
>
{nextMessage ? (
getMessageText(nextMessage)
) : (
<span className="text-muted-foreground">
No messages queued. Reset the conversation.
</span>
)}
</span>
</div>
<InputGroupAddon align="block-end" className="pt-1">
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<InputGroupButton
aria-label="Add files"
type="button"
size="icon-sm"
variant="outline"
>
<PlusIcon />
</InputGroupButton>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent
align="start"
side="top"
className="w-44"
>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<PaperclipIcon />
Add Photos & Files
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuSeparator />
<DropdownMenuItem>
<ImageIcon />
Create Image
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<TelescopeIcon />
Deep Research
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<GlobeIcon />
Web Search
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
<InputGroupButton
type="submit"
variant="default"
size="icon-sm"
disabled={!nextMessage || isBusy}
className="ml-auto"
>
<ArrowUpIcon />
<span className="sr-only">Send</span>
</InputGroupButton>
</InputGroupAddon>
</InputGroup>
</form>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Demo is read only. Press send to send messages.
</div>
</div>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}
What Makes a Great Streaming Chat Experience
Building a chat interface used to be simple. You create an inverted list with an input. Type a message, it appends at the bottom. When a reply comes in, the list grows and scrolls. Done.
Streaming breaks that model. Messages arrive in chunks while you may still be reading, scrolling, or looking somewhere else entirely.
Now the challenge is preserving the reader's place while the conversation keeps changing. Get that wrong and the experience feels jumpy: people are pulled to the bottom, lose context, and have to find their way back.
In practice, this comes down to scroll: when to follow, when to hold, and when to let the reader decide. A great streaming chat should:
- Move only when the reader asked to move. If someone is reading, don’t pull them somewhere else. Auto-scroll should never be the default.
- Follow only while they’re following. If they’re at the live edge, keep the stream in view. If they scroll away, leave them there.
- Every interaction is a signal. Scrolling is not the only one. Selecting text, using the keyboard, opening a link, or searching should all stop the interface from moving.
- Start a new turn near the top of the viewport. This gives the new turn somewhere it can be read from the beginning.
- Then stream in the answer. The answer should grow into the screen, not immediately push everything away.
- Keep part of the previous conversation in context. The prompt and reply should stay visually connected, and enough of the previous turn should remain visible so the reader knows where they are.
- Let new content arrive offscreen. The conversation can keep streaming without changing what the reader is looking at.
- Show what’s happening out of view. Make it clear when a response is still streaming or when new messages have arrived.
- Make it easy to return to the latest reply. A “Jump to latest” action should bring the reader back and resume following.
- Let people jump anywhere in the conversation. Long threads need message links, search, unread markers, and direct navigation.
- Reopen where the reader left off. A saved conversation should open at the last meaningful turn. Often this is the last user message. Not the absolute bottom.
- Keep the reader’s place when layout changes. Images load. Markdown expands. Code blocks render. Older messages appear above. None of that should make the reader lose their place.
- Handle interruptions without stealing position. Stopping, retrying, regenerating, branching, or errors should not unexpectedly move the conversation.
- Stay responsive in long threads. Streaming text, markdown, code, images, and long history should still feel responsive.
- Be accessible without the noise. Keep the transcript navigable, preserve keyboard focus, and announce important events at a comfortable pace.
Never move the reader against their intent.
MessageScroller
MessageScroller is a chat transcript scroller built for these behaviors. MessageScrollerProvider owns the scroll state and transcript-row behavior: opening position, streamed output, new-turn anchoring, prepended history, visibility, and scroll controls. MessageScroller is the styled frame that renders inside it.
MessageScroller is scoped to the scroll viewport. It does not own messages, AI state, transport, persistence, branching, or model state. Your product code stays focused on composing messages, markers, tools, attachments, and prompt inputs.
It gives you the scroll behavior that chat needs, without taking over the rest of the chat UI. And it stays fast, even in long conversations with rich markdown.
Scopify 说明
Installation
npx shadcn@latest add message-scrollerUsage
import { Message } from "@scopify/ui/shadcn/components/message"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerItem,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@scopify/ui/shadcn/components/message-scroller"<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent>
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageScrollerItem
key={message.id}
messageId={message.id}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
>
<Message />
</MessageScrollerItem>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>MessageScroller fills its parent, so place it inside a height-constrained container.
<div className="flex h-screen flex-col">
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller className="flex-1">{/* transcript */}</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
</div>Composition
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent>
<MessageScrollerItem>
{/* a message, marker, or row */}
</MessageScrollerItem>
<MessageScrollerItem />
<MessageScrollerItem />
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>MessageScrollerProvider— the headless root. Owns scroll state and the behavior props for opening position, auto-scroll, anchoring, scroll commands, and visibility tracking.MessageScroller— the styled frame. Lays out the viewport, content, and controls inside the provider.MessageScrollerViewport— the scrollable element. Receives native scroll events and preserves the visible row when older messages are prepended.MessageScrollerContent— the transcript container. Holds the rows and provides the live-region defaults for new messages.MessageScrollerItem— the transcript row boundary. Wrap every direct child of the content so the scroller can measure, anchor, preserve position, track visibility, and jump to it. An item can be a message, marker, typing indicator, separator, join/leave event, or "load earlier" row.MessageScrollerButton— the scroll control. Scrolls to the start or end of the transcript and is inert until there is content in its direction.
Core Concepts
Anchoring Turns
A turn is the part of the conversation that starts a new exchange. In a simple AI chat, that is usually the user's message and the assistant reply that follows.
An anchor is the row the viewport should treat as the start of that turn. Mark that row with scrollAnchor. When a new anchor is appended, the viewport moves it near the top and keeps a peek of the previous item above it, so the new turn does not feel detached from its context.
// This tells the scroller to anchor the user's message for the next turn.
<MessageScrollerItem
messageId={message.id}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
/>Scroll anchors are not tied to message role. You can turn any row into an anchor: a user message, a system marker, a handoff event, or anything else that starts a meaningful turn. MessageScroller only needs to know which row should anchor the viewport.
In the following example, the user's message is anchored. When you send a new message, the viewport anchors it near the top and appends the assistant reply below it. Toggle the anchor to the assistant's message to see the difference.
"use client"
import * as React from "react"
import {
ArrowUpIcon,
MessageCircleDashedIcon,
RotateCwIcon,
} from "lucide-react"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
Empty,
EmptyDescription,
EmptyHeader,
EmptyMedia,
EmptyTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/empty"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
ToggleGroup,
ToggleGroupItem,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/toggle-group"
type AnchorRole = "user" | "assistant"
type ChatMessage = {
id: string
role: AnchorRole
text: string
}
const scriptedMessages: ChatMessage[] = [
{
id: "anchor-1-user",
role: "user",
text: "Can you show me how anchoring behaves when a new prompt starts the turn?",
},
{
id: "anchor-1-assistant",
role: "assistant",
text: "Append the user prompt first, then append the assistant response. With User selected, the prompt settles near the top and the assistant response fills in below it.",
},
{
id: "anchor-2-user",
role: "user",
text: "What changes when assistant messages are the anchor?",
},
{
id: "anchor-2-assistant",
role: "assistant",
text: "Now each assistant response is the item `MessageScroller` keeps in view. This is useful when the reply is the moment you want readers to land on after each turn.",
},
{
id: "anchor-3-user",
role: "user",
text: "Can I switch roles and keep adding turns?",
},
{
id: "anchor-3-assistant",
role: "assistant",
text: "Yes. The next appended message with the selected role becomes the anchor, so you can compare user and assistant anchoring without resetting the demo.",
},
]
export function MessageScrollerAnchoring() {
const [anchorRole, setAnchorRole] = React.useState<AnchorRole>("user")
const [messages, setMessages] = React.useState<ChatMessage[]>([])
const [messageIndex, setMessageIndex] = React.useState(0)
const nextMessage = scriptedMessages[messageIndex]
return (
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="border-b">
<CardTitle>Anchoring Turns</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
Choose which role settles near the top edge.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Button
type="button"
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset anchored turns"
disabled={messages.length === 0}
onClick={() => {
setMessages([])
setMessageIndex(0)
}}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
{messages.length === 0 ? (
<Empty className="h-full">
<EmptyHeader>
<EmptyMedia variant="icon">
<MessageCircleDashedIcon />
</EmptyMedia>
<EmptyTitle>No anchored messages yet</EmptyTitle>
<EmptyDescription>
Send the first message to see the selected role anchor.
</EmptyDescription>
</EmptyHeader>
</Empty>
) : (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent className="p-(--card-spacing)">
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
scrollAnchor={message.role === anchorRole}
userVariant="muted"
assistantVariant="ghost"
/>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)}
</CardContent>
<CardFooter>
<ToggleGroup
type="single"
aria-label="Select scroll anchor role"
value={anchorRole}
onValueChange={(value) => {
if (value === "user" || value === "assistant") {
setAnchorRole(value)
setMessages([])
setMessageIndex(0)
}
}}
>
<ToggleGroupItem value="user" aria-label="Anchor user messages">
User
</ToggleGroupItem>
<ToggleGroupItem
value="assistant"
aria-label="Anchor assistant messages"
>
Assistant
</ToggleGroupItem>
</ToggleGroup>
<Button
type="button"
size="icon"
className="ml-auto"
disabled={!nextMessage}
onClick={() => {
if (!nextMessage) {
return
}
setMessages((messages) => [...messages, nextMessage])
setMessageIndex((index) => index + 1)
}}
>
<ArrowUpIcon />
<span className="sr-only">Send Message</span>
</Button>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="mx-auto max-w-xs px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Toggle the anchor role, then send messages to compare where turns
settle.
</div>
</div>
)
}
Group Chat
In a group chat, the turn boundary is more specific than "the user message". It is often the message that asks the model to respond, or a marker like "Marcus joined the chat". Typing indicators and history controls usually should not anchor.
Because anchoring is role-independent, you can anchor a marker just as easily as a message.
<MessageScrollerItem messageId="marcus-joined" scrollAnchor>
<Marker variant="separator">
<MarkerContent>Marcus joined the chat</MarkerContent>
</Marker>
</MessageScrollerItem>"use client"
import * as React from "react"
import { RotateCwIcon } from "lucide-react"
import { Bubble, BubbleContent } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/bubble"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import { Marker, MarkerContent } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/marker"
import {
Message,
MessageContent,
MessageHeader,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerItem,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
Tooltip,
TooltipContent,
TooltipTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/tooltip"
const currentUser = "Grace"
const initialItems = [
{
id: "group-1",
type: "message",
sender: "Grace",
role: "participant",
text: "@mary, the astrophage line keeps matching Venus energy output. Can you check my math?",
},
{
id: "group-2",
type: "message",
sender: "Mary (Agent)",
role: "assistant",
text: "Yes. Confirmed. The curve points to a microorganism harvesting stellar energy and breeding near carbon dioxide. If @rocky agrees, this is the clue we need.",
},
{
id: "group-3",
type: "message",
sender: "Grace",
role: "participant",
text: "ping @rocky",
scrollAnchor: true,
},
] satisfies GroupChatItem[]
const rockyMarker = {
id: "group-4",
type: "event",
text: "Rocky has joined the chat",
scrollAnchor: true,
} satisfies GroupChatItem
const rockyMessage = {
id: "group-5",
type: "message",
sender: "Rocky",
role: "participant",
text: "Amaze. Astrophage eats light, makes heat, goes to carbon dioxide. Rocky has fuel model. Grace is smart.",
} satisfies GroupChatItem
type GroupChatItem =
| {
id: string
type: "event"
text: string
scrollAnchor?: boolean
}
| {
id: string
type: "message"
sender: string
role: "assistant" | "participant"
text: string
scrollAnchor?: boolean
}
export function MessageScrollerGroupChat() {
const [demoKey, setDemoKey] = React.useState(0)
const [rockyTurn, setRockyTurn] = React.useState<
"idle" | "marker" | "message"
>("idle")
const items =
rockyTurn === "message"
? [...initialItems, rockyMarker, rockyMessage]
: rockyTurn === "marker"
? [...initialItems, rockyMarker]
: initialItems
const buttonLabel =
rockyTurn === "idle" ? "Add Rocky" : "Send Message as Rocky"
const isComplete = rockyTurn === "message"
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>Group Chat</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
A group chat with several participants and an assistant. The
Marker is marked as a turn.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Tooltip>
<TooltipTrigger asChild>
<Button
type="button"
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset conversation"
disabled={rockyTurn === "idle"}
onClick={() => {
setRockyTurn("idle")
setDemoKey((key) => key + 1)
}}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</TooltipTrigger>
<TooltipContent>
<p>Reset</p>
</TooltipContent>
</Tooltip>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="min-h-0 flex-1 p-0">
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller key={demoKey}>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent className="p-(--card-spacing)">
{items.map((item) =>
item.type === "message" ? (
<GroupChatMessage key={item.id} item={item} />
) : (
<GroupChatMarker
key={item.id}
item={item}
scrollAnchor={item.scrollAnchor}
/>
)
)}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="flex flex-col items-center gap-2 border-t">
<Button
type="button"
disabled={isComplete}
onClick={() =>
setRockyTurn((turn) => (turn === "idle" ? "marker" : "message"))
}
className="w-full"
variant="secondary"
>
{buttonLabel}
</Button>
<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
{rockyTurn === "idle"
? "This will create a marker and make it the anchor"
: "Now send Rocky's reply into the conversation"}
</p>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="mx-auto max-w-sm px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-balance text-muted-foreground">
When a user joins, a marker is created. scrollAnchor on the marker
marks it as the next turn
</div>
</div>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}
function GroupChatMessage({
item,
}: {
item: Extract<GroupChatItem, { type: "message" }>
}) {
const isCurrentUser = item.sender === currentUser
const variant = isCurrentUser
? "muted"
: item.role === "assistant"
? "ghost"
: "tinted"
return (
<MessageScrollerItem messageId={item.id} scrollAnchor={item.scrollAnchor}>
<Message align={isCurrentUser ? "end" : "start"}>
<MessageContent>
{!isCurrentUser && <MessageHeader>{item.sender}</MessageHeader>}
<Bubble variant={variant}>
<BubbleContent>{item.text}</BubbleContent>
</Bubble>
</MessageContent>
</Message>
</MessageScrollerItem>
)
}
function GroupChatMarker({
item,
scrollAnchor = false,
}: {
item: Extract<GroupChatItem, { type: "event" }>
scrollAnchor?: boolean
}) {
return (
<MessageScrollerItem scrollAnchor={scrollAnchor}>
<Marker variant="separator">
<MarkerContent>{item.text}</MarkerContent>
</Marker>
</MessageScrollerItem>
)
}
Keeping Context Visible
When a new turn starts, it should still feel like part of the same continuous thread. scrollPreviousItemPeek keeps a slice of the previous item visible above the anchor, so the reader keeps their context instead of feeling like the conversation restarted on a blank page.
// Keep 64px of the previous turn visible above the newly anchored row.
<MessageScrollerProvider scrollPreviousItemPeek={64}>
<MessageScroller>{/* anchored turns */}</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>Adjust the peek amount in the example below to see how it affects the conversation.
"use client"
import * as React from "react"
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react"
import {
ArrowUpIcon,
GlobeIcon,
ImageIcon,
PaperclipIcon,
PlusIcon,
RotateCwIcon,
TelescopeIcon,
} from "lucide-react"
import { createChat, getMessageText } from "@/lib/ai"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
DropdownMenu,
DropdownMenuContent,
DropdownMenuItem,
DropdownMenuSeparator,
DropdownMenuTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/dropdown-menu"
import {
InputGroup,
InputGroupAddon,
InputGroupButton,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/input-group"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import { Slider } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/slider"
import {
Tooltip,
TooltipContent,
TooltipTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/tooltip"
const DEFAULT_PEEK = 64
const chat = createChat()
.user(
"I'm building a chat for our app and the scroll behavior is driving me nuts. Every time the AI streams a reply, the whole thread jumps around."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"That's the classic streaming scroll problem. Wrap your message list in `MessageScroller` and turn on `autoScroll` — the viewport pins to the bottom as tokens arrive, so users always see the latest text land in place.\n\nThe important part: it only auto-scrolls while the reader is already at the bottom. The moment they scroll up to read something earlier, auto-scroll backs off and their position is preserved. You get smooth streaming without fighting the user's intent."
)
.user(
"Okay, but when someone sends a new message the view still feels jarring — like the whole conversation reloads from the top."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"MessageScrollerItem fixes that with turn anchoring. Set `scrollAnchor` on the turn that should settle near the top instead of blindly snapping to the document bottom.\n\nIt also leaves a small peek of the previous exchange visible above the anchor, so context isn't lost. The reply starts in view without that disorienting jump you get from a plain overflow container."
)
.user(
"And if they've scrolled up to re-read an older answer? I don't want to yank them back down."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"You won't. Auto-scroll only runs when the viewport is already pinned to the bottom, so scrolling up is a deliberate opt-out — their place in the thread stays put even as new tokens keep arriving below.\n\nWhen there is content they haven't seen yet, `MessageScrollerButton` appears at the bottom of the viewport. One tap jumps them back to the newest message and re-engages auto-scroll. Same pattern as Slack or iMessage: quiet when you're caught up, helpful when you're not."
)
.user("Last one — does this work with assistive tech?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
'`MessageScrollerContent` sets `role="log"` and `aria-relevant="additions"` by default, so screen readers announce new messages as they stream in.\n\nThe scroll button is a real `<button>` with an sr-only label, and it\'s removed from the tab order when you\'re already at the bottom — no ghost focus stops.'
)
const initialMessages = chat.get(2)
const transport = chat.transport({ delayMs: 35 })
export function MessageScrollerPreviousContext() {
const [demoKey, setDemoKey] = React.useState(0)
const [peek, setPeek] = React.useState(DEFAULT_PEEK)
const { messages, sendMessage, setMessages, status } = useChat({
messages: initialMessages,
transport,
})
const nextMessage = chat.next(messages)
const isBusy = status === "submitted" || status === "streaming"
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider
key={demoKey}
scrollMargin={24}
scrollPreviousItemPeek={peek}
>
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>Keeping Context Visible</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
New turns keep part of the previous reply in view.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Tooltip>
<TooltipTrigger asChild>
<Button
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset context example"
disabled={isBusy}
onClick={() => {
setMessages(initialMessages)
setPeek(DEFAULT_PEEK)
setDemoKey((key) => key + 1)
}}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</TooltipTrigger>
<TooltipContent>
<p>Reset</p>
</TooltipContent>
</Tooltip>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent
aria-busy={isBusy}
className="p-(--card-spacing)"
>
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
/>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="flex-col gap-2">
<form
onSubmit={(e) => {
e.preventDefault()
if (!nextMessage || isBusy) {
return
}
void sendMessage(nextMessage)
}}
className="w-full"
>
<InputGroup>
<div className="h-14 w-full px-3 py-2.5">
<span
className="line-clamp-2 opacity-60 data-[status=ready]:opacity-100"
data-status={status}
>
{nextMessage ? (
getMessageText(nextMessage)
) : (
<span className="text-muted-foreground">
No messages queued. Reset the context.
</span>
)}
</span>
</div>
<InputGroupAddon align="block-end" className="pt-1">
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<InputGroupButton
aria-label="Add files"
type="button"
size="icon-sm"
variant="outline"
>
<PlusIcon />
</InputGroupButton>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent
align="start"
side="top"
className="w-44"
>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<PaperclipIcon />
Add Photos & Files
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuSeparator />
<DropdownMenuItem>
<ImageIcon />
Create Image
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<TelescopeIcon />
Deep Research
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<GlobeIcon />
Web Search
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
<div className="flex w-28 items-center gap-2">
<span className="text-xs text-muted-foreground tabular-nums">
{peek}px
</span>
<Slider
aria-label="Previous context peek"
value={[peek]}
min={64}
max={128}
step={1}
disabled={isBusy}
onValueChange={(value) =>
setPeek(value[0] ?? DEFAULT_PEEK)
}
/>
</div>
<InputGroupButton
type="submit"
variant="default"
size="icon-sm"
disabled={!nextMessage || isBusy}
className="ml-auto"
>
<ArrowUpIcon />
<span className="sr-only">Send</span>
</InputGroupButton>
</InputGroupAddon>
</InputGroup>
</form>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Adjust the slider and send. Observe the previous message peak
</div>
</div>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}
Following the Live Edge
When the reader is at the live edge, either because they stayed there or returned there, autoScroll keeps streamed replies in view as they grow. Scrolling away from the live edge releases the view, whether by wheel, touch, keyboard scroll keys, or dragging the scrollbar. An explicit message jump releases it too. New chunks can then arrive without moving the reader.
autoScroll composes with turn anchoring. When a new turn anchors near the top, the view stays put while the reply streams into the room below it. Once the reply fills the viewport, the reader is back at the live edge and follow-output takes over from the anchor.
<MessageScrollerProvider autoScroll>
<MessageScroller>{/* streamed turns */}</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>"use client"
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react"
import {
ArrowUpIcon,
GlobeIcon,
ImageIcon,
MessageCircleDashedIcon,
PaperclipIcon,
PlusIcon,
RotateCwIcon,
TelescopeIcon,
} from "lucide-react"
import { createChat, getMessageText } from "@/lib/ai"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
DropdownMenu,
DropdownMenuContent,
DropdownMenuItem,
DropdownMenuSeparator,
DropdownMenuTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/dropdown-menu"
import {
Empty,
EmptyDescription,
EmptyHeader,
EmptyMedia,
EmptyTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/empty"
import {
InputGroup,
InputGroupAddon,
InputGroupButton,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/input-group"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
Tooltip,
TooltipContent,
TooltipTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/tooltip"
const chat = createChat()
.user(
"I'm building a chat for our app and the scroll behavior is driving me nuts. Every time the AI streams a reply, the whole thread jumps around."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"That's the classic streaming scroll problem. Wrap your message list in `MessageScroller` and turn on `autoScroll` — the viewport pins to the bottom as tokens arrive, so users always see the latest text land in place.\n\nThe important part: it only auto-scrolls while the reader is already at the bottom. The moment they scroll up to read something earlier, auto-scroll backs off and their position is preserved. You get smooth streaming without fighting the user's intent."
)
.user(
"Okay, but when someone sends a new message the view still feels jarring — like the whole conversation reloads from the top."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"MessageScrollerItem fixes that with turn anchoring. Set `scrollAnchor` on the turn that should settle near the top instead of blindly snapping to the document bottom.\n\nIt also leaves a small peek of the previous exchange visible above the anchor, so context isn't lost. The reply starts in view without that disorienting jump you get from a plain overflow container."
)
.user(
"And if they've scrolled up to re-read an older answer? I don't want to yank them back down."
)
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"You won't. Auto-scroll only runs when the viewport is already pinned to the bottom, so scrolling up is a deliberate opt-out — their place in the thread stays put even as new tokens keep arriving below.\n\nWhen there is content they haven't seen yet, `MessageScrollerButton` appears at the bottom of the viewport. One tap jumps them back to the newest message and re-engages auto-scroll. Same pattern as Slack or iMessage: quiet when you're caught up, helpful when you're not."
)
.user("Last one — does this work with assistive tech?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
'`MessageScrollerContent` sets `role="log"` and `aria-relevant="additions"` by default, so screen readers announce new messages as they stream in.\n\nThe scroll button is a real `<button>` with an sr-only label, and it\'s removed from the tab order when you\'re already at the bottom — no ghost focus stops.'
)
const initialMessages = chat.get(0)
const transport = chat.transport({ delayMs: 20 })
export function MessageScrollerStreaming() {
const { messages, sendMessage, setMessages, status } = useChat({
messages: initialMessages,
transport,
})
const nextMessage = chat.next(messages)
const isBusy = status === "submitted" || status === "streaming"
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider autoScroll>
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>Streaming Messages</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
Auto-scroll follows the live edge of the conversation.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Tooltip>
<TooltipTrigger asChild>
<Button
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset stream"
onClick={() => setMessages(initialMessages)}
disabled={messages.length === 0 || isBusy}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</TooltipTrigger>
<TooltipContent>
<p>Reset</p>
</TooltipContent>
</Tooltip>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
{messages.length === 0 ? (
<Empty className="h-full">
<EmptyHeader>
<EmptyMedia variant="icon">
<MessageCircleDashedIcon />
</EmptyMedia>
<EmptyTitle>Ready to Stream</EmptyTitle>
<EmptyDescription>
Press send to stream a scripted launch summary.
</EmptyDescription>
</EmptyHeader>
</Empty>
) : (
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent
aria-busy={isBusy}
className="p-(--card-spacing)"
>
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
/>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
)}
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="flex-col gap-2">
<form
onSubmit={(e) => {
e.preventDefault()
if (!nextMessage || isBusy) {
return
}
void sendMessage(nextMessage)
}}
className="w-full"
>
<InputGroup>
<div className="h-14 w-full px-3 py-2.5">
<span
className="line-clamp-2 opacity-60 data-[status=ready]:opacity-100"
data-status={status}
>
{nextMessage ? (
getMessageText(nextMessage)
) : (
<span className="text-muted-foreground">
No messages queued. Reset the stream.
</span>
)}
</span>
</div>
<InputGroupAddon align="block-end" className="pt-1">
<DropdownMenu>
<DropdownMenuTrigger asChild>
<InputGroupButton
aria-label="Add files"
type="button"
size="icon-sm"
variant="outline"
>
<PlusIcon />
</InputGroupButton>
</DropdownMenuTrigger>
<DropdownMenuContent
align="start"
side="top"
className="w-44"
>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<PaperclipIcon />
Add Photos & Files
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuSeparator />
<DropdownMenuItem>
<ImageIcon />
Create Image
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<TelescopeIcon />
Deep Research
</DropdownMenuItem>
<DropdownMenuItem>
<GlobeIcon />
Web Search
</DropdownMenuItem>
</DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>
<InputGroupButton
type="submit"
variant="default"
size="icon-sm"
disabled={!nextMessage || isBusy}
className="ml-auto"
>
<ArrowUpIcon />
<span className="sr-only">Send</span>
</InputGroupButton>
</InputGroupAddon>
</InputGroup>
</form>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Streaming is simulated. `autoScroll` is enabled.
</div>
</div>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}
Calling scrollToEnd, or pressing MessageScrollerButton, re-engages follow-output when autoScroll is enabled, so a reader who scrolled away can return to the live edge and keep following. The root and viewport expose data-autoscrolling while that programmatic scroll to the latest message runs, so you can conditionally apply styles during the transition.
Opening Saved Threads
It can seem reasonable to reopen a saved thread at the absolute end of the transcript, but that often drops the reader into the conversation without enough context. A better default is "last-anchor": show the last meaningful turn, like the user's latest message, with the reply below it.
That gives the reader an immediate place in the thread. They can see what they asked, where the answer starts, and continue from there without reconstructing the conversation from the bottom edge.
<MessageScrollerProvider defaultScrollPosition="last-anchor">
<MessageScroller>{/* transcript */}</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>"last-anchor" is keyed on scrollAnchor, not message role. If no anchor exists, or the last anchored turn already fits in the viewport, it falls back to "end".
Use "start" when you want to resume at the beginning of a conversation, or "end" when the absolute latest message is the right place to land.
Loading Earlier Messages
Loading earlier messages should not move the conversation the reader is already looking at. When older rows are prepended above the current transcript, MessageScrollerViewport preserves the visible row so the reader stays in the same place while history loads above them.
This is enabled by default through preserveScrollOnPrepend.
"use client"
import * as React from "react"
import { RotateCwIcon } from "lucide-react"
import { toast } from "sonner"
import { createChat, getMessageText } from "@/lib/ai"
import { Bubble, BubbleContent } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/bubble"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import { Marker, MarkerContent } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/marker"
import { Message, MessageContent } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerItem,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
Tooltip,
TooltipContent,
TooltipTrigger,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/tooltip"
const chat = createChat()
.user("Can you summarize the incident channel?")
.assistant(
"The first alert was a delayed export job. It started backing up around 09:42 UTC and triggered the warning once the retry queue crossed the threshold.\n\nNo customer-facing checkout paths were affected, but exports for larger workspaces were running about 12 minutes behind."
)
.user("Was checkout affected?")
.assistant(
"No checkout errors were reported. Payment authorization, order creation, and confirmation emails stayed inside their normal latency bands.\n\nThe only elevated metric was export queue depth, which maps to analytics downloads instead of checkout."
)
.user("What changed in the last deploy?")
.assistant(
"Only the export queue worker changed. The deploy moved large CSV jobs onto the shared retry policy, which made each failed attempt hold a worker slot longer than before.\n\nThe app deploy did not include checkout, pricing, or billing API changes."
)
.user("Do we need to roll back?")
.assistant(
"Not yet. Queue depth is recovering after we reduced retry concurrency, and the oldest pending job is now under five minutes old.\n\nKeep rollback ready if the queue starts climbing again, but the current trend points toward recovery."
)
.user("Keep watching for customer-visible issues.")
.assistant(
"I will watch the queue and support tags for another 15 minutes. I am tracking export failures, delayed download requests, and any support thread that mentions missing reports.\n\nIf those stay quiet through the next batch window, we can close this as an internal degradation."
)
const history = chat.get()
const INITIAL_VISIBLE_COUNT = 5
export function MessageScrollerLoadHistory() {
const [demoKey, setDemoKey] = React.useState(0)
const [visibleCount, setVisibleCount] = React.useState(INITIAL_VISIBLE_COUNT)
const visibleMessages = history.slice(-visibleCount)
const canLoadHistory = visibleCount < history.length
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>Load History</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
Prepended messages keep your place.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction>
<Tooltip>
<TooltipTrigger asChild>
<Button
type="button"
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset loaded messages"
disabled={visibleCount === INITIAL_VISIBLE_COUNT}
onClick={() => {
setVisibleCount(INITIAL_VISIBLE_COUNT)
setDemoKey((key) => key + 1)
}}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</TooltipTrigger>
<TooltipContent>
<p>Reset</p>
</TooltipContent>
</Tooltip>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
<MessageScroller key={demoKey}>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent className="p-(--card-spacing)">
{visibleMessages.map((message) => {
const isUserMessage = message.role === "user"
return (
<MessageScrollerItem
key={message.id}
messageId={message.id}
>
<Message align={isUserMessage ? "end" : "start"}>
<MessageContent>
<Bubble variant={isUserMessage ? "muted" : "ghost"}>
<BubbleContent className="space-y-2">
{getMessageText(message)
.split(/\n\s*\n/)
.map((paragraph) => paragraph.trim())
.filter(Boolean)
.map((paragraph, index) => (
<p
key={index}
className="whitespace-pre-wrap"
>
{paragraph}
</p>
))}
</BubbleContent>
</Bubble>
</MessageContent>
</Message>
</MessageScrollerItem>
)
})}
<MessageScrollerItem scrollAnchor={false}>
<Marker variant="separator">
<MarkerContent>End of Conversation</MarkerContent>
</Marker>
</MessageScrollerItem>
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="flex flex-col items-center gap-2 border-t">
<Button
type="button"
disabled={!canLoadHistory}
onClick={() => {
setVisibleCount(history.length)
toast("History loaded", {
description: "Scroll up to see earlier messages.",
})
}}
className="w-full"
variant="secondary"
>
{canLoadHistory ? "Load History" : "History Loaded"}
</Button>
<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Restore earlier messages while keeping your place.
</p>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="mx-auto max-w-sm px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-balance text-muted-foreground">
Click Load History to load the entire conversation
</div>
</div>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}
Use stable messageId values for message rows. That gives the scroller a specific row to preserve instead of guessing from whichever pixel happens to sit at the viewport edge.
Animating New Messages
MessageScrollerItem can be animated directly. Create a motion version of the item, keep messageId and scrollAnchor on it, and use transform and opacity for the entrance.
A common chat pattern is to animate the user's message when it is sent, then let the assistant reply stream into a regular row below it. Start the user row below its final position so it feels like it rises from the live edge of the viewport.
const MotionMessageScrollerItem = motion.create(MessageScrollerItem)"use client"
import * as React from "react"
import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react"
import {
ArrowUpIcon,
MessageCircleDashedIcon,
RotateCwIcon,
} from "lucide-react"
import { createChat } from "@/lib/ai"
import {
MESSAGE_ANIMATIONS,
type MessageAnimationId,
} from "@/lib/message-animations"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import { Button } from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/button"
import {
Card,
CardAction,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
Empty,
EmptyDescription,
EmptyHeader,
EmptyMedia,
EmptyTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/empty"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
import {
Select,
SelectContent,
SelectGroup,
SelectItem,
SelectTrigger,
SelectValue,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/select"
const chat = createChat()
.user("Can user messages pop in like iMessage without breaking anchoring?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"Yes. Animate the user row with transform and opacity, and let the assistant response stream normally below it.\n\nThat keeps the row measurement predictable while still giving the newly sent bubble a more tactile entrance."
)
.user("What makes the animation feel more like iMessage?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"Use a quick spring from the trailing edge: a little scale, a small upward move, and no layout animation.\n\nThe bubble feels tactile, but the measured row stays predictable, so anchoring and auto-scroll do not have to fight a changing layout."
)
.user("Can I switch between presets while testing the same thread?")
.sleep(1000)
.assistant(
"Yes. Keep the conversation in place while you change the preset, then send the next message to compare the new entrance against the same context.\n\nThat makes it easier to judge the difference between a subtle fade, a snappy pop, and a more dramatic 3D tilt without rebuilding the scenario each time."
)
const initialMessages = chat.get(0)
const transport = chat.transport({ delayMs: 15 })
export function MessageScrollerAnimation() {
const { messages, sendMessage, setMessages, status } = useChat({
messages: initialMessages,
transport,
})
const [presetId, setPresetId] = React.useState<MessageAnimationId>("fade")
const nextMessage = chat.next(messages)
const isBusy = status === "submitted" || status === "streaming"
const preset = MESSAGE_ANIMATIONS[presetId as MessageAnimationId]
return (
<div className="relative flex flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="mx-auto h-140 w-full max-w-sm gap-0">
<CardHeader className="border-b">
<CardTitle>Animation</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
Choose how user messages are animated when they are added to the
conversation.
</CardDescription>
<CardAction className="flex items-center gap-2">
<Button
type="button"
variant="outline"
size="icon"
aria-label="Reset animated messages"
disabled={messages.length === 0 || isBusy}
onClick={() => setMessages(initialMessages)}
>
<RotateCwIcon />
</Button>
</CardAction>
</CardHeader>
<CardContent className="min-h-0 flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
{messages.length === 0 ? (
<Empty className="h-full">
<EmptyHeader>
<EmptyMedia variant="icon">
<MessageCircleDashedIcon />
</EmptyMedia>
<EmptyTitle>No Messages Yet</EmptyTitle>
<EmptyDescription>
Click the button below to send the first message.
</EmptyDescription>
</EmptyHeader>
</Empty>
) : (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent
aria-busy={isBusy}
className="p-(--card-spacing)"
>
{messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
animationPreset={preset}
userVariant="muted"
assistantVariant="ghost"
/>
))}
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)}
</CardContent>
<CardFooter className="border-t">
<Select
value={presetId}
onValueChange={(value) => {
setPresetId(value as MessageAnimationId)
}}
>
<SelectTrigger aria-label="Animation preset">
<SelectValue>{preset.name}</SelectValue>
</SelectTrigger>
<SelectContent align="start" side="top" position="popper">
<SelectGroup>
{Object.values(MESSAGE_ANIMATIONS).map((animation) => (
<SelectItem key={animation.id} value={animation.id}>
{animation.name}
</SelectItem>
))}
</SelectGroup>
</SelectContent>
</Select>
<Button
type="button"
size="icon"
className="ml-auto"
disabled={!nextMessage || isBusy}
onClick={() => {
if (!nextMessage || isBusy) {
return
}
void sendMessage(nextMessage)
}}
>
<ArrowUpIcon />
<span className="sr-only">Send Message</span>
</Button>
</CardFooter>
</Card>
<div className="mx-auto max-w-sm px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-balance text-muted-foreground">
Select an animation then click send to see it in action.
</div>
</div>
)
}
Avoid animating height, margin, or padding for row entrances; those changes can fight the scroller's positioning work. If the reader prefers reduced motion, skip the entrance animation and keep the scroll behavior the same.
Jumping to Messages
Search results, permalinks, outline items, and toolbar buttons often need to drive the transcript from outside the message list. Use useMessageScroller for those controls. Because the hooks read from MessageScrollerProvider, they work in any component inside the provider, including controls rendered outside the MessageScroller frame.
import { useMessageScroller } from "@scopify/ui/shadcn/components/message-scroller"const { scrollToMessage, scrollToEnd, scrollToStart } = useMessageScroller()scrollToMessage targets the messageId on MessageScrollerItem, so rows that need to be addressable should have stable ids. scrollToMessage returns false when the target is not mounted and cannot be queued.
scrollToMessage can queue a target before items exist, which covers client-resolved permalinks while the transcript mounts. After rows have mounted, a missing id returns false instead of starting a guessed retry loop. A true result means the scroll ran or was queued, not that the row is already in view.
Tracking the Reader's Position
Use useMessageScrollerVisibility to track the reader's position in the conversation. A common example is a table-of-contents or a jump menu that highlights the current anchored turn.
import { useMessageScrollerVisibility } from "@scopify/ui/shadcn/components/message-scroller"const { currentAnchorId, visibleMessageIds } = useMessageScrollerVisibility()currentAnchorId answers "where am I" by reporting the current anchored turn, and it stays set after that anchor scrolls above the viewport. visibleMessageIds answers "what is on screen", in document order.
Visibility is pay-for-what-you-use. Tracking only runs while something subscribes to useMessageScrollerVisibility, and rows need a messageId to participate.
Reading Scroll State
Use useMessageScrollerScrollable when you need scroll state in JavaScript, such as a status indicator or a custom "jump to latest" control. It reports which edges the viewport can still scroll toward; "at the start/end" is the negation (!start / !end), and "scrollable at all" is start || end. For styling the scroller itself, prefer the data-scrollable attribute.
import { useMessageScrollerScrollable } from "@scopify/ui/shadcn/components/message-scroller"const { start, end } = useMessageScrollerScrollable()"use client"
import { MessageAnimated } from "@/components/message-animated"
import {
Card,
CardContent,
CardDescription,
CardFooter,
CardHeader,
CardTitle,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/card"
import {
MessageScroller,
MessageScrollerButton,
MessageScrollerContent,
MessageScrollerProvider,
MessageScrollerViewport,
useMessageScrollerScrollable,
} from "@/styles/radix-rhea/ui/message-scroller"
const messages = Array.from({ length: 12 }, (_, index) => ({
id: `scrollable-${index + 1}`,
role: index % 2 === 0 ? "user" : "assistant",
text:
index % 2 === 0
? `Review scroll checkpoint ${index + 1}.`
: `Checkpoint ${index + 1} is synced. The scrollable hook updates as the viewport moves.\n\nWhen the reader is at the first message, the footer should only point them down. Once they move into the middle of the transcript, it should explain that both directions are available.\n\nAt the latest message, the footer should switch again and only point them back up.`,
})) satisfies Array<{
id: string
role: "user" | "assistant"
text: string
}>
export function MessageScrollerScrollable() {
return (
<div className="mx-auto flex w-full max-w-sm flex-col gap-4">
<Card className="h-140 w-full gap-0 overflow-hidden">
<CardHeader className="gap-1 border-b">
<CardTitle>Scroll Status</CardTitle>
<CardDescription>
Where the reader can go scroll to based on current scroll position.
</CardDescription>
</CardHeader>
<MessageScrollerProvider defaultScrollPosition="start">
<CardContent className="flex-1 overflow-hidden p-0">
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerContent className="gap-4 p-(--card-spacing)">
<Transcript />
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</CardContent>
<ScrollStateFooter />
</MessageScrollerProvider>
</Card>
<div className="px-0.5 text-center text-xs text-muted-foreground">
Scroll the transcript to see the footer update.
</div>
</div>
)
}
function Transcript() {
return messages.map((message) => (
<MessageAnimated
key={message.id}
message={message}
scrollAnchor={message.role === "user"}
userVariant="muted"
assistantVariant="ghost"
/>
))
}
function ScrollStateFooter() {
const { start, end } = useMessageScrollerScrollable()
const status = getScrollStatus({ start, end })
return (
<CardFooter className="justify-center border-t text-center text-sm text-muted-foreground">
{status}
</CardFooter>
)
}
function getScrollStatus({ start, end }: { start: boolean; end: boolean }) {
if (start && end) {
return "You can scroll both ways."
}
if (end) {
return "You are at the top. You can only scroll down."
}
if (start) {
return "You are at the bottom. You can only scroll up."
}
return "All messages fit in the viewport."
}
Performance
MessageScroller is benchmarked against large transcripts with markdown and composed message rows.
Our performance goal for MessageScroller is to keep the scroll hot path outside of React state: no React rerenders for transcript rows, no forced layout on every scroll, and as little off-screen paint work as the browser can avoid.
Scroll position, anchoring, and follow-output are tracked imperatively and mirrored onto the root and viewport through data-* attributes, so scrolling and streaming do not rerender transcript rows.
The styled MessageScrollerItem also ships with content-visibility: auto and contain-intrinsic-size. Rows stay in the DOM for selection, copy, find-in-page, SSR, and assistive tech, but the browser can skip rendering work for rows far outside the viewport.
Visibility tracking is pay-for-what-you-use. A jump menu or active turn indicator costs nothing until something subscribes to useMessageScrollerVisibility.
This is comfortable for the expected range of a chat transcript: hundreds to low thousands of turns, including messages with markdown and composed components.
Virtualization
Virtualization is intentionally left outside the primitive. MessageScroller renders real DOM rows and stays fast well into the thousands of turns (see Performance), so most transcripts never need it.
When a transcript is large enough to need virtualization, use MessageScrollerViewport as the scroll element and let the virtualizer own the rows.
import * as React from "react"
import { useVirtualizer } from "@tanstack/react-virtual"
function VirtualizedTranscript({
messages,
}: {
messages: Array<{ id: string; content: React.ReactNode }>
}) {
const viewportRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
count: messages.length,
getScrollElement: () => viewportRef.current,
estimateSize: () => 86,
getItemKey: (index) => messages[index]?.id ?? index,
overscan: 8,
})
return (
<MessageScrollerProvider>
<MessageScroller>
<MessageScrollerViewport ref={viewportRef}>
<MessageScrollerContent className="block min-h-full">
<div
className="relative w-full"
style={{ height: virtualizer.getTotalSize() }}
>
{virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualItem) => {
const message = messages[virtualItem.index]
if (!message) {
return null
}
return (
<div
key={virtualItem.key}
ref={virtualizer.measureElement}
data-index={virtualItem.index}
className="absolute start-0 top-0 w-full"
style={{
transform: `translateY(${virtualItem.start}px)`,
}}
>
<Message>{message.content}</Message>
</div>
)
})}
</div>
</MessageScrollerContent>
</MessageScrollerViewport>
<MessageScrollerButton />
</MessageScroller>
</MessageScrollerProvider>
)
}Accessibility
MessageScroller keeps the scroll container keyboard reachable and the transcript announceable without forcing a specific message UI.
MessageScrollerViewport is a labelled, keyboard-focusable scroll region by default. It uses role="region", aria-label="Messages", and tabIndex={0}, so keyboard users can focus the transcript and scroll it directly.
MessageScrollerContent marks the transcript as a live region with role="log" and aria-relevant="additions". New rows can be announced, but streamed text mutations do not have to be announced token by token.
<MessageScrollerContent aria-busy={status === "streaming"}>
{/* messages */}
</MessageScrollerContent>Pass aria-busy while a turn streams if announcements should wait for the completed message row.
MessageScrollerButton renders a real button. When there is nothing to scroll toward, it sets inert, uses tabIndex={-1}, and exposes data-active="false" so inactive scroll controls do not create extra focus stops.
Unstyled
The behavior in MessageScroller comes from the @shadcn/react package. To use it directly with your own markup and styles, see Message Scroller under @shadcn/react.
API Reference
The props, data attributes, and hooks for every part are documented on the @shadcn/react Message Scroller page. They are identical for the styled component and the unstyled parts.