/nuxt-ui

name: nuxt-ui
description: Build UIs with @nuxt/ui v4 — 125+ accessible Vue components with Tailwind CSS theming. Use when creating interfaces, customizing themes to match a brand, building forms, or composing layouts like dashboards, docs sites, and chat interfaces.

Nuxt UI

Vue component library built on [Reka UI](https://reka-ui.com/) + [Tailwind CSS](https://tailwindcss.com/) + [Tailwind Variants](https://www.tailwind-variants.org/). Works with Nuxt, Vue (Vite), Laravel (Vite + Inertia), and AdonisJS (Vite + Inertia).

MCP Server

For component API details (props, slots, events, full documentation, examples), use the [Nuxt UI MCP server](https://ui.nuxt.com/docs/getting-started/ai/mcp). If not already configured, add it:

**Cursor** — `.cursor/mcp.json`:

{ "mcpServers": { "nuxt-ui": { "type": "http", "url": "https://ui.nuxt.com/mcp" } } }

**Claude Code**:

claude mcp add --transport http nuxt-ui https://ui.nuxt.com/mcp

Key MCP tools:

• `search-components` — find components by name, category, or intent (no params = list all)
• `search-composables` — find composables by name or description (no params = list all)
• `search-icons` — search Iconify icons (defaults to `lucide`), returns `i-{prefix}-{name}` names
• `get-component` — full component documentation with usage examples
• `get-component-metadata` — props, slots, events (lightweight, no docs content)
• `get-example` — real-world code examples

When you need to know **what a component accepts** or **how its API works**, use the MCP. This skill teaches you **when to use which component** and **how to build well**.

Core rules (always apply)

1. **Always wrap the app in `UApp`** — required for toasts, tooltips, and programmatic overlays. Accepts a `locale` prop for i18n. 2. **Always use semantic colors** — `text-default`, `bg-elevated`, `border-muted`, etc. Never use raw Tailwind palette colors like `text-gray-500`. 3. **Read generated theme files for slot names** — Nuxt: `.nuxt/ui/<component>.ts`, Vue: `node_modules/.nuxt-ui/ui/<component>.ts`. These show every slot, variant, and default class for any component. 4. **Override priority** (highest wins): `ui` prop / `class` prop → global config → theme defaults. 5. **Icons use `i-{collection}-{name}` format** — `lucide` is the default collection. Use the MCP `search-icons` tool to find icons, or browse at [icones.js.org](https://icones.js.org).

How to use this skill

Based on the task, load the relevant reference files **before writing any code**. Don't load everything — only what's needed.

Reference files

**Guidelines** — design decisions and conventions:

• [design-system](references/guidelines/design-system.md) — semantic colors, theming, brand customization, variants, the `ui` prop
• [component-selection](references/guidelines/component-selection.md) — decision matrices: when to use Modal vs Slideover, Select vs SelectMenu, Toast vs Alert, etc.
• [conventions](references/guidelines/conventions.md) — coding patterns, slot naming, items arrays, composables, keyboard shortcuts
• [forms](references/guidelines/forms.md) — form validation, field layout, error handling, Standard Schema

**Layouts** — full page structure patterns:

• [landing](references/layouts/landing.md) — landing pages, blog, changelog, pricing
• [dashboard](references/layouts/dashboard.md) — admin UI with sidebar and panels
• [docs](references/layouts/docs.md) — documentation sites with navigation and TOC
• [chat](references/layouts/chat.md) — AI chat with Vercel AI SDK
• [editor](references/layouts/editor.md) — rich text editor with toolbars

**Recipes** — complete patterns for common tasks:

• [data-tables](references/recipes/data-tables.md) — tables with filters, pagination, sorting, selection
• [auth](references/recipes/auth.md) — login, signup, forgot password forms
• [overlays](references/recipes/overlays.md) — modals, slideovers, drawers, command palette
• [navigation](references/recipes/navigation.md) — headers, sidebars, breadcrumbs, tabs

**Quick reference:**

• [components](references/components.md) — categorized component index for finding the right component name

Routing table

| Task | Load these references | |---|---| | Build a landing page | design-system, conventions, landing | | Build a dashboard / admin UI | conventions, component-selection, dashboard | | Add a settings page | conventions, forms | | Create a login / signup form | conventions, forms, auth | | Display data in a table | conventions, component-selection, data-tables | | Customize theme / brand colors | design-system | | Add a chat interface | conventions, chat | | Add a modal, slideover, or drawer | conventions, component-selection, overlays | | Build site navigation | conventions, component-selection, navigation | | Build a documentation site | conventions, docs | | Render markdown | component-selection, components, docs | | Add a rich text editor | conventions, editor | | General UI work | conventions, component-selection |

Installation

Nuxt

pnpm add @nuxt/ui tailwindcss

// nuxt.config.ts
export default defineNuxtConfig({
  modules: ['@nuxt/ui'],
  css: ['~/assets/css/main.css']
})

/* app/assets/css/main.css */
@import "tailwindcss";
@import "@nuxt/ui";

<!-- app.vue -->
<template>
  <UApp>
    <NuxtPage />
  </UApp>
</template>

Vue (Vite)

pnpm add @nuxt/ui tailwindcss

// vite.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
import vue from '@vitejs/plugin-vue'
import ui from '@nuxt/ui/vite'

export default defineConfig({
  plugins: [
    vue(),
    ui()
  ]
})

// src/main.ts
import './assets/css/main.css'
import { createApp } from 'vue'
import { createRouter, createWebHistory } from 'vue-router'
import ui from '@nuxt/ui/vue-plugin'
import App from './App.vue'

const app = createApp(App)
const router = createRouter({
  routes: [],
  history: createWebHistory()
})

app.use(router)
app.use(ui)