Chat

Organism

A controlled assistant conversation with independently scrolling messages, clear author and provider identities, and an anchored multiline composer. The parent supplies the bounds; Chat fills the available height without choosing a fixed height of its own.

src/organisms/chat

View in Surfaces & data

Playground

Every control sets a real prop of ChatProps. The JSX below updates as you go.

Web

iOS

Android

You
Can the accent follow our brand hue?
Assistant
Yes. Set one oklch hue and every ion token, glow and ring follows.

Props

plain

boolean

JSX · ChatProps

<Chat />

Variants

10 examples from src/organisms/chat/chat.md, each rendered live from its own JSX.

You
Review requirement 1.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 2.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 3.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 4.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 5.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 6.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 7.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 8.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 9.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 10.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 11.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 12.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 13.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.
You
Review requirement 14.
Assistant
Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing.

The composer stays here while earlier messages scroll.

Long conversation

<Chat testID="chat-long" style={{ height: 320 }} messages={Array.from({ length: 28 }, (_, index) => ({ id: index, role: index % 2 === 0 ? "user" : "assistant", content: index % 2 === 0 ? `Review requirement ${index / 2 + 1}.` : "Confirm the expected behavior, check mobile layouts, and record the evidence before continuing." }))} value="A follow-up question" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} footer={<Typography tiny muted>The composer stays here while earlier messages scroll.</Typography>} />

Planner
OpenAI
I am reviewing the requirements…
Responding…

Streaming

<Chat style={{ height: 320 }} messages={[{ id: "reply", role: "assistant", author: "Planner", provider: "OpenAI", content: "I am reviewing the **requirements**…", streaming: true }]} value="Add a mobile check" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} pending />

You
Which checks matter for this change?

Planner is reviewing the project…

Pending

<Chat style={{ height: 300 }} messages={[{ id: "request", role: "user", content: "Which checks matter for this change?" }]} value="" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} pending pendingIcon={<Icon sparkles accessibilityLabel="Planner" size={24} />} pendingLabel="Planner is reviewing the project…" />

Plan your next change

Describe the outcome you want.

Anchored actions

<Chat style={{ height: 320 }} messages={[]} value="" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} emptyState={<EmptyState title="Plan your next change" description="Describe the outcome you want." />} footer={<Row snug wrap><Button ghost small>AI connections</Button><Button ghost small>Review requirements</Button></Row>} />

Assistant
Your answers are saved. What would you like to do next?

Message choices

<Stateful initial="">

  {(choice, setChoice) => (

    <ChatThread

      style={{ height: 240 }}

      messages={[{ id: "checkpoint", role: "assistant", content: choice ? `Selected: ${choice}` : "Your answers are saved. What would you like to do next?", actions: choice ? [] : [{ id: "draft", label: "Draft plan", primary: true }, { id: "continue", label: "Continue with questions" }] }]}

      onAction={(_messageId, actionId) => setChoice(actionId)}

/>

)}

</Stateful>

Planner

OpenAI

The reply could not be completed.

Reply failed

Your draft is preserved. Try again when the provider is available.

Delivery notice

<ChatMessage message={{ id: "failed", role: "assistant", author: "Planner", provider: "OpenAI", content: "The reply could not be completed.", error: true, notice: "Your draft is preserved. Try again when the provider is available." }} />

You
Review this plan.

notes.txt

Attachments

<Chat style={{ height: 320 }} messages={[{ id: "request", role: "user", content: "Review this plan.", attachments: [{ id: "saved-plan", name: "release-plan.pdf" }] }]} value="" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} onAttach={() => {}} attachments={[{ id: "draft-notes", name: "notes.txt" }]} onRemoveAttachment={() => {}} onOpenAttachment={() => {}} />

Assistant
Which release approach should we plan?
1 of 2
What should the first release include?
A focused first release
Ship the essential workflow, then expand from feedback.
The complete workflow
Include reporting, collaboration, and administration in the first release.
Write my own answer
Select multiple

Selectable questions

Move through one question at a time. This example controls the saved position and answer draft separately so navigation and answer callbacks can update together.

<Stateful initial={{ answers: [] as { questionId: string; optionId?: string; optionIds?: string[]; customText?: string; multiple?: boolean }[], submitted: false }}>

  {(state, setState) => (

    <Stateful initial={0}>

      {(questionIndex, setQuestionIndex) => (

        <ChatThread

          style={{ height: 420 }}

          messages={[{

            id: "planning-questions",

            role: "assistant",

            content: "Which release approach should we plan?",

            questions: [{ id: "scope", title: "What should the first release include?", options: [

              { id: "focused", label: "A focused first release", description: "Ship the essential workflow, then expand from feedback." },

              { id: "complete", label: "The complete workflow", description: "Include reporting, collaboration, and administration in the first release." }

            ] }, { id: "checks", title: "Which checks should we include?", multiple: true, options: [

              { id: "desktop", label: "Desktop browser testing" },

              { id: "mobile", label: "Mobile layout and accessibility testing" }

            ] }],

            questionAnswers: state.answers,

            questionIndex,

            questionsSubmitted: state.submitted

}]}

          onQuestionAnswerChange={(_messageId, answers) => setState({ ...state, answers })}

          onQuestionIndexChange={(_messageId, index) => setQuestionIndex(index)}

          onSubmitQuestionAnswers={(_messageId, answers) => setState({ answers, submitted: true })}

/>

)}

    </Stateful>

)}

</Stateful>

Only reviewed requirements continue to execution.

Separate pieces

<ChatComposer value="Review the release plan" onChangeText={() => {}} onSend={() => {}} footer={<Typography tiny muted>Only reviewed requirements continue to execution.</Typography>} />

Release scope

Acceptance criteria

Behavior verified

Requirement recorded

Story

Priority

Status

Saved scope

Must

Backlog

Document Markdown

<Markdown compact>{`# Release scope

## Acceptance criteria

- [ ] Behavior verified

- [x] Requirement recorded

| Story | Priority | Status |

| --- | --- | --- |

| Saved scope | Must | Backlog |`}</Markdown>

Anatomy

You
Can the accent follow our brand hue?
Assistant
Yes. Set one oklch hue and every ion token, glow and ring follows.

1

Thread

2

Assistant message

3

User message

4

Avatar

5

Composer

Dimmed parts appear only in some states or variants.

Props

28 props on ChatProps, grouped as they are declared in source. Required props are marked *.

Prop

Type

Default

Description

Props

28 props

onAction

(messageId: string | number, actionId: string) => void

–

The app owns action handling, persistence, and removing resolved actions.

onQuestionAnswerChange

(messageId: string | number, answers: ChatQuestionAnswerData[]) => void

–

Update the message's controlled questionAnswers; the app owns saving the draft.

onSubmitQuestionAnswers

(messageId: string | number, answers: ChatQuestionAnswerData[]) => void

–

Submit the final complete answer set; the app owns transport and setting questionsSubmitted.

onQuestionIndexChange

(messageId: string | number, index: number) => void

–

Save the zero-based current question index; omit questionIndex for local navigation state.

disabled

boolean

false

Disable question forms while other application work is in progress.

messages *

readonly ChatMessageData[]

–

onOpenAttachment

(attachment: ChatAttachmentData) => void

–

pending

boolean

false

A reply is being prepared; no artificial message is added to the data.

pendingLabel

string

–

pendingIcon

ReactNode

–

Application-supplied provider mark for a reply that has not started streaming.

label

string

–

emptyState

ReactNode

–

plain

boolean

false

testID

string

–

style

LayoutStyle

–

Parent composition only. Supply a bounded height, or a bounded flex parent.

value *

string

–

onChangeText *

(value: string) => void

–

onSend *

(value: string) => void

–

Receives the trimmed draft. The app owns clearing the draft and starting transport.

placeholder

string

–

composerLabel

string

–

sendLabel

string

–

sendDisabled

boolean

false

Block only sending, keeping the draft, attachments, and message choices interactive.

maxLength

number

–

Optional application input limit; enforced by the native text field.

onAttach

() => void

–

Show an attachment control; the app owns its file picker and upload service.

attachments

readonly ChatAttachmentData[]

–

onRemoveAttachment

(id: string) => void

–

attaching

boolean

false

File selection or upload is in progress; prevents attaching or sending again.

footer

ReactNode

–

Anchored actions or help below the composer, outside the scrolling thread.

Accessibility and keyboard

Keyboard

Type

Edits the value

Tab

Next field

Escape

Clears when clearable

Semantics

Roles

header

heading

progressbar

text

States

busy

ARIA on web

aria-busy

aria-hidden

aria-label

aria-level

aria-live

From the docs

ChatThread follows new content while the reader is within 48 points of the bottom. Scrolling up to read older messages pauses following; returning to the bottom resumes it. Message updates, streaming text, question-height changes, and viewport resizing coalesce into a tail adjustment after layout settles. Scrolling is immediate and never animated, so it does not add motion when text streams or Reduce Motion is enabled. The overflowing thread is keyboard focusable with a visible focus frame. The native app or owni

Set onAttach to show the accessible paperclip action. The app owns file picking and uploading, passes composer attachments, and removes a staged file through onRemoveAttachment(id). A ChatAttachmentData has an id, name, optional uploading or error flags, and optional notice text. Uploading and failed files block sending; remove a failed file or replace it after retrying. attaching also blocks attaching and sending while the app opens a picker or uploads. Saved message attachments use the same me

Both answer callbacks and an enabled form are required for interaction. disabled, pending, and active streaming lock the current question. Use questionsDisabled for an inactive earlier batch: it shows every original question and option read-only, without navigation actions. questionsSubmitted shows saved answers with an Answers sent receipt. Multiple-choice receipts include every selected label and custom text; an answer-mode override is identified as Multiple answers selected by you. Question labels and de

The current question is framed by the existing compact, flat selected Card: a soft theme tint and primary border distinguish its counter, answers and actions from the surrounding conversation. Saved receipts and inactive question history remain unframed. The Card is visual only, so answer controls retain their own accessible roles and focus behavior.

Markdown reuses Chat's safe grammar and renderer for standalone documents. It preserves heading levels one through six, emphasis, inline and fenced code, quotes, ordered and unordered lists, nested indentation, static checked/unchecked task lists, horizontal rules, and pipe tables. Tables use Canvas DataTable's container-responsive stacked layout on narrow surfaces, retaining every column on iOS too. Checklists are read-only Canvas selection controls; reading a document never changes its source. HTML, links and i

Platform skins

The playground's props on each platform: same tree, native shapes, type and touch sizes.

Assistant
Your answers are saved. What would you like to do next?

Web

control 10 · field 10 · card 16 · Instrument Sans

Assistant
Your answers are saved. What would you like to do next?

iOS

capsule controls · field 8 · card 12 · SF Pro · 44 pt

Assistant
Your answers are saved. What would you like to do next?

Android

Material 3 stadium · field 4 · card 12 · Roboto · 48 dp

Usage

<Chat

  style={{ height: 360 }}

  messages={[

    { id: "question", role: "user", content: "Help me plan the release." },

    { id: "answer", role: "assistant", author: "Planner", provider: "OpenAI", content: "Start with **scope** and a release checklist.\n\n1. Confirm acceptance criteria\n2. Run the affected checks\n3. Review the rollout" }

]}

  value=""

  onChangeText={() => {}}

  onSend={() => {}}

/>

Messages remain application-owned ChatMessageData: keep each id stable while updating content during streaming. pending shows a three-dot thinking indicator until an explicitly streaming message arrives; pass pendingIcon to identify its provider. Streaming replies retain their own Responding indicator. Both animations stop when their state ends and stay still under Reduce Motion. providerIcon accepts an application-supplied provider logo beside the author; label the image or icon with the provider name for assistive technology. provider remains an optional supplementary text label such as the transport name. error adds a visible failure label; notice preserves delivery or fallback information. footer anchors connection, review, or other actions below the composer and outside the scrollport.

Pass actions on any message for app-owned choices beneath its content: each has a stable id, a literal label, and optional primary. Chat, ChatThread, and ChatMessage call onAction(messageId, actionId) when chosen. Choices wrap at narrow widths and use each platform’s Button. disabled, pending, any streaming message in the thread, or an absent callback prevents activation. The app owns saving the choice, setting busy state while it is accepted, duplicate prevention, and removing resolved or historical actions. Actions do not send a composer draft or submit question answers.

Assistant content supports paragraphs, headings, lists, quotes, fenced code, bold, emphasis, and inline code through React Native text. HTML, images, and links stay literal text and never load or execute remote content. plain renders all source punctuation literally; user messages are always plain text. This is a small safe markdown subset rather than a complete CommonMark renderer.

Tokens

Read from the playground render. Values follow the scheme and the ion hue.

--bg2

--fd

--ft

--ion

--ion-fg

--ion-soft

--ion-tx

--ln

--ln2

--sf

--sf2

--tx3

Chat

Playground

Variants

Release scope

Acceptance criteria

Anatomy

Props

Accessibility and keyboard

Platform skins

Usage

Tokens

Related components