Ai Sdk Ui

Build React chat interfaces with Vercel AI SDK v6. Covers useChat/useCompletion/useObject hooks, message parts structure, tool approval workflows, and 18 UI error solutions. Prevents documented issues with React Strict Mode, concurrent requests, stale closures, and tool approval edge cases. Use when: implementing AI chat UIs, migrating v5→v6, troubleshooting "useChat failed to parse stream", "stale body values", "React maximum update depth", "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'state')", or tool approval workflow errors.

Security Scan

The skill's files and instructions largely match a React UI helper for the Vercel AI SDK, but there are several internal inconsistencies (notably missing declared env requirements vs. server templates that expect API keys, and mixed/incorrect package imports) that you should review before installing or using it.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description and the included templates (use-chat, use-completion, custom renderers, Next.js router examples) are coherent with a frontend UI skill. However: (1) the README and templates include server-side API route examples (app/api/chat/route.ts, pages/api/chat.ts) that require backend API keys and server usage — yet the skill metadata declares no required environment variables; (2) some template files import from older package names ('ai/react', types from 'ai') while other docs/reference mention '@ai-sdk/react' and v6 — version/import inconsistencies suggest the bundle mixes code for different SDK versions. Both are disproportionate to a pure frontend UI helper and should be clarified.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md and reference docs focus on UI hooks and include many concrete code examples. They also include server-side patterns showing use of process.env (OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, etc.), streaming helpers, and example API route code using openai() — these are concrete actions that require server secrets and backend hosting. The instructions don't explicitly instruct the agent to read or exfiltrate arbitrary local files, but they do show patterns that will use environment secrets on the server if you deploy the templates. Additionally, example error-logging snippets suggest sending logs to monitoring services (Sentry/Datadog) — normal for apps but worth noting for privacy.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec (instruction-only skill). No remote downloads or extract operations; templates instruct local npm installs for normal dependencies (react-markdown, syntax highlighter, ai, @ai-sdk/*). This is low risk from an install mechanism standpoint, but you will run npm installs locally which should be reviewed as usual.

Credentials

Metadata declares no required environment variables, but multiple reference files and templates (references/nextjs-integration.md, README.md, templates/nextjs-api-route.ts) instruct adding OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY, etc. Server API route examples call openai() and assume these keys exist. Not declaring these required secrets in the skill metadata is an inconsistency that could mislead users into deploying templates without realizing they must provide sensitive keys. Also the skill includes examples showing logging/error-reporting which could transmit user context to monitoring services if used.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not marked always:true and does not request to modify other skills or system-wide settings. It includes templates that use localStorage, navigator.clipboard and file export/import for chat history — these are normal UI behaviors and limited to the user's browser context. No persistent autonomous privilege is requested.

What to consider before installing

This package appears to be a collection of UI templates and documentation for building React chat UIs with Vercel AI SDK, but there are a few mismatches you should check before using it: 1) Environment secrets: several server-side templates expect OPENAI_API_KEY, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, etc., yet the skill metadata lists none — do not deploy server templates without adding and securing the required keys. 2) Version/import consistency: some templates import from 'ai' or 'ai/react' while other docs reference '@ai-sdk/react' and v6 — search the files and replace/normalize imports for the SDK version you plan to use. 3) Review server API route code: the provided API examples call provider functions and will run on your server (and use your keys); audit these before deploying. 4) Dependency installs: the templates ask you to npm install several packages — review package.json and installed packages for correctness. 5) Privacy/logging: examples suggest sending error logs to monitoring services; ensure you’re not leaking sensitive user data there. If you want, I can: (a) list all files that reference process.env or OPENAI/ANTHROPIC keys, (b) scan the repo for imports from 'ai' vs '@ai-sdk/*', or (c) suggest minimal edits to align templates with a single SDK version.

AI SDK UI - Frontend React Hooks

Frontend React hooks for AI-powered user interfaces with Vercel AI SDK v6.

Version: AI SDK v6.0.42 (Stable) Framework: React 18+/19, Next.js 14+/15+ Last Updated: 2026-01-20

---

AI SDK v6 Stable (January 2026)

Status: Stable Release Latest: ai@6.0.42, @ai-sdk/react@3.0.44, @ai-sdk/openai@3.0.7 Migration: Minimal breaking changes from v5 → v6

New UI Features in v6

1. Message Parts Structure (Breaking Change) In v6, message content is now accessed via .parts array instead of .content:

// ❌ v5 (OLD)
{messages.map(m => (
  <div key={m.id}>{m.content}</div>
))}

// ✅ v6 (NEW)
{messages.map(m => (
  <div key={m.id}>
    {m.parts.map((part, i) => {
      if (part.type === 'text') return <span key={i}>{part.text}</span>;
      if (part.type === 'tool-invocation') return <ToolCall key={i} tool={part} />;
      if (part.type === 'file') return <FilePreview key={i} file={part} />;
      return null;
    })}
  </div>
))}

Part Types:

• text - Text content with .text property
• tool-invocation - Tool calls with .toolName, .args, .result
• file - File attachments with .mimeType, .data
• reasoning - Model reasoning (when available)
• source - Source citations

3. Agent Integration Type-safe messaging with agents using InferAgentUIMessage<typeof agent>:

import { useChat } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import type { InferAgentUIMessage } from 'ai';
import { myAgent } from './agent';

export default function AgentChat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat<InferAgentUIMessage<typeof myAgent>>({
    api: '/api/chat',
  });
  // messages are now type-checked against agent schema
}

4. Tool Approval Workflows (Human-in-the-Loop) Request user confirmation before executing tools:

import { useChat } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import { useState } from 'react';

export default function ChatWithApproval() {
  const { messages, sendMessage, addToolApprovalResponse } = useChat({
    api: '/api/chat',
  });

  const handleApprove = (toolCallId: string) => {
    addToolApprovalResponse({
      toolCallId,
      approved: true,  // or false to deny
    });
  };

  return (
    <div>
      {messages.map(message => (
        <div key={message.id}>
          {message.toolInvocations?.map(tool => (
            tool.state === 'awaiting-approval' && (
              <div key={tool.toolCallId}>
                <p>Approve tool call: {tool.toolName}?</p>
                <button onClick={() => handleApprove(tool.toolCallId)}>
                  Approve
                </button>
                <button onClick={() => addToolApprovalResponse({
                  toolCallId: tool.toolCallId,
                  approved: false
                })}>
                  Deny
                </button>
              </div>
            )
          ))}
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

5. Auto-Submit Capability Automatically continue conversation after handling approvals:

import { useChat, lastAssistantMessageIsCompleteWithApprovalResponses } from '@ai-sdk/react';

export default function AutoSubmitChat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat({
    api: '/api/chat',
    sendAutomaticallyWhen: lastAssistantMessageIsCompleteWithApprovalResponses,
    // Automatically resubmit after all approval responses provided
  });
}

6. Structured Output in Chat Generate structured data alongside tool calling (previously only available in useObject):

import { useChat } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import { z } from 'zod';

const schema = z.object({
  summary: z.string(),
  sentiment: z.enum(['positive', 'neutral', 'negative']),
});

export default function StructuredChat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat({
    api: '/api/chat',
    // Server can now stream structured output with chat messages
  });
}

---

useChat Hook - v4 → v5 Breaking Changes

CRITICAL: useChat no longer manages input state in v5!

v4 (OLD - DON'T USE):

const { messages, input, handleInputChange, handleSubmit, append } = useChat();

<form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
  <input value={input} onChange={handleInputChange} />
</form>

v5 (NEW - CORRECT):

const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat();
const [input, setInput] = useState('');

<form onSubmit={(e) => {
  e.preventDefault();
  sendMessage({ content: input });
  setInput('');
}}>
  <input value={input} onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)} />
</form>

Summary of v5 Changes:

1. Input management removed: input, handleInputChange, handleSubmit no longer exist
2. append() → sendMessage(): New method for sending messages
3. onResponse removed: Use onFinish instead
4. initialMessages → controlled mode: Use messages prop for full control
5. maxSteps removed: Handle on server-side only

See references/use-chat-migration.md for complete migration guide.

---

useAssistant Hook (Deprecated)

⚠️ Deprecation Notice: useAssistant is deprecated as of AI SDK v5. OpenAI Assistants API v2 will sunset on August 26, 2026. For new projects, use useChat with custom backend logic instead. See the openai-assistants skill for migration guidance.

Interact with OpenAI-compatible assistant APIs with automatic UI state management.

Import:

import { useAssistant } from '@ai-sdk/react';

Basic Usage:

'use client';
import { useAssistant } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import { useState, FormEvent } from 'react';

export default function AssistantChat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage, isLoading, error } = useAssistant({
    api: '/api/assistant',
  });
  const [input, setInput] = useState('');

  const handleSubmit = (e: FormEvent) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    sendMessage({ content: input });
    setInput('');
  };

  return (
    <div>
      {messages.map(m => (
        <div key={m.id}>
          <strong>{m.role}:</strong> {m.content}
        </div>
      ))}
      <form onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
        <input
          value={input}
          onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
          disabled={isLoading}
        />
      </form>
      {error && <div>{error.message}</div>}
    </div>
  );
}

Use Cases:

• Building OpenAI Assistant-powered UIs
• Managing assistant threads and runs
• Streaming assistant responses with UI state management
• File search and code interpreter integrations

See official docs for complete API reference: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/reference/ai-sdk-ui/use-assistant

---

Top UI Errors & Solutions

See references/top-ui-errors.md for complete documentation. Quick reference:

1. useChat Failed to Parse Stream

Error: SyntaxError: Unexpected token in JSON at position X

Cause: API route not returning proper stream format.

Solution:

// ✅ CORRECT
return result.toDataStreamResponse();

// ❌ WRONG
return new Response(result.textStream);

2. useChat No Response

Cause: API route not streaming correctly.

Solution:

// App Router - use toDataStreamResponse()
export async function POST(req: Request) {
  const result = streamText({ /* ... */ });
  return result.toDataStreamResponse(); // ✅
}

// Pages Router - use pipeDataStreamToResponse()
export default async function handler(req, res) {
  const result = streamText({ /* ... */ });
  return result.pipeDataStreamToResponse(res); // ✅
}

3. Streaming Not Working When Deployed

Cause: Deployment platform buffering responses.

Solution: Vercel auto-detects streaming. Other platforms may need configuration.

4. Stale Body Values with useChat

Cause: body option captured at first render only.

Solution:

// ❌ WRONG - body captured once
const { userId } = useUser();
const { messages } = useChat({
  body: { userId },  // Stale!
});

// ✅ CORRECT - use controlled mode
const { userId } = useUser();
const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat();

sendMessage({
  content: input,
  data: { userId },  // Fresh on each send
});

5. React Maximum Update Depth

Cause: Infinite loop in useEffect.

Solution:

// ❌ WRONG
useEffect(() => {
  saveMessages(messages);
}, [messages, saveMessages]); // saveMessages triggers re-render!

// ✅ CORRECT
useEffect(() => {
  saveMessages(messages);
}, [messages]); // Only depend on messages

See references/top-ui-errors.md for 13 more common errors (18 total documented).

---

Streaming Best Practices

Performance

Always use streaming for better UX:

// ✅ GOOD - Streaming (shows tokens as they arrive)
const { messages } = useChat({ api: '/api/chat' });

// ❌ BAD - Non-streaming (user waits for full response)
const response = await fetch('/api/chat', { method: 'POST' });

UX Patterns

Show loading states:

{isLoading && <div>AI is typing...</div>}

Provide stop button:

{isLoading && <button onClick={stop}>Stop</button>}

Auto-scroll to latest message:

useEffect(() => {
  messagesEndRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth' });
}, [messages]);

Disable input while loading:

<input disabled={isLoading} />

See references/streaming-patterns.md for comprehensive best practices.

---

React Strict Mode Considerations

React Strict Mode intentionally double-invokes effects to catch bugs. When using useChat or useCompletion in effects (auto-resume, initial messages), guard against double execution to prevent duplicate API calls and token waste.

Problem:

'use client';
import { useChat } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import { useEffect } from 'react';

export default function Chat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage, resumeStream } = useChat({
    api: '/api/chat',
    resume: true,
  });

  useEffect(() => {
    // ❌ Triggers twice in strict mode → two concurrent streams
    sendMessage({ content: 'Hello' });
    // or
    resumeStream();
  }, []);
}

Solution:

// ✅ Use ref to track execution
import { useRef } from 'react';

const hasSentRef = useRef(false);

useEffect(() => {
  if (hasSentRef.current) return;
  hasSentRef.current = true;

  sendMessage({ content: 'Hello' });
}, []);

// For resumeStream specifically:
const hasResumedRef = useRef(false);

useEffect(() => {
  if (!autoResume || hasResumedRef.current || status === 'streaming') return;
  hasResumedRef.current = true;
  resumeStream();
}, [autoResume, resumeStream, status]);

Why It Happens: React Strict Mode double-invokes effects to surface side effects. The SDK doesn't guard against concurrent requests, so both invocations create separate streams that fight for state updates.

Impact: Duplicate messages, doubled token usage, race conditions causing TypeError: "Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'state')".

Source: GitHub Issue #7891, Issue #6166

---

When to Use This Skill

Use ai-sdk-ui When:

• Building React chat interfaces
• Implementing AI completions in UI
• Streaming AI responses to frontend
• Building Next.js AI applications
• Handling chat message state
• Displaying tool calls in UI
• Managing file attachments with AI
• Migrating from v4 to v5 (UI hooks)
• Encountering useChat/useCompletion errors

Don't Use When:

• Need backend AI functionality → Use ai-sdk-core instead
• Building non-React frontends (Svelte, Vue) → Check official docs
• Need Generative UI / RSC → See https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-rsc
• Building native apps → Different SDK required

Related Skills:

• ai-sdk-core - Backend text generation, structured output, tools, agents
• Compose both for full-stack AI applications

---

Package Versions

Stable (v6 - Recommended):

{
  "dependencies": {
    "ai": "^6.0.8",
    "@ai-sdk/react": "^3.0.6",
    "@ai-sdk/openai": "^3.0.2",
    "react": "^18.3.0",
    "zod": "^3.24.2"
  }
}

Legacy (v5):

{
  "dependencies": {
    "ai": "^5.0.99",
    "@ai-sdk/react": "^1.0.0",
    "@ai-sdk/openai": "^2.0.68"
  }
}

Version Notes:

• AI SDK v6.0.6 (stable, Jan 2026) - recommended for new projects
• AI SDK v5.x (legacy) - still supported but not receiving new features
• React 18.3+ / React 19 supported
• Next.js 14+/15+ recommended
• Zod 3.24.2+ for schema validation

---

Links to Official Documentation

Core UI Hooks:

• AI SDK UI Overview: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/overview
• useChat: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/chatbot
• useCompletion: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/completion
• useObject: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/object-generation

Advanced Topics (Link Only):

• Generative UI (RSC): https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-rsc/overview
• Stream Protocols: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/stream-protocols
• Message Metadata: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/ai-sdk-ui/message-metadata

Next.js Integration:

• Next.js App Router: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/getting-started/nextjs-app-router
• Next.js Pages Router: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/getting-started/nextjs-pages-router

Migration & Troubleshooting:

• v4→v5 Migration: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/migration-guides/migration-guide-5-0
• Troubleshooting: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/troubleshooting
• Common Issues: https://ai-sdk.dev/docs/troubleshooting/common-issues

Vercel Deployment:

• Vercel Functions: https://vercel.com/docs/functions
• Streaming on Vercel: https://vercel.com/docs/functions/streaming

---

Templates

This skill includes the following templates in templates/:

1. use-chat-basic.tsx - Basic chat with manual input (v5 pattern)
2. use-chat-tools.tsx - Chat with tool calling UI rendering
3. use-chat-attachments.tsx - File attachments support
4. use-completion-basic.tsx - Basic text completion
5. use-object-streaming.tsx - Streaming structured data
6. nextjs-chat-app-router.tsx - Next.js App Router complete example
7. nextjs-chat-pages-router.tsx - Next.js Pages Router complete example
8. nextjs-api-route.ts - API route for both App and Pages Router
9. message-persistence.tsx - Save/load chat history
10. custom-message-renderer.tsx - Custom message components with markdown
11. package.json - Dependencies template

Reference Documents

See references/ for:

• use-chat-migration.md - Complete v4→v5 migration guide
• streaming-patterns.md - UI streaming best practices
• top-ui-errors.md - 18 common UI errors with solutions
• nextjs-integration.md - Next.js setup patterns
• links-to-official-docs.md - Organized links to official docs

---

Production Tested: WordPress Auditor (https://wordpress-auditor.webfonts.workers.dev) Last verified: 2026-01-20 | Skill version: 3.1.0 | Changes: Updated to AI SDK v6.0.42 (+19 patches). Added React Strict Mode section. Expanded Issue #7 (stale body) with 3 workarounds. Added 6 new issues: TypeError with resume+onFinish (#13), concurrent sendMessage state corruption (#14), tool approval callback edge case (#15), ZodError on early stop (#16), convertToModelMessages tool approval bug (#17), undefined id infinite loop (#18). Error count: 12→18.