HeroUI v3 React Development Guide

HeroUI v3 is a component library built on Tailwind CSS v4 and React Aria Components, providing accessible, customizable UI components for React applications.

CRITICAL: v3 Only - Ignore v2 Knowledge

This guide is for HeroUI v3 ONLY. Do NOT use any prior knowledge of HeroUI v2.

What Changed in v3

Feature

v2 (DO NOT USE)

v3 (USE THIS)

Provider

<HeroUIProvider> required

No Provider needed

Animations

framer-motion package

CSS-based, no extra deps

Component API

Flat props: <Card title="x">

Compound: <Card><Card.Header>

Styling

Tailwind v3 + @heroui/theme

Tailwind v4 + @heroui/styles@beta

Packages

@heroui/system, @heroui/theme

@heroui/react@beta, @heroui/styles@beta

WRONG (v2 patterns)

// DO NOT DO THIS - v2 pattern
import { HeroUIProvider } from "@heroui/react";
import { motion } from "framer-motion";

<HeroUIProvider>
	<Card title="Product" description="A great product" />
</HeroUIProvider>;
`### CORRECT (v3 patterns)`
// DO THIS - v3 pattern (no provider, compound components)
import { Card } from "@heroui/react@beta";

<Card>
	<Card.Header>
		<Card.Title>Product</Card.Title>
		<Card.Description>A great product</Card.Description>
	</Card.Header>
</Card>;

Always fetch v3 docs before implementing. Do not assume v2 patterns work.

Core Principles

Semantic variants (primary, secondary, tertiary) over visual descriptions
Composition over configuration (compound components)
CSS variable-based theming with oklch color space
BEM naming convention for predictable styling

Accessing Documentation & Component Information

For component details, examples, props, and implementation patterns, always fetch documentation:

Using Scripts

# List all available components
node scripts/list_components.mjs

# Get component documentation (MDX)
node scripts/get_component_docs.mjs Button
node scripts/get_component_docs.mjs Button Card TextField

# Get component source code
node scripts/get_source.mjs Button

# Get component CSS styles (BEM classes)
node scripts/get_styles.mjs Button

# Get theme variables
node scripts/get_theme.mjs

# Get non-component docs (guides, releases)
node scripts/get_docs.mjs /docs/react/getting-started/theming

Direct MDX URLs

Component docs: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/{component-name}.mdx

Examples:

Button: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/button.mdx
Modal: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/modal.mdx
Form: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/components/form.mdx

Getting started guides: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/getting-started/{topic}.mdx

Important: Always fetch component docs before implementing. The MDX docs include complete examples, props, anatomy, and API references.

Installation Essentials

CRITICAL: HeroUI v3 is currently in BETA. Always use @beta tag when installing packages.

Quick Install

npm i @heroui/styles@beta @heroui/react@beta tailwind-variants

Framework Setup (Next.js App Router - Recommended)

Install dependencies:

npm i @heroui/styles@beta @heroui/react@beta tailwind-variants tailwindcss @tailwindcss/postcss postcss

Create/update app/globals.css:

/* Tailwind CSS v4 - Must be first */
@import "tailwindcss";

/* HeroUI v3 styles - Must be after Tailwind */
@import "@heroui/styles";
`3.  **Import in `app/layout.tsx`:**`
import "./globals.css";

export default function RootLayout({
	children,
}: {
	children: React.ReactNode;
}) {
	return (
		<html lang="en" suppressHydrationWarning>
			<body>
				{/* No Provider needed in HeroUI v3! */}
				{children}
			</body>
		</html>
	);
}
`4.  **Configure PostCSS (`postcss.config.mjs`):**`
export default {
	plugins: {
		"@tailwindcss/postcss": {},
	},
};

Critical Setup Requirements

Tailwind CSS v4 is MANDATORY - HeroUI v3 will NOT work with Tailwind CSS v3
No Provider Required - Unlike HeroUI v2, v3 components work directly without a Provider
Use Compound Components - Components use compound structure (e.g., Card.Header, Card.Content)
Use onPress, not onClick - For better accessibility, use onPress event handlers
Import Order Matters - Always import Tailwind CSS before HeroUI styles

Component Patterns

HeroUI v3 uses compound component patterns. Each component has subcomponents accessed via dot notation.

Example - Card:

<Card>
	<Card.Header>
		<Card.Title>Title</Card.Title>
		<Card.Description>Description</Card.Description>
	</Card.Header>
	<Card.Content>{/* Content */}</Card.Content>
	<Card.Footer>{/* Actions */}</Card.Footer>
</Card>

Key Points:

Always use compound structure - don't flatten to props
Subcomponents are accessed via dot notation (e.g., Card.Header)
Each subcomponent may have its own props
Fetch component docs for complete anatomy and examples

Semantic Variants

HeroUI uses semantic naming to communicate functional intent:

Variant

Purpose

Usage

primary

Main action to move forward

1 per context

secondary

Alternative actions

Multiple

tertiary

Dismissive actions (cancel, skip)

Sparingly

danger

Destructive actions

When needed

ghost

Low-emphasis actions

Minimal weight

outline

Secondary actions

Bordered style

Don't use raw colors - semantic variants adapt to themes and accessibility.

Theming

HeroUI v3 uses CSS variables with oklch color space:

:root {
	--accent: oklch(0.6204 0.195 253.83);
	--accent-foreground: var(--snow);
	--background: oklch(0.9702 0 0);
	--foreground: var(--eclipse);
}
`**Get current theme variables:**`
node scripts/get_theme.mjs

Color naming:

Without suffix = background (e.g., --accent)
With -foreground = text color (e.g., --accent-foreground)

Theme switching:

<html data-theme="dark"></html>

For detailed theming, fetch: https://v3.heroui.com/docs/react/getting-started/theming.mdx

heroui-react

Heroui React