shadcn

Run npx shadcn@latest add followed by component names, using your project's package runner (npx, pnpm dlx, or bunx). Check installed components first with npx shadcn@latest info, and use --dry-run or --diff to preview changes before writing files.

Use the smart merge workflow: run npx shadcn@latest add <component> --dry-run to see affected files, then --diff <file> to compare upstream changes against your local version. Apply upstream updates manually where you have local modifications, and never use --overwrite without explicit approval.

The base field in components.json determines the primitive library, which changes component APIs. Radix uses asChild and type="single"/"multiple" props, while base uses render props, multiple booleans, items arrays on Select, and scalar Slider values. Check the base field via npx shadcn@latest info.

Yes, the CLI supports vite, next, start, react-router, and astro templates, all with monorepo scaffolding via the --monorepo flag. Laravel is supported but not for monorepos. Use npx shadcn@latest init --name my-app --preset base-nova --monorepo to scaffold.

shadcn/ui conventions require gap-* utilities instead of space-x-*/space-y-* for spacing, and semantic tokens like bg-primary or text-muted-foreground instead of raw colors like bg-blue-500. Semantic tokens handle dark mode automatically through CSS variables, while raw values break theming.

Choose reinstall, merge, or skip: reinstall overwrites all components with the new preset, merge updates config then smart-merges each component individually, and skip only updates config and CSS variables. Run the init command with --preset <code> --force inside your project directory.