Ai Sdk Ui

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name: ai-sdk-ui description: | 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. user-invocable: true

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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

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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 => (
  
{m.content}
))}
// ✅ v6 (NEW)
{messages.map(m => (
  

    {m.parts.map((part, i) => {
      if (part.type === 'text') return {part.text};
      if (part.type === 'tool-invocation') return ;
      if (part.type === 'file') return ;
      return null;
    })}
  
))}

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:

import { useChat } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import type { InferAgentUIMessage } from 'ai';
import { myAgent } from './agent';
export default function AgentChat() {
  const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat>({
    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 (
    

      {messages.map(message => (
        

          {message.toolInvocations?.map(tool => (
            tool.state === 'awaiting-approval' && (
              

                
Approve tool call: {tool.toolName}?
                 handleApprove(tool.toolCallId)}>
                  Approve
                
                 addToolApprovalResponse({
                  toolCallId: tool.toolCallId,
                  approved: false
                })}>
                  Deny
                
              
            )
          ))}
        
      ))}
    
  );
}

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();

  

v5 (NEW - CORRECT):

const { messages, sendMessage } = useChat();
const [input, setInput] = useState('');
 {
  e.preventDefault();
  sendMessage({ content: input });
  setInput('');
}}>
   setInput(e.target.value)} />

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.

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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 (
    

      {messages.map(m => (
        

          {m.role}: {m.content}
        
      ))}
      

         setInput(e.target.value)}
          disabled={isLoading}
        />
      
      {error && 
{error.message}
}
    
  );
}

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 && 
AI is typing...
}

Provide stop button:

{isLoading && Stop}

Auto-scroll to latest message:

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

Disable input while loading:

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

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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

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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.