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What is this?#

useComponent lets you register a React component as a tool your agent can invoke. When the agent calls the tool, CopilotKit renders your component directly in the chat with the tool's arguments as props.

This is the simplest form of Generative UI — your agent decides when to show a component, and CopilotKit renders it. No handler logic, no user interaction required.

When should I use this?#

Use useComponent when you want to:

Display rich UI (cards, charts, tables) inline in the chat
Show structured data from agent responses
Render previews, status indicators, or visual feedback
Let the agent present information beyond plain text

For components that need user interaction, see the Interactive or Interrupt-based guides.

Register a component#

Use the useComponent hook to register a React component. The agent will be able to call it by name, and CopilotKit will render it with the tool arguments as props.

app/page.tsx

import { useComponent } from "@copilotkit/react-core/v2"; 
import { z } from "zod";

const weatherSchema = z.object({
  city: z.string().describe("City name"),
  temperature: z.number().describe("Temperature in Fahrenheit"),
  condition: z.string().describe("Weather condition"),
});

function WeatherCard({
  city,
  temperature,
  condition,
}: z.infer<typeof weatherSchema>) {
  return (
    <div className="rounded-lg border p-4">
      <h3 className="font-semibold">{city}</h3>
      <p className="text-2xl">{temperature}°F</p>
      <p className="text-sm text-gray-500">{condition}</p>
    </div>
  );
}

function YourMainContent() {
  useComponent({
    name: "showWeather",
    description: "Display a weather card for a city.",
    parameters: weatherSchema,
    render: WeatherCard,
  });

  return <div>{/* ... */}</div>;
}

Without parameters#

For simple components that don't need typed parameters:

useComponent({
  name: "showGreeting",
  render: ({ message }: { message: string }) => (
    <div className="rounded border p-3 bg-blue-50">
      <p>{message}</p>
    </div>
  ),
});

Scoping to an agent#

In multi-agent setups, scope a component to a specific agent:

useComponent({
  name: "renderProfile",
  parameters: z.object({ userId: z.string() }),
  render: ProfileCard,
  agentId: "support-agent",
});