Dynamic Schema A2UI
LLM-generated A2UI — a secondary LLM creates both the schema and data from any prompt.
"""LangGraph agent for the Declarative Generative UI (A2UI — Dynamic Schema) demo.Pattern (ported from the canonical`examples/integrations/langgraph-python/agent/src/a2ui_dynamic_schema.py`):- The agent binds an explicit `generate_a2ui` tool. When called, `generate_a2ui` invokes a secondary LLM bound to `_design_a2ui_surface` (tool_choice forced) with the registered client catalog injected as `copilotkit.context`. The internal tool is intentionally NOT named `render_a2ui` to avoid the A2UI middleware's default tool-call intercept (`a2uiToolNames`).- The tool result returns an `a2ui_operations` container which the A2UI middleware detects in the tool-call result and forwards to the frontend renderer.- The runtime (see `src/app/api/copilotkit-declarative-gen-ui/route.ts`) uses `injectA2UITool: false` because the tool binding is owned by the agent here (double-injection would duplicate the tool slot).This mirrors `beautiful_chat.py` which exercises the same pattern for theflagship combined cell — the pattern is confirmed working there (Pie Chartclick renders a real styled doughnut).Reference: examples/integrations/langgraph-python/agent/src/a2ui_dynamic_schema.py"""from __future__ import annotationsimport jsonfrom typing import Anyfrom copilotkit import CopilotKitMiddleware, a2uifrom langchain.agents import create_agentfrom langchain.tools import ToolRuntime, toolfrom langchain_core.messages import SystemMessagefrom langchain_core.tools import tool as lc_toolfrom langchain_openai import ChatOpenAIfrom src.agents._a2ui_utils import has_root_component, sanitize_a2ui_componentsCUSTOM_CATALOG_ID = "declarative-gen-ui-catalog"# Internal tool bound only to the secondary LLM inside `generate_a2ui` for# structured output. Intentionally NOT named `render_a2ui` because the A2UI# middleware default-intercepts tool calls by that name from the run's event# stream and synthesises ACTIVITY_SNAPSHOT events from the LLM's RAW streaming# args (catalogId + components, before our Python code can validate). That# bypass is what surfaced the "Cannot create component root without a type"# infinite-loop on the deployed declarative-gen-ui demo. Renaming sidesteps# the middleware's intercept list (`a2uiToolNames`).@lc_tooldef _design_a2ui_surface( surfaceId: str, catalogId: str, components: list[dict], data: dict | None = None,) -> str: """Design a dynamic A2UI v0.9 surface. Args: surfaceId: Unique surface identifier. catalogId: The catalog ID (use "declarative-gen-ui-catalog"). components: A2UI v0.9 component array (flat format). The root component must have id "root". data: Optional initial data model for the surface. """ return "designed"_GENERATE_A2UI_PROMPT_HEADER = f"""\You are designing a dynamic A2UI v0.9 surface. Call the `_design_a2ui_surface`tool with a flat component array.Hard requirements (failing any of these breaks the renderer — be strict):- `catalogId` MUST be exactly: "{CUSTOM_CATALOG_ID}"- `surfaceId` is a short kebab-case identifier (e.g. "kpi-dashboard").- `components` is a FLAT array. Every entry MUST include both an `id` (unique string) AND a `component` (string — the catalog component name). The root entry MUST have `id: "root"` AND a valid `component` field — never emit a root entry without a component type.- Container components (Row, Column, Card) reference children by id via their `children` (array of strings) or `child` (single string) prop. Do NOT inline children objects. Define each child as its own entry in the flat array and reference its id.- Use only catalog component names listed in the schema below."""@tool()def generate_a2ui(runtime: ToolRuntime[Any]) -> str: """Generate dynamic A2UI components based on the conversation. A secondary LLM designs the UI schema and data. The result is returned as an `a2ui_operations` container for the A2UI middleware to detect and forward to the frontend renderer. """ messages = runtime.state["messages"][:-1] # Pull the A2UI component schema + usage guidelines from the runtime's # `copilotkit.context` (the runtime injects them automatically when the # frontend registers a catalog via `<CopilotKit a2ui={{ catalog }}>`). # We prepend an explicit instruction header because the runtime context # alone leaves room for the LLM to hallucinate catalog IDs or emit a root # component without a `component` field — both surface as "Cannot create # component root without a type" infinite-loops in the renderer. context_entries = runtime.state.get("copilotkit", {}).get("context", []) context_text = "\n\n".join( entry.get("value", "") for entry in context_entries if isinstance(entry, dict) and entry.get("value") ) prompt = f"{_GENERATE_A2UI_PROMPT_HEADER}\n\n{context_text}".strip() # `streaming=True` so aimock's record/replay (which only intercepts # SSE streams) sees this secondary LLM call. Without it the call # bypasses fixture matching in replay mode, surfacing as # "An internal error occurred" on the demo page. model = ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-5.4", streaming=True) model_with_tool = model.bind_tools( [_design_a2ui_surface], tool_choice="_design_a2ui_surface", ) response = model_with_tool.invoke( [SystemMessage(content=prompt), *messages], ) if not response.tool_calls: return json.dumps({"error": "LLM did not call _design_a2ui_surface"}) tool_call = response.tool_calls[0] args = tool_call["args"] surface_id = args.get("surfaceId", "dynamic-surface") # Force the canonical catalog ID — the secondary LLM has been observed # hallucinating IDs from sibling demos when context is sparse. catalog_id = CUSTOM_CATALOG_ID components = sanitize_a2ui_components(args.get("components", [])) data = args.get("data", {}) if not has_root_component(components): return json.dumps( {"error": "LLM produced no valid root component for the A2UI surface."} ) ops = [ a2ui.create_surface(surface_id, catalog_id=catalog_id), a2ui.update_components(surface_id, components), ] if data: ops.append(a2ui.update_data_model(surface_id, data)) return a2ui.render(operations=ops)SYSTEM_PROMPT = ( "You are a demo assistant for Declarative Generative UI (A2UI — Dynamic " "Schema). Whenever a response would benefit from a rich visual — a " "dashboard, status report, KPI summary, card layout, info grid, a " "pie/donut chart of part-of-whole breakdowns, a bar chart comparing " "values across categories, or anything more structured than plain text — " "call `generate_a2ui` to draw it. The registered catalog includes " "`Card`, `StatusBadge`, `Metric`, `InfoRow`, `PrimaryButton`, `PieChart`, " "and `BarChart` (in addition to the basic A2UI primitives). Prefer " "`PieChart` for part-of-whole breakdowns (sales by region, traffic " "sources, portfolio allocation) and `BarChart` for comparisons across " "categories (quarterly revenue, headcount by team, signups per month). " "`generate_a2ui` takes no arguments and handles the rendering " "automatically. Keep chat replies to one short sentence; let the UI do " "the talking.")graph = create_agent( model=ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-5.4"), tools=[generate_a2ui], middleware=[CopilotKitMiddleware()], system_prompt=SYSTEM_PROMPT,)In the dynamic-schema approach, a secondary LLM generates the entire UI (schema, data, and layout) based on the conversation context. It's the most flexible A2UI flavor; the agent can render any UI for any request without pre-defined schemas.
How it works#
- The primary LLM decides to call
render_a2ui(the tool the runtime auto-injects wheninjectA2UITool: true). - The runtime serializes your client-side catalog (component names +
Zod prop schemas) into the agent's
copilotkit.contextso the LLM knows which components it may emit. - The tool call streams through LangGraph as
TOOL_CALL_ARGSevents. - The A2UI middleware intercepts the stream and renders cards progressively as data items arrive.
The 3-file split#
The canonical Bring-Your-Own-Catalog (BYOC) layout keeps three files
side-by-side under frontend/src/app/a2ui/:
| File | What lives there |
|---|---|
definitions.ts | Zod props schema + human-readable descriptions for each custom component. Platform-agnostic, so the runtime can serialise it to the LLM. |
renderers.tsx | React implementations keyed by the same names. TypeScript enforces that every definition has a renderer. |
catalog.ts | createCatalog(definitions, renderers, { includeBasicCatalog: true }): merges your custom components with CopilotKit's built-in primitives. |
Declare your custom component definitions#
Each entry pairs a Zod prop schema with a description. The description is crucial; the LLM reads it to decide which component to emit. The example below ships a small dashboard catalog (Card / StatusBadge / Metric / InfoRow / PrimaryButton):
import { z } from "zod";import type { CatalogDefinitions } from "@copilotkit/a2ui-renderer";export const myDefinitions = { Card: { description: "A titled card container with an optional subtitle and a single child slot. Use it to group related content (metrics, rows, buttons).", props: z.object({ title: z.string(), subtitle: z.string().optional(), child: z.string().optional(), }), }, StatusBadge: { description: "A small coloured pill communicating the state of something (healthy/degraded/down, online/offline, open/closed). Choose `variant` to match the intent.", props: z.object({ text: z.string(), variant: z.enum(["success", "warning", "error", "info"]).optional(), }), }, Metric: { description: "A key/value KPI display with an optional trend indicator. Ideal for dashboards (e.g. 'Revenue • $12.4k • up').", props: z.object({ label: z.string(), value: z.string(), trend: z.enum(["up", "down", "neutral"]).optional(), }), }, InfoRow: { description: "A compact two-column 'label: value' row. Good for stacks of facts inside a Card (owner, region, last updated, etc.).", props: z.object({ label: z.string(), value: z.string(), }), }, PrimaryButton: { description: "A styled primary call-to-action button. Attach an optional `action` that will be dispatched back to the agent when the user clicks it.", props: z.object({ label: z.string(), action: z.any().optional(), }), }, PieChart: { description: "A pie/donut chart with a brand-coloured legend. Provide `title`, `description`, and `data` as an array of `{ label, value }` objects. Great for part-of-whole breakdowns (sales by region, traffic sources, portfolio allocation).", props: z.object({ title: z.string(), description: z.string(), data: z.array( z.object({ label: z.string(), value: z.number(), }), ), }), }, BarChart: { description: "A vertical bar chart built on Recharts. Provide `title`, `description`, and `data` as an array of `{ label, value }` objects. Great for comparing series across categories (quarterly revenue, headcount by team, signups per month).", props: z.object({ title: z.string(), description: z.string(), data: z.array( z.object({ label: z.string(), value: z.number(), }), ), }), },} satisfies CatalogDefinitions;Implement the React renderers#
Every key in myDefinitions must have a matching renderer. Props are
statically typed against the Zod schema, so refactors stay safe:
export const myRenderers: CatalogRenderers<MyDefinitions> = { Card: ({ props, children }) => ( <Card className="w-full min-w-0 overflow-hidden" data-testid="declarative-card" > <CardHeader> <CardTitle>{props.title}</CardTitle> {props.subtitle && <CardDescription>{props.subtitle}</CardDescription>} </CardHeader> {props.child && ( <CardContent className="flex flex-col gap-4"> {children(props.child)} </CardContent> )} </Card> ), StatusBadge: ({ props }) => ( <Badge variant={props.variant ?? "info"} data-testid="declarative-status-badge" > {props.text} </Badge> ), Metric: ({ props }) => { const trend = props.trend ?? "neutral"; const arrow = trend === "up" ? "↑" : trend === "down" ? "↓" : ""; const trendClass = trend === "up" ? "text-emerald-600" : trend === "down" ? "text-rose-600" : "text-[var(--foreground)]"; return ( // `flex-1 min-w-[120px]` lets a row of Metrics distribute evenly // inside the basic catalog's gap-less Row — 3 metrics in a 600px // card column get ~200px each instead of squishing to content width. <div data-testid="declarative-metric" className="flex flex-1 min-w-[120px] flex-col gap-1" > <div className="text-xs font-medium uppercase tracking-wider text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> {props.label} </div> <div className={`flex items-baseline gap-1.5 text-2xl font-semibold tabular-nums ${trendClass}`} > <span>{props.value}</span> {arrow && <span className="text-base">{arrow}</span>} </div> </div> ); }, InfoRow: ({ props }) => ( // Divider via `border-b last:border-b-0` so the final row doesn't dangle // a trailing line, regardless of whether the agent wraps these in a // Column or drops them directly into a Card's child slot. <div className="flex items-baseline justify-between gap-4 py-2 border-b border-[var(--border)] last:border-b-0 last:pb-0 first:pt-0"> <span className="text-sm text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> {props.label} </span> <span className="text-sm font-medium text-[var(--foreground)] text-right tabular-nums"> {props.value} </span> </div> ), PrimaryButton: ({ props, dispatch }) => ( <Button onClick={() => { if (props.action && dispatch) dispatch(props.action); }} > {props.label} </Button> ), PieChart: ({ props }) => { const data = props.data ?? []; const safeData = Array.isArray(data) ? data : []; const total = safeData.reduce((sum, d) => sum + (Number(d.value) || 0), 0); return ( // `flex-1 min-w-0` so multiple charts in a basic-catalog Row // distribute the available width evenly instead of each insisting // on its content size and overflowing. <Card className="w-full flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-hidden" data-testid="declarative-pie-chart" > <CardHeader> <CardTitle>{props.title}</CardTitle> <CardDescription>{props.description}</CardDescription> </CardHeader> <CardContent className="flex flex-col gap-4"> {safeData.length === 0 ? ( <div className="py-8 text-center text-sm text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> No data available </div> ) : ( <> <DonutChart data={safeData} /> <div className="flex flex-col gap-2 pt-2"> {safeData.map((item, index) => { const val = Number(item.value) || 0; const pct = total > 0 ? ((val / total) * 100).toFixed(0) : "0"; return ( <div key={index} className="flex items-center gap-3 text-sm" > <span className="inline-block h-2.5 w-2.5 shrink-0 rounded-sm" style={{ backgroundColor: CHART_COLORS[index % CHART_COLORS.length], }} /> <span className="flex-1 truncate text-[var(--foreground)]"> {item.label} </span> <span className="tabular-nums text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> {val.toLocaleString()} </span> <span className="w-10 text-right tabular-nums text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> {pct}% </span> </div> ); })} </div> </> )} </CardContent> </Card> ); }, BarChart: ({ props }) => { const { isNew } = useSeenIndices(); const data = props.data ?? []; const safeData = Array.isArray(data) ? data : []; return ( <Card className="w-full flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-hidden" data-testid="declarative-bar-chart" > {/* Scoped keyframe — no globals.css needed */} <style>{` @keyframes barSlideIn { from { transform: translateY(40px); opacity: 0; } 20% { opacity: 1; } to { transform: translateY(0); opacity: 1; } } `}</style> <CardHeader> <CardTitle>{props.title}</CardTitle> <CardDescription>{props.description}</CardDescription> </CardHeader> <CardContent> {safeData.length === 0 ? ( <div className="py-8 text-center text-sm text-[var(--muted-foreground)]"> No data available </div> ) : ( <ResponsiveContainer width="100%" height={260}> <RechartsBarChart data={safeData} margin={{ top: 12, right: 12, bottom: 4, left: -8 }} > <CartesianGrid strokeDasharray="3 3" stroke="var(--border)" vertical={false} /> <XAxis dataKey="label" tick={{ fontSize: 12, fill: "var(--muted-foreground)" }} stroke="var(--border)" tickLine={false} axisLine={false} /> <YAxis tick={{ fontSize: 12, fill: "var(--muted-foreground)" }} stroke="var(--border)" tickLine={false} axisLine={false} /> <Tooltip contentStyle={CHART_TOOLTIP_STYLE} cursor={{ fill: "var(--muted)", opacity: 0.5 }} /> <Bar isAnimationActive={false} dataKey="value" radius={[6, 6, 0, 0]} maxBarSize={48} // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any shape={ ((barProps: any) => ( <AnimatedBar {...barProps} isNew={isNew(barProps.index as number)} /> // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any )) as any } > {safeData.map((_, index) => ( <Cell key={index} fill={CHART_COLORS[index % CHART_COLORS.length]} /> ))} </Bar> </RechartsBarChart> </ResponsiveContainer> )} </CardContent> </Card> ); },};Wire definitions × renderers into a catalog#
createCatalog is what you hand to the provider. Flip
includeBasicCatalog: true to merge CopilotKit's built-ins
(Column, Row, Text, Image, Card, Button, List, Tabs, …), so the LLM
can compose custom + basic components interchangeably:
import { createCatalog } from "@copilotkit/a2ui-renderer";import { myDefinitions } from "./definitions";import { myRenderers } from "./renderers";export const myCatalog = createCatalog(myDefinitions, myRenderers, { catalogId: "declarative-gen-ui-catalog", includeBasicCatalog: true,});Pass the catalog to the provider#
A single prop (a2ui={{ catalog }}) is all the frontend needs; the
provider registers the catalog and wires up the built-in A2UI
activity-message renderer:
import React from "react";import { CopilotKit } from "@copilotkit/react-core/v2";import { myCatalog } from "./a2ui/catalog";import { Chat } from "./chat";export default function DeclarativeGenUIDemo() { return ( <CopilotKit runtimeUrl="/api/copilotkit-declarative-gen-ui" agent="declarative-gen-ui" a2ui={{ catalog: myCatalog }} > <div className="flex justify-center items-center h-screen w-full"> <div className="h-full w-full max-w-4xl"> <Chat /> </div> </div> </CopilotKit>Inject the render tool on the runtime#
On the TypeScript runtime, injectA2UITool: true tells CopilotKit to
add the render_a2ui tool to the agent's tool list at request time
and serialise your client catalog into the agent's
copilotkit.context. No backend code to write; the agent can be an
empty create_agent(tools=[]):
const runtime = new CopilotRuntime({
agents: { default: myAgent },
a2ui: {
injectA2UITool: true,
},
});Progressive streaming#
The secondary LLM's render_a2ui tool call streams through LangGraph
as TOOL_CALL_ARGS events. The A2UI middleware:
- Waits for the full
componentsarray before emitting anything — the schema must be complete before rendering starts. - Extracts
surfaceId+rootfrom the partial JSON. - Emits
surfaceUpdate+beginRenderingonce the schema is complete. - Extracts complete
itemsobjects progressively and emits adataModelUpdatefor each, so cards appear one by one as data streams in.
A built-in progress indicator shows while the schema is still generating and hides automatically once data items start arriving.
When should I use dynamic schemas?#
- You don't know the UI shape ahead of time; the agent decides what to show based on the user's request.
- You want to prototype A2UI without committing to a schema file yet.
- You're building a conversational dashboard where the layout varies per turn.
If the surface is well-known (e.g. a product card, a flight result), prefer a fixed schema; it's faster, cheaper, and the UI is deterministic.
