Initialization

Use the init command to initialize configuration and dependencies for a new project.

The init command installs dependencies, adds the cn util, configures tailwind.config.js, and CSS variables for the project.

npx shadcn@latest init
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You will be asked a few questions to configure components.json:

Which style would you like to use? › New York
Which color would you like to use as base color? › Zinc
Do you want to use CSS variables for colors? › no / yes
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Options

Usage: shadcn init [options] [components...]
 
initialize your project and install dependencies
 
Arguments:
  components         the components to add or a url to the component.
 
Options:
  -d, --defaults    use default values i.e new-york, zinc and css variables. (default: false)
  -f, --force       force overwrite of existing components.json. (default: false)
  -y, --yes         skip confirmation prompt. (default: false)
  -c, --cwd <cwd>   the working directory. defaults to the current directory.
  -h, --help       display help for command
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add

Use the add command to add components and dependencies to your project.

npx shadcn@latest add [component]
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Options

Usage: shadcn add [options] [components...]
 
add a component to your project
 
Arguments:
  components         the components to add or a url to the component.
 
Options:
  -y, --yes          skip confirmation prompt. (default: false)
  -o, --overwrite    overwrite existing files. (default: false)
  -c, --cwd <cwd>    the working directory. defaults to the current directory.
  -p, --path <path>  the path to add the component to.
  -h, --help         display help for command
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Monorepo

In a monorepo, you can specify the path to your workspace with the -c or --cwd option.

npx shadcn@latest init -c ./apps/www
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or

npx shadcn@latest add alert-dialog -c ./apps/www
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Installation through CLI

You can install Aceternity UI components through the CLI. Use the following command structure:

npx shadcn@latest add https://ui.aceternity.com/registry/[component].json
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Adds a new component to your project.

npx shadcn@latest add https://ui.aceternity.com/registry/bento-grid.json
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Shadcn CLI 3.0

You can now have namespaced registries with ShadCN CLI 3.0.

Edit components.json file

Edit your components.json file and add the following code:

{
  "registries": {
    "@aceternity": "https://ui.aceternity.com/registry/{name}.json"
  }
}
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To install any component, use the following command:

npx shadcn@latest add @aceternity/[component]
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Example:

npx shadcn@latest add @aceternity/3d-marquee
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Search and Discovery

You can search, view, and discover components from registries before installing them.

View

View items from the registry before installing:

npx shadcn@latest view @aceternity
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Search

Search items from registries:

npx shadcn@latest search @aceternity -q "card"
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List

List all items from a registry:

npx shadcn@latest list @aceternity
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Preview components before installing them. Search across multiple registries. See the code and all dependencies upfront.

MCP Server

The shadcn MCP Server allows AI assistants to interact with items from registries. You can browse available components, search for specific ones, and install them directly into your project using natural language.

For example, you can ask an AI assistant to "Build a landing page using components from the Aceternity registry" or "Find me a login form from the Aceternity registry".

Add the Aceternity registry to your project's components.json file.

 
{
  "registries": {
    "@aceternity": "https://ui.aceternity.com/registry/{name}.json"
  }
}
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Add the MCP server to your project:

npx shadcn@latest mcp init
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Registries are configured in your project's components.json file.

Configure for AI Assistants

npx shadcn@latest mcp init --client cursor
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