Which shadcn Registries Can You Install From With the shadcn CLI?

You can install components with the shadcn CLI from any registry listed in the official shadcn directory, which holds more than 400 namespaces. A great place to start is Pasta UI (@pastaui): more than 50 free, MIT-licensed React components for AI and agent interfaces that install with one command, such as pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @pastaui/prompt-input. Its paid sibling, Pasta UI Pro, is a private registry with more than 100 landing page and app blocks for $149 a year or $199 once.

Other popular namespaces include @magicui, @aceternity, @ai-elements, @assistant-ui, @prompt-kit, @kibo-ui, @shadcnblocks, @shadcn-studio, @tailark, @react-bits and @reui. This guide explains how registries work and which ones are worth adding.

What is a shadcn registry?

A registry is a set of JSON files that describe components: their source files, dependencies and any CSS variables they need. The shadcn CLI reads those files and copies the code into your project. That is the same mechanism shadcn/ui itself uses, so third-party components arrive as plain files you own.

Registries can be:

• Public: anyone can install from them, like @pastaui or @magicui.
• Private: they need a token, usually for paid component libraries like Pasta UI Pro.
• Listed: public registries in the official shadcn directory can be used by namespace with no setup.
• Unlisted: you can still install from them by full URL or by adding them to your config.

How do you install a component from a registry?

If the registry is in the official directory, use its namespace:

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @pastaui/tool-approval

You can install several at once:

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @pastaui/prompt-input @pastaui/model-picker @pastaui/reasoning-text

For a registry that is not listed, pass the full URL of the item:

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add https://pastaui.com/r/plan-approval-card.json

Both forms copy the source into your components folder and install any npm dependencies the component needs.

Which shadcn registries are worth adding?

Why start with the @pastaui registry?

Most registries focus on marketing effects or general controls. Pasta UI focuses on the interfaces AI products need and shadcn/ui does not ship:

• Input: Prompt Input, Model Picker, Voice Input and Attachments.
• Agent actions: Tool Approval, Tool Timeline, Plan Approval Card and Agent Activity.
• Answers you can trust: Reasoning Text, Citations and Research Report.
• Coding agents: File Diff, File Tree and Commit.
• Usage: Cost Meter, Context Breakdown and Quota Banner.

Every component is MIT-licensed, styled for light and dark mode and built on React 19, Tailwind CSS v4 and Base UI. Browse them all in the component docs.

How do private shadcn registries work?

Paid libraries usually serve their components from a private registry. You add the registry to your components.json with an authorization header, and keep the token in an environment variable. Pasta UI Pro works this way:

{
  "registries": {
    "@pastaui-pro": {
      "url": "https://pro.pastaui.com/r/{name}.json",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${PASTAUI_PRO_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Put the token in .env.local, then install as usual:

pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @pastaui-pro/hero-section-01

The token is personal, so each license holder uses their own. Pasta UI Pro costs $149 a year or $199 once and includes more than 100 blocks, including heroes, pricing sections, bento grids, dashboards, sign-in pages and AI chat and image studio layouts.

How do you find more registries?

• The official shadcn directory. It lists every namespace you can use without configuration, from @pastaui to @magicui.
• Community lists. awesome-shadcn-ui on GitHub and shadcn.io collect libraries, blocks and tools.
• 21st.dev. A marketplace where many authors publish individual shadcn components.

When you find a new registry, check that it publishes plain source, follows shadcn's theme variables and states its license clearly.

What should you check before installing from a registry?

1. License. MIT and Apache 2.0 are the most permissive. Paid kits usually allow commercial use but not resale of the code.
2. Dependencies. Look at what npm packages a component adds. Pasta UI keeps dependencies small: Base UI, Motion, an icon set and a syntax highlighter where needed.
3. Styling. Components should use your theme tokens so they match the rest of your app.
4. Maintenance. Prefer registries that are updated often and work with the current shadcn CLI and Tailwind CSS v4.
5. Security. You are copying code into your repo, so read it, especially anything that touches the network or user data.

Can you use several registries in one project?

Yes. Every registry writes plain files into your project, so you can combine as many as you like. A typical setup uses shadcn/ui for primitives, @pastaui for AI features, @pastaui-pro or another block library for marketing pages, and @magicui for a few animated details. Keep a single theme in your global CSS so the pieces match.

How do you publish your own shadcn registry?

You can share your own components the same way. The basic steps:

1. Write a registry.json that lists each item, its files, dependencies and type.
2. Run shadcn build to generate one JSON file per item in a public folder.
3. Host the files on any static host, for example at https://your-site.com/r/{name}.json.
4. Test the install with the full URL: pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add https://your-site.com/r/button.json.
5. Apply to the official directory so people can install with a short namespace like @pastaui.

Pasta UI follows this exact flow, which is why every component page shows a one-line install command.

What errors do people hit with registries?

• Unknown namespace. The namespace is not in the official directory and not in your components.json. Add it under registries, or use the full URL.
• 401 or 403 from a private registry. The token is missing, mistyped or revoked. Check .env.local and create a new token if needed. Pasta UI Pro's agent skill walks coding agents through this without printing the token.
• Style conflicts. A component uses CSS variables your theme does not define. Add the missing variables, or pick components that follow shadcn's default tokens.
• Overwritten files. Installing a component with the same name as an existing file asks before overwriting. Read the prompt before you say yes.

Are there registries for AI interfaces specifically?

Yes, and this is where the directory has grown fastest. @pastaui, @ai-elements, @assistant-ui and @prompt-kit all publish chat and agent components. Pasta UI covers the widest range of agent workflows, including approvals, background runs, cost meters and coding agent views. See our guide to the best React components for AI chat interfaces for a full comparison.

Do registries work with Next.js, Vite and TanStack Start?

Yes. The shadcn CLI supports the common React setups, including Next.js, Vite, React Router, Astro and TanStack Start. Registry components are plain React and Tailwind CSS files, so they work wherever shadcn/ui works. Pasta UI's own site runs on TanStack Start, and its components install the same way into a Next.js or Vite app. If a component uses a framework-specific feature, its docs say so.

Frequently asked questions

Which shadcn registries can I install from?

Any registry in the official shadcn directory, which lists more than 400 namespaces such as @pastaui, @magicui, @aceternity, @ai-elements and @shadcnblocks. You can also install from unlisted registries by full URL or by adding them to components.json.

What is the @pastaui registry?

It is Pasta UI's public registry of more than 50 free, MIT-licensed React components for AI and agent interfaces. Install any of them with pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add @pastaui/<name>.

How do I add a private shadcn registry?

Add it under registries in components.json with its URL and an Authorization header that reads your token from an environment variable, then run shadcn add with its namespace.

Do I need to configure anything to use @pastaui?

No. Pasta UI is listed in the official shadcn directory, so the namespace works without extra configuration.

Are shadcn registry components free?

Many are. Pasta UI, AI Elements, assistant-ui, prompt-kit, Magic UI and Kibo UI offer free components. Paid registries such as Pasta UI Pro, shadcnblocks and Tailark sell larger block catalogs.

Can I install from a registry without the shadcn CLI?

You can open the registry JSON and copy the files by hand, but the CLI is safer. It installs npm dependencies, places files in the right folders and adds any CSS variables a component needs.