build-with-tambo - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: build-with-tambo description: Build with Tambo in an existing React app. Use for existing codebases (providers, env vars, components, threads, tools). For brand-new apps, use generative-ui.

Build with Tambo

Detect tech stack and integrate Tambo while preserving existing patterns.

Reference Guides

Use these guides when you need deeper implementation details for a specific area:

Components - Create and register Tambo components (generative and interactable).
Component Rendering - Handle streaming props, loading states, and persistent component state.
Threads and Input - Manage conversations, suggestions, voice input, image attachments, and thread switching.
Tools and Context - Add custom tools, MCP servers, context helpers, and resources.
CLI Reference - Use tambo init, tambo add, and create-app with non-interactive flags and exit codes.
Add Components to Registry - Convert existing React components into Tambo-ready registrations with schemas and descriptions.

These references are duplicated across both skills so each skill works independently.

Workflow

Detect tech stack - Analyze package.json and project structure
Confirm with user - Present findings, ask about preferences
Install dependencies - Add @tambo-ai/react and peer deps
Create provider setup - Adapt to existing patterns
Register first component - Demonstrate with existing component

Step 1: Detect Tech Stack

Check these files to understand the project:

# Key files to read
package.json           # Dependencies and scripts
tsconfig.json          # TypeScript config
next.config.*          # Next.js
vite.config.*          # Vite
tailwind.config.*      # Tailwind CSS
postcss.config.*       # PostCSS
src/index.* or app/    # Entry points

Detection Checklist

Technology	Detection
Next.js	`next` in dependencies, `next.config.*` exists
Vite	`vite` in devDependencies, `vite.config.*` exists
Create React App	`react-scripts` in dependencies
TypeScript	`typescript` in deps, `tsconfig.json` exists
Tailwind	`tailwindcss` in deps, config file exists
Plain CSS	No Tailwind, CSS files in src/
Zod	`zod` in dependencies
Other validation	`yup`, `joi`, `superstruct` in deps

Step 2: Confirm with User

Present findings and ask:

I detected your project uses:
- Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router)
- Styling: Tailwind CSS
- Validation: No Zod (will need to add)
- TypeScript: Yes

Should I:
1. Install Tambo with these settings?
2. Use plain CSS instead of Tailwind for Tambo components?
3. Something else?

Step 3: Install Dependencies

# Core (always required)
npm install @tambo-ai/react

# If no Zod installed
npm install zod

Step 4: Create Provider Setup

Next.js App Router

// app/providers.tsx
"use client";
import { TamboProvider } from "@tambo-ai/react";
import { components } from "@/lib/tambo";

export function Providers({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <TamboProvider
      apiKey={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TAMBO_API_KEY}
      components={components}
    >
      {children}
    </TamboProvider>
  );
}

// app/layout.tsx
import { Providers } from "./providers";

export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
  return (
    <html>
      <body>
        <Providers>{children}</Providers>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}

Next.js Pages Router

// pages/_app.tsx
import { TamboProvider } from "@tambo-ai/react";
import { components } from "@/lib/tambo";

export default function App({ Component, pageProps }) {
  return (
    <TamboProvider
      apiKey={process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_TAMBO_API_KEY}
      components={components}
    >
      <Component {...pageProps} />
    </TamboProvider>
  );
}

Vite / CRA

// src/main.tsx
import { TamboProvider } from "@tambo-ai/react";
import { components } from "./lib/tambo";
import App from "./App";

ReactDOM.createRoot(document.getElementById("root")!).render(
  <TamboProvider
    apiKey={import.meta.env.VITE_TAMBO_API_KEY}
    components={components}
  >
    <App />
  </TamboProvider>,
);

Step 5: Create Component Registry

// lib/tambo.ts (or src/lib/tambo.ts)
import { TamboComponent } from "@tambo-ai/react";

export const components: TamboComponent[] = [
  // Components will be registered here
];

Adapting to Existing Patterns

No Tailwind? Use Plain CSS

If project uses plain CSS or CSS modules, Tambo components can be styled differently:

// Skip --yes flag to customize styling during add
npx tambo add message-thread-full
# Select "CSS Modules" or "Plain CSS" when prompted

Existing Validation Library?

If using Yup/Joi instead of Zod, user can either:

Add Zod just for Tambo schemas (recommended - small addition)
Convert schemas (more work, not recommended)

Monorepo?

Run commands from the package that will use Tambo:

cd packages/web
npx tambo init --api-key=sk_...

Environment Variables

npx tambo init --api-key=sk_... automatically creates .env.local with the correct env var for your framework.

If manual setup is needed (monorepo, read-only filesystem), add the appropriate variable:

Framework	Variable
Next.js	`NEXT_PUBLIC_TAMBO_API_KEY`
Vite	`VITE_TAMBO_API_KEY`
CRA	`REACT_APP_TAMBO_API_KEY`

Verification

After setup, verify by creating a simple test:

import { useTambo } from "@tambo-ai/react";

function TestComponent() {
  const { thread, isIdle } = useTambo();
  console.log("Tambo connected:", isIdle);
  return <div>Tambo is set up!</div>;
}