Q: How do I show a dialog from a server-rendered page?

Two patterns. (1) Trigger-based: render ` Open ` next to the content that opens it — Radix manages the open state internally, no client state needed. (2) Programmatic: lift `open` state into a parent client component when the trigger is decoupled from the dialog (e.g. opening a dialog from a toast "Undo" action, or from a global keyboard shortcut).

Question 1

What is a shadcn dialog?

Accepted Answer

A shadcn dialog is the centered modal overlay you reach for when an action needs the user's full attention without leaving the current page — adding a member, editing settings, viewing a detail panel, completing a form. It's built on Radix UI's Dialog primitive (focus trap, ESC dismiss, scroll lock, ARIA-modal semantics) wrapped in shadcn/ui's Dialog styling. Each example in this gallery is a single self-contained TSX file.

Question 2

Are these dialog examples free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, every dialog example on shadcn.io is free for personal and commercial use — no attribution requirement, no runtime dependency, no gating.

Question 3

Dialog vs AlertDialog vs Drawer vs Sheet — which one?

Accepted Answer

Dialog for general-purpose modals (forms, detail views, confirmations that aren't destructive) — dismissible by clicking outside, ESC, or X. AlertDialog for irreversible actions (delete confirms) — must click Confirm or Cancel to dismiss, no outside-click escape. Drawer for mobile-first sheets that slide from an edge with a drag-handle. Sheet for desktop-first edge-anchored panels (right-side details, left-side filters). Pick by the modality strength + the form factor.

Question 4

When should I use a Dialog versus a full-page route?

Accepted Answer

Dialog when the action is short, focused, and the page context underneath should remain visible ("Edit profile", "Add tag", "Confirm settings") — the user can dismiss and pick back up where they were. Full-page route for long-form workflows (multi-step wizards, complex editors), when the action affects the full URL (deep links matter), or when mobile users would benefit from the full viewport. If you're building a 5-page wizard inside a Dialog, you've outgrown the pattern.

Question 5

How do I render a form inside a dialog?

Accepted Answer

Compose Dialog with your form. The Dialog's `open`/`onOpenChange` controls visibility; the form lives inside DialogContent. Wire submit to async logic; on success, call `setOpen(false)` to dismiss. On error, keep the dialog open and surface validation messages inline. Disable the submit button + dismiss controls while the request is in flight (`isPending` state) to prevent double-submission and accidental dismissal mid-action.

Question 6

How do I show a dialog from a server-rendered page?

Accepted Answer

Two patterns. (1) Trigger-based: render `` next to the content that opens it — Radix manages the open state internally, no client state needed. (2) Programmatic: lift `open` state into a parent client component when the trigger is decoupled from the dialog (e.g. opening a dialog from a toast "Undo" action, or from a global keyboard shortcut).

Question 7

How do I prevent the dialog from closing during an async submission?

Accepted Answer

Use the controlled `open`/`onOpenChange` pattern with a guard: `onOpenChange={(next) => { if (!isPending) setOpen(next) }}`. To block ESC and outside-click while pending, also pass `onEscapeKeyDown` and `onPointerDownOutside` handlers on DialogContent that call `event.preventDefault()` while `isPending`. Surface the pending state visually too — a spinner inside the submit button.

Question 8

How do I install a dialog example?

Accepted Answer

Run the `npx shadcn@latest add` command shown under the Installation heading. The CLI copies the example's TSX source into `components/examples/dialog/…`, plus the shadcn/ui Dialog primitive (and its Radix dependency) if you don't already have them.

Question 9

How do I size the dialog wider for richer content?

Accepted Answer

Pass className overrides to DialogContent — `className="sm:max-w-[600px]"` for a wider modal, `"sm:max-w-2xl"` for a settings-style dialog, `"sm:max-w-4xl"` for a detail panel. The default `sm:max-w-lg` (~512px) is sized for short forms. For very tall content, also add `max-h-[80vh] overflow-y-auto` so the dialog scrolls internally rather than overflowing the viewport on small screens.

Question 10

How do I open a dialog from a context menu or dropdown menu?

Accepted Answer

Use the `DialogTrigger` inside the menu item won't work cleanly — Radix doesn't compose trigger primitives that way. Instead, lift the dialog's `open` state to a parent, render `<MenuItem onSelect={() => setOpen(true)}>` with no trigger inside, and the dialog as a sibling. The menu closes on select, the dialog opens on the next tick. Standard pattern for "⋯ menu → Edit / Delete / …" rows that open dialogs.

Question 11

Which libraries do dialog examples depend on?

Accepted Answer

Radix UI Dialog (focus trap, scroll lock, ESC, ARIA-modal, portal management), shadcn/ui Dialog (the styled wrapper generated into your project), Tailwind CSS, and Lucide React (X icon for close). React 19 baseline. For form-in-dialog examples, react-hook-form + Zod + shadcn/ui Form are the canonical pairing.

Question 12

Are dialog examples accessible for keyboard and screen reader users?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Radix Dialog implements the WAI-ARIA Dialog (Modal) pattern: focus moves to the dialog on open, focus is trapped inside until close, ESC dismisses (firing onOpenChange), Tab cycles within the dialog without escaping. The overlay applies `aria-hidden` to the rest of the page. Screen readers announce the DialogTitle on open. The first focusable element receives focus by default — use `autoFocus` on a specific element to override.

Question 13

Can I use these dialog examples with React Server Components?

Accepted Answer

The Dialog primitive is a client component (it manages open state, focus, scroll lock). Wrap it inside a Server Component parent and pass static props. For dialogs that show server-fetched data ("Edit user X"), pass the user data as props from the server into the client-boundary dialog. The dialog's chrome stays client-side; the content can be a server-rendered tree.

React Dialog Examples for shadcn/ui

Browse every dialog example

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