Typing Indicator

A minimal and elegant typing indicator component that shows three animated dots to indicate ongoing activity, commonly used in chat interfaces to show when someone is typing.

Installation

npx shadcn@latest add typing-indicator

Usage

import { TypingIndicator } from "@/components/ui/typing-indicator"
 
export function ChatMessage() {
  return (
    <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
      <div>User is typing...</div>
      <TypingIndicator />
    </div>
  )
}

Examples

In a Chat Interface

import { TypingIndicator } from "@/components/ui/typing-indicator"
 
export function ChatMessage({ isTyping }: { isTyping: boolean }) {
  return (
    <div className="flex flex-col gap-2">
      <div>Previous message</div>
      {isTyping && <TypingIndicator />}
    </div>
  )
}

Custom Background

import { TypingIndicator } from "@/components/ui/typing-indicator"
 
export function CustomTypingIndicator() {
  return (
    <div className="bg-primary-foreground p-2 rounded-lg">
      <TypingIndicator />
    </div>
  )
}

Styling

The component uses the following CSS classes that can be customized:

• bg-muted: Background color of the indicator container
• animate-typing-dot-bounce: Animation for the bouncing dots
• [animation-delay:90ms]: Delay for the second dot
• [animation-delay:180ms]: Delay for the third dot

You can override these classes by wrapping the component and applying your own styles:

<div className="bg-primary p-2">
  <TypingIndicator />
</div>

Accessibility

The typing indicator is purely decorative and does not require any accessibility annotations. However, if you're using it in a chat interface, you should ensure that the typing state is properly announced to screen readers through appropriate ARIA live regions in your chat component.

Design Considerations

1. The component uses three dots with staggered animations to create a natural typing effect
2. The animation is subtle and not distracting
3. The component uses the muted background color from your theme for better integration
4. The dots are spaced appropriately for optimal visual rhythm