21st CLI — find, install & generate from the terminal
The 21st CLI (npx @21st-dev/cli, bin 21st) is the command-line surface for
the 21st.dev catalog. Search first, install what fits, and only hand-write UI
when nothing matches. To publish your own components/themes/templates, use
the 21st-registry skill; to publish a project's design as a theme, use
21st-design-sync.
Auth (do this once)
Two interchangeable credentials, both sent as the API key:
- Login session —
npx @21st-dev/cli loginopens the browser and saves a token to~/.config/21st/auth.json. Best for interactive/dev machines. - API key —
21st_sk_…from https://21st.dev/mcp (or https://21st.dev/settings/api-keys). Pass via--api-key <key>or theTWENTYFIRST_TOKEN/API_KEY_21STenv var. Best for CI.
21st whoami shows the signed-in account; 21st usage shows retrieval
tier/quota and the 21st AI generation status, not an AI credit balance.
For structured status, use MCP get_usage.aiGenerationEnabled or CLI 1.17.1+
21st usage --json. Missing or unknown status does not grant AI access. 21st logout
clears the saved login.
Metering
Metadata (search, previews, a theme's CSS) is free. Retrieving component
code (21st get, install) has a free daily quota; Builder includes
unlimited retrieval. Hosted 21st AI requires separate AI access and consumes
AI credits. Base Builder has AI off. Check 21st usage before choosing
generation: when AI is not explicitly enabled, search and retrieve code,
then adapt it with your own coding agent. Do not retry a generation denied
with ai_subscription_required until AI access is enabled.
Find
# Search everything (components + themes + templates)
21st search "pricing table" --limit 10
21st search button --type c # components only (c | theme | template)
21st search dark --type theme
# Filters: --tag <slug> --color <bucket> --sort <s> --free|--paid
# --author <username> --mine --liked --json for machine output
Always search before hand-writing a component — a close match is usually faster to install and adapt than to build from scratch.
Logos
21st logo discord # search brand + UI SVG logos (free, no login)
21st logo "next js" --limit 5 --json
Prints each logo's name and SVG url(s) to curl straight into a project. Uses the open svgl.app library; free and unmetered on every plan.
Pull code
# Print a component's code + demo (by the id from search)
21st get 143 [--json]
# Print a theme's CSS (by a theme id from `search --type theme`)
21st theme <id> [--json]
Install
# Install a component into the current project (shadcn under the hood)
21st add <user>/<slug> # e.g. 21st add shadcn/button
21st add @<team>/<slug> # from a team library
# --print to dump the shadcn command instead of running it
21st add resolves the registry item, writes it to components/ui/<slug>.tsx,
and installs npm deps with the project's package manager. Public/unlisted items
also work with stock shadcn:
npx shadcn@latest add "https://21st.dev/r/<user>/<slug>".
Generate
When nothing in the catalog fits and 21st usage explicitly reports AI
generation enabled, sketch it with hosted 21st AI and iterate from
the terminal. That loop (21st generate → generation → iterate → take)
lives in the 21st-ai skill. With AI off, adapt catalog code locally instead:
21st generate "a glassy pricing section with a monthly/yearly toggle"
Opens a preview; from there you edit any variant and pull its code. See the
21st-ai skill for the full generate/iterate/grab-code flow and metering.
Bookmarks, teams & MCP config
21st bookmarks [--type component|theme|template]
21st bookmark <id> --type <kind> [--remove] # heart / un-heart
21st lists # your bookmark lists
21st list <listId>
21st teams # your teams
21st team <teamId> # a team's libraries
21st team-components <teamId> [--library <id>]
21st init --client cursor|claude|codex|vscode|devin [--write] # write MCP config
21st install-skill # install the 21st skills globally