Media & presentationExplore · Adapt · Compose
Carousel
Carousel displays swipeable or button-driven slide content (Embla Carousel). Give media a predictable place in the layout while keeping the surrounding content readable during loading, playback or failure. Explore the live examples, inspect their source and choose the composition that fits your interface before connecting it to your application's data.
The examples use @/components/kamod-ui/carousel in a Preact project. Follow the live result and its source together: compare supported options in the API reference, refine presentation with the component styles guide, and use shared theme tokens for consistent colors and surfaces. Preserve keyboard behavior and meaningful labels as you replace the sample content.
In this guide 7 sections
Installation
Depends on embla-carousel and optional embla-carousel-autoplay (used when autoplay is set). Import primitives from @/components/kamod-ui/carousel.
pnpm add @kamod-ch/uiThe @/components/kamod-ui/… imports in these examples refer to local source files. Configure that alias when copying source, or use the corresponding exports from @kamod-ch/ui when installing the package. Connect the global theme CSS and Tailwind source detection before your first render.
Usage
Wrap slides in CarouselContent; each slide is a CarouselItem. Place CarouselPrevious and CarouselNext as siblings of CarouselContent inside Carousel. Use opts for Embla options (align, loop, direction). Use setApi to read scrollSnapList, selectedScrollSnap, and events.
import { Carousel } from "@/components/kamod-ui/carousel";Choose a complete composition from the examples below; required child components and props vary by pattern.
Component examples & variants
Explore Carousel in different contexts, from the starting pattern to the compositions below. Begin with Demo, then compare the examples that match your content, state and layout. These are working patterns to adapt, not a list of interchangeable variant values: check the API reference before using a prop or combining behaviors. Look at the surrounding labels, supporting text and spacing as well as the component itself.
Read the result and its implementation together. Use each showcase’s Code view to inspect imports and composition, or its Prompt view to prepare a setup or adaptation brief. Try the narrow preview and local theme controls before connecting real data, and use Reset to return an example to its initial state. Keep layout changes in class utilities where appropriate; follow the component styles guide for hierarchy and the theming guide for shared surfaces and colors. The accessibility notes explain what to preserve when making those changes.
Demo
Card slides with previous and next controls (shadcn-style layout).
// See previewCode hero — CarouselContent + Items + Prev/Next.Sizes
Use basis utilities on CarouselItem; align slides with opts.align "start".
Spacing
Negative margin on CarouselContent and matching padding on items (shadcn spacing pattern).
Orientation
Vertical axis: set a fixed height (or h-full inside a sized parent) on CarouselContent, use min-h-0 on the viewport, basis + pt on items, and vertical padding on the wrapper so top/bottom arrows stay visible.
Options
opts forwards to Embla (e.g. loop). axis and direction are merged from orientation and dir.
API
setApi receives the Embla instance for slide counts and select events.
Autoplay
Use autoplay prop or pass plugins when you need full Embla plugin control (see core Carousel).
Props and data
Configure Carousel using the contracts below. Read the documented options alongside the source definitions to understand which values your application supplies and which details the component owns. Start with a prop or helper, then follow its type link to inspect the declaration without leaving the page.
Props, slots and variants for this component.
TypeScript source at build time. Props inherited through HTMLAttributes, Omit or variant helpers remain references in those declarations; their fields are not flattened here. Match the reference to your installed version, and check a package’s exports before writing an import type. A type exported by a source file is not necessarily re-exported by @kamod-ch/ui.TypeScriptComponent props
? means a field can be omitted; it does not promise a fallback value. Existing documented defaults remain alongside the descriptions. For callbacks, check the argument and return types before connecting your own state or services.Carousel
Carousel component props and accepted values.
| Prop / type | Description |
|---|---|
opts | Documented opts option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Documented default |
orientation | Documented orientation option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Documented default |
setApi | Documented setApi option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Documented default |
plugins | Documented plugins option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Documented default |
autoplay | When `plugins` is omitted, adds `embla-carousel-autoplay`. Ignored if `plugins` is set. Documented default |
dir | Documented dir option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Documented default |
children | Documented children option for Carousel. Check its type alongside the usage examples before supplying a value. Usage requirementRequired |
Data type reference
Expand a card to inspect and copy the exact declaration. The code header identifies its repository file; follow imported or inherited types in the implementation source when you need the complete dependency chain. Required-field summaries cover fields declared directly in that type. Source-only helpers and inferred schema outputs describe the local implementation, not additional props you can pass to every component.
CarouselApiCarouselOrientationCarouselPropsCarouselAutoplayPausePropsCarouselContentPropsCarouselItemPropsCarouselNextPropsCarouselPreviousPropsAccessibility
Build the complete interaction, including the parts outside Carousel. The notes below distinguish the current implementation from the labels, content and behavior your application supplies. Start with the live preview, check the props and data reference, and test the finished composition with real content rather than assuming that an unchanged visual example covers every use case.
Built-in behavior and defaults
Carousel exposes a named carousel region when you provide label or aria-label; items use group/slide semantics. Previous and next controls have names. CarouselAutoplayPause supplies an explicit pause/resume action when you include it.
Labels and relationships
Name the collection by its purpose, not just Carousel. Give slides meaningful content and identify their position when needed. Image alternatives should describe the slide's information, while navigation button names describe movement.
Keyboard and focus
Keep previous/next and any slide controls reachable with the keyboard. If enabling autoplay, include a visible pause control and verify behavior during focus and hover. Do not move keyboard focus just because a slide advances.
States and integration details
Offscreen slides must not expose confusing unreachable controls. Autoplay can make reading difficult even when transition animation is subtle. Review reduced-motion and pause behavior in the exact configuration instead of assuming a plugin supplies it.
Verify the complete interaction
Check behavior as well as markup. Work through these scenarios in the application where the component will be used. Automated checks can help find structural problems; also review the reading experience with a screen reader, keyboard focus and the actual feedback from your application.
- Navigate every slide and activate its content without dragging.
- Pause automatic movement and verify the user's decision remains effective while interacting.
- Inspect which offscreen controls can receive focus and how slide changes are conveyed.
Recheck the result after changing theme tokens, translations or class overrides. Include text enlargement, narrow layouts and reduced-motion settings where animation is present. Inspect the component source when a behavior differs from your expectation; a role or state attribute does not implement keyboard interaction by itself.
For background, read the WAI-ARIA authoring guidance and keyboard interface guidance. These explain the patterns; verify browser and assistive-technology behavior for the implementation and audience you actually support.
Build it into your interface
Use the Carousel examples as a starting point, then review the behavior in the context of your own screen. Layout, state and content should work together.
Connect the behavior
Choose a meaningful alternative description when media conveys information; decorative media should not repeat surrounding labels. Reserve space before assets load, supply a useful fallback, and keep playback or carousel movement under the user's control.
Copy the composition, then connect its intent. Replace sample records and callbacks with your own data flow. For options such as value, defaultValue, open or onChange, use only those documented in this component's API; different components expose different contracts.
Give each piece of state one owner. Keep a temporary selection inside the interface when nothing else needs it; lift shared values into a parent when other controls depend on them. Read the prop reference before combining controlled values with defaults. A default normally initializes a control; it is not a substitute for updating its current value.
Connect requests in an event handler or your application’s data layer, never as a side effect of rendering. Keep pending, completed and failed outcomes distinct, preserve useful input after an error, and offer a clear recovery action. If the integration subscribes to an external source, remove that subscription when its owner unmounts; cancel or ignore obsolete requests so an earlier response cannot replace newer results.
Start with the live preview, then exercise the same interaction with your actual data. The type definitions describe accepted values; they do not implement persistence, navigation or server-side validation for you. Keep those responsibilities in the application that composes the UI.
Refine the presentation
Let a parent own the surrounding spacing. Keep related elements together with gap and use semantic surface/foreground pairs so the composition follows the active theme. The wrapper below changes the surrounding layout without assuming extra props on Carousel.
import type { ComponentChildren } from "preact";
export function ExampleSurface({ children }: { children: ComponentChildren }) {
return (
<div class="grid min-w-0 gap-4 rounded-lg border border-border bg-card p-4 text-card-foreground sm:p-6">
{children}
</div>
);
}Put the chosen example inside ExampleSurface, then refine supported variants and sizes using the API above. For application-wide changes, adjust theme tokens instead of repeating fixed colors. See Component styles for hierarchy, density and focus treatments.
Review the complete interaction
- Try missing and slow assets, different aspect ratios and long alternative text.
- Check controls with the keyboard and keep automatic movement compatible with reduced motion.
- Review cropping at narrow widths so the subject and any important text remain visible.
The preview's narrow control changes its container width. Also resize the browser when checking viewport-based Tailwind utilities such as sm: and md:, and test overlays in the full page where their portals render.
Compose a complete interface
Carousel is one part of the interaction. Choose companion components for the information or actions that still need a place on the screen. The references below are suggestions to compose deliberately, not extra dependencies you must add to every example.
Keep one source of truth for the operation and let each component communicate a different part of it. For example, waiting, no results and failure need different explanations. Avoid showing contradictory states together, and keep recovery actions close to the message that explains them.
Start with the smallest composition that explains the task. Browse the component library for individual controls or the block collections for complete layouts. Reuse shared theme tokens so these pieces feel consistent in light and dark mode.
Sources & design references
Follow Carousel from its implementation to the ideas behind your own composition. Start with the local API, explore a visual direction, then bring the result back to your app’s shared styles.
Bring it back to your app
A reference becomes useful when it fits your real content. Work through these decisions in order:
- Keep the behavior grounded. Start with the interactive examples, then connect your data and callbacks using the integration guidance. Preserve labels, keyboard access and disabled states as you change the presentation.
- Make the styling repeatable. Use the styles guide for local
classadjustments and theming documentation for shared color decisions. Keep semantic surface and foreground pairs together in both light and dark mode. - Check the complete screen. See how components combine in the block collections, then try long labels, loading states and narrow layouts in your own composition. The Theme Toggle guide helps you expose a scheme switch in the finished interface.