/build-gpui-apps

Skeleton

The Skeleton component displays animated placeholder content while actual content is loading. It provides visual feedback to users that content is being loaded and helps maintain layout structure during loading states.

Import

use gpui_kit::component::skeleton::Skeleton;

Usage

Basic Skeleton

Skeleton::new()

Text Line Skeleton

// Single line of text
Skeleton::new()
    .w(px(250.))
    .h_4()
    .rounded_md()

// Multiple text lines
v_flex()
    .gap_2()
    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(250.)).h_4().rounded_md())
    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(200.)).h_4().rounded_md())
    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(180.)).h_4().rounded_md())

Circle Skeleton

// Avatar placeholder
Skeleton::new()
    .size_12()
    .rounded_full()

// Profile picture placeholder
Skeleton::new()
    .w(px(64.))
    .h(px(64.))
    .rounded_full()

Rectangle Skeleton

// Card image placeholder
Skeleton::new()
    .w(px(250.))
    .h(px(125.))
    .rounded_md()

// Button placeholder
Skeleton::new()
    .w(px(120.))
    .h(px(40.))
    .rounded_md()

Different Shapes

// Text content
Skeleton::new().w(px(200.)).h_4().rounded_sm()

// Square image
Skeleton::new().size_20().rounded_md()

// Wide banner
Skeleton::new().w_full().h(px(200.)).rounded_lg()

// Small icon
Skeleton::new().size_6().rounded_md()

Secondary Variant

// Use secondary color (more subtle)
Skeleton::new()
    .secondary()
    .w(px(200.))
    .h_4()
    .rounded_md()

Animation

The Skeleton component includes a built-in pulse animation that:

• Runs continuously with a 2-second duration
• Uses a bounce easing function with ease-in-out
• Animates opacity from 100% to 50% and back
• Automatically repeats to indicate loading state

The animation cannot be disabled as it's essential for indicating loading state.

Sizes

The Skeleton component doesn't have predefined size variants. Instead, use gpui's sizing utilities:

// Height utilities
Skeleton::new().h_3()    // 12px height
Skeleton::new().h_4()    // 16px height
Skeleton::new().h_5()    // 20px height
Skeleton::new().h_6()    // 24px height

// Width utilities
Skeleton::new().w(px(100.))   // 100px width
Skeleton::new().w(px(200.))   // 200px width
Skeleton::new().w_full()      // Full width
Skeleton::new().w_1_2()       // 50% width

// Square sizes
Skeleton::new().size_4()      // 16x16px
Skeleton::new().size_8()      // 32x32px
Skeleton::new().size_12()     // 48x48px
Skeleton::new().size_16()     // 64x64px

Examples

Loading Profile Card

v_flex()
    .gap_4()
    .p_4()
    .border_1()
    .border_color(cx.theme().border)
    .rounded(cx.theme().radius_lg)
    .child(
        h_flex()
            .gap_3()
            .items_center()
            .child(Skeleton::new().size_12().rounded_full()) // Avatar
            .child(
                v_flex()
                    .gap_2()
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(120.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Name
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(100.)).h_3().rounded_md()) // Email
            )
    )
    .child(
        v_flex()
            .gap_2()
            .child(Skeleton::new().w_full().h_4().rounded_md()) // Bio line 1
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(200.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Bio line 2
    )

Loading Article List

v_flex()
    .gap_6()
    .children((0..3).map(|_| {
        h_flex()
            .gap_4()
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(120.)).h(px(80.)).rounded_md()) // Thumbnail
            .child(
                v_flex()
                    .gap_2()
                    .flex_1()
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w_full().h_5().rounded_md()) // Title
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(300.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Excerpt line 1
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(250.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Excerpt line 2
                    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(100.)).h_3().rounded_md()) // Date
            )
    }))

Loading Table Rows

v_flex()
    .gap_2()
    .children((0..5).map(|_| {
        h_flex()
            .gap_4()
            .p_3()
            .border_b_1()
            .border_color(cx.theme().border)
            .child(Skeleton::new().size_8().rounded_full()) // Status indicator
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(150.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Name
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(200.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Email
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(80.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Role
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(60.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Actions
    }))

Loading Button States

h_flex()
    .gap_3()
    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(80.)).h(px(36.)).rounded_md()) // Primary button
    .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(70.)).h(px(36.)).rounded_md()) // Secondary button
    .child(Skeleton::new().size_9().rounded_md()) // Icon button

Loading Form Fields

v_flex()
    .gap_4()
    .child(
        v_flex()
            .gap_1()
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(60.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Label
            .child(Skeleton::new().w_full().h(px(40.)).rounded_md()) // Input
    )
    .child(
        v_flex()
            .gap_1()
            .child(Skeleton::new().w(px(80.)).h_4().rounded_md()) // Label
            .child(Skeleton::new().w_full().h(px(120.)).rounded_md()) // Textarea
    )

Conditional Loading

if loading {
    Skeleton::new().w(px(200.)).h_4().rounded_md()
} else {
    div().child("Actual content here")
}

Theming

The Skeleton component uses the theme's skeleton color, which defaults to the secondary color if not specified. You can customize it in your theme:

{
  "skeleton.background": "#e2e8f0"
}

The secondary(true) variant applies 50% opacity to the skeleton color for more subtle loading indicators.

Documentation license: original prose and illustrations for which GPUI Kit holds licensing rights are also offered under CC BY 4.0. When copying or adapting, credit GPUI Kit, link the source (https://gpui-kit.com/component/skeleton) and https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, and indicate changes. Code examples and software source use Apache-2.0; third-party material retains its terms; existing Apache-2.0 permissions remain.

Bundled from GPUI Kit. Documentation prose: CC BY 4.0; code examples: Apache-2.0. Changes: documentation links localized, asset URLs made absolute, and this attribution added.