Tab-Based Chat - CometChat Docs

AI Integration Quick Reference

Field	Value
Package	`@cometchat/chat-uikit-react`
Framework	React Router
Components	`CometChatConversations`, `CometChatCallLogs`, `CometChatUsers`, `CometChatGroups`, `CometChatMessageHeader`, `CometChatMessageList`, `CometChatMessageComposer`
Layout	Tabbed sidebar (Chats, Calls, Users, Groups) + message view
Prerequisite	Complete React Router Integration Steps 1–5 first
SSR	Lazy import + mounted check — CometChat requires browser APIs
Pattern	Full-featured messaging app with multiple sections

This guide builds a tabbed messaging UI — Chats, Calls, Users, and Groups tabs in the sidebar, with a message view on the right. Good for full-featured apps that need more than just conversations. This assumes you’ve already completed React Router Integration (project created, UI Kit installed, CSS imported).

What You’re Building

Three sections working together:

Tab bar — switches between Chats, Calls, Users, and Groups
Sidebar — renders the list for the active tab
Message view — header + messages + composer for the selected item

Step 1 — Create the Tab Component

src

app

CometChatTabs

CometChatTabs.tsx

CometChatTabs.css

Tab icons need to be placed in public/assets/. Download them from the CometChat UI Kit assets folder on GitHub.

public

assets

chats.svg

calls.svg

users.svg

groups.svg

TypeScript
CSS

CometChatTabs.tsx

import { useState } from "react";
import "./CometChatTabs.css";

const chatsIcon = "/assets/chats.svg";
const callsIcon = "/assets/calls.svg";
const usersIcon = "/assets/users.svg";
const groupsIcon = "/assets/groups.svg";

export const CometChatTabs = (props: {
  onTabClicked?: (tabItem: { name: string; icon?: string }) => void;
  activeTab?: string;
}) => {
  const { onTabClicked = () => {}, activeTab } = props;
  const [hoverTab, setHoverTab] = useState("");

  const tabItems = [
    { name: "CHATS", icon: chatsIcon },
    { name: "CALLS", icon: callsIcon },
    { name: "USERS", icon: usersIcon },
    { name: "GROUPS", icon: groupsIcon },
  ];

  return (
    <div className="cometchat-tab-component">
      {tabItems.map((tabItem) => {
        const isActive =
          activeTab === tabItem.name.toLowerCase() ||
          hoverTab === tabItem.name.toLowerCase();

        return (
          <div
            key={tabItem.name}
            className="cometchat-tab-component__tab"
            onClick={() => onTabClicked(tabItem)}
          >
            <div
              className={
                isActive
                  ? "cometchat-tab-component__tab-icon cometchat-tab-component__tab-icon-active"
                  : "cometchat-tab-component__tab-icon"
              }
              style={{
                WebkitMaskImage: `url(${tabItem.icon})`,
                maskImage: `url(${tabItem.icon})`,
              }}
              onMouseEnter={() => setHoverTab(tabItem.name.toLowerCase())}
              onMouseLeave={() => setHoverTab("")}
            />
            <div
              className={
                isActive
                  ? "cometchat-tab-component__tab-text cometchat-tab-component__tab-text-active"
                  : "cometchat-tab-component__tab-text"
              }
              onMouseEnter={() => setHoverTab(tabItem.name.toLowerCase())}
              onMouseLeave={() => setHoverTab("")}
            >
              {tabItem.name}
            </div>
          </div>
        );
      })}
    </div>
  );
};

CometChatTabs.css

.cometchat-tab-component {
  display: flex;
  width: 100%;
  padding: 0px 8px;
  align-items: flex-start;
  gap: 8px;
  border-top: 1px solid var(--cometchat-border-color-light, #F5F5F5);
  border-right: 1px solid var(--cometchat-border-color-light, #F5F5F5);
  background: var(--cometchat-background-color-01, #FFF);
}

.cometchat-tab-component__tab {
  display: flex;
  padding: 12px 0px 10px 0px;
  flex-direction: column;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 4px;
  flex: 1 0 0;
  min-height: 48px;
}

.cometchat-tab-component__tab-icon {
  display: flex;
  width: 32px;
  height: 32px;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  background: var(--cometchat-icon-color-secondary);
  -webkit-mask-size: contain;
  -webkit-mask-position: center;
  -webkit-mask-repeat: no-repeat;
  mask-size: contain;
  mask-position: center;
  mask-repeat: no-repeat;
  cursor: pointer;
}

.cometchat-tab-component__tab-text {
  color: var(--cometchat-text-color-secondary, #727272);
  text-align: center;
  font: var(--cometchat-font-caption1-medium, 500 12px Roboto);
  cursor: pointer;
}

.cometchat-tab-component__tab-icon-active {
  background: var(--cometchat-icon-color-highlight);
}

.cometchat-tab-component__tab-text-active {
  color: var(--cometchat-text-color-highlight);
}

The sidebar renders the list for whichever tab is active, plus the tab bar at the bottom.

src

app

CometChatSelector

CometChatSelector.tsx

CometChatSelector.css

TypeScript
CSS

CometChatSelector.tsx

import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import {
  Call,
  Conversation,
  Group,
  User,
  CometChat,
} from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import {
  CometChatCallLogs,
  CometChatConversations,
  CometChatGroups,
  CometChatUIKitLoginListener,
  CometChatUsers,
} from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";
import { CometChatTabs } from "../CometChatTabs/CometChatTabs";

interface SelectorProps {
  onSelectorItemClicked?: (
    input: User | Group | Conversation | Call,
    type: string
  ) => void;
}

export const CometChatSelector = (props: SelectorProps) => {
  const { onSelectorItemClicked = () => {} } = props;
  const [loggedInUser, setLoggedInUser] = useState<CometChat.User | null>();
  const [activeItem, setActiveItem] = useState<
    Conversation | User | Group | Call | undefined
  >();
  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<string>("chats");

  useEffect(() => {
    const user = CometChatUIKitLoginListener.getLoggedInUser();
    setLoggedInUser(user);
  }, []);

  return (
    <>
      {loggedInUser && (
        <>
          {activeTab === "chats" && (
            <CometChatConversations
              activeConversation={
                activeItem instanceof CometChat.Conversation ? activeItem : undefined
              }
              onItemClick={(item) => {
                setActiveItem(item);
                onSelectorItemClicked(item, "updateSelectedItem");
              }}
            />
          )}

          {activeTab === "calls" && (
            <CometChatCallLogs
              activeCall={activeItem as Call}
              onItemClick={(item: Call) => {
                setActiveItem(item);
                onSelectorItemClicked(item, "updateSelectedItemCall");
              }}
            />
          )}

          {activeTab === "users" && (
            <CometChatUsers
              activeUser={activeItem as User}
              onItemClick={(item) => {
                setActiveItem(item);
                onSelectorItemClicked(item, "updateSelectedItemUser");
              }}
            />
          )}

          {activeTab === "groups" && (
            <CometChatGroups
              activeGroup={activeItem as Group}
              onItemClick={(item) => {
                setActiveItem(item);
                onSelectorItemClicked(item, "updateSelectedItemGroup");
              }}
            />
          )}
        </>
      )}

      <CometChatTabs
        activeTab={activeTab}
        onTabClicked={(item) => setActiveTab(item.name.toLowerCase())}
      />
    </>
  );
};

CometChatSelector.css

.selector-wrapper .cometchat-conversations .cometchat-list__header-menu .cometchat-button__icon {
  background: var(--cometchat-icon-color-primary);
}

.cometchat-conversations .cometchat-list__header-menu .cometchat-button__icon:hover {
  background: var(--cometchat-icon-color-highlight);
}

.cometchat-list__header-search-bar {
  border-right: none;
}

.cometchat .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-list-item {
  text-align: left;
}

.cometchat .cometchat-conversations .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-list {
  width: 212px;
  top: 40px !important;
  left: 172px !important;
}

#logged-in-user {
  border-bottom: 2px solid var(--cometchat-border-color-default, #E8E8E8);
}

#logged-in-user .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-item-title,
#logged-in-user .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-list-item {
  cursor: default;
}

.cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-list-item-icon-log-out {
  background-color: var(--cometchat-error-color, #F44649);
}

.cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-item-title-log-out {
  color: var(--cometchat-error-color, #F44649);
}

.chat-menu .cometchat .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-item-title {
  cursor: pointer;
}

.chat-menu .cometchat .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu {
  box-shadow: none;
}

.chat-menu .cometchat .cometchat-menu-list__sub-menu-icon {
  background-color: var(--cometchat-icon-color-primary, #141414);
  width: 24px;
  height: 24px;
}

Step 3 — Create the CometChatNoSSR Component

This component handles init, login, and renders the full tabbed chat experience. It runs client-side only.

src

app

CometChatNoSSR

CometChatNoSSR.tsx

CometChatNoSSR.css

TypeScript
CSS

CometChatNoSSR.tsx

import React, { useEffect, useState } from "react";
import {
  CometChatMessageComposer,
  CometChatMessageHeader,
  CometChatMessageList,
  CometChatUIKit,
  UIKitSettingsBuilder,
} from "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react";
import { CometChat } from "@cometchat/chat-sdk-javascript";
import { CometChatSelector } from "../CometChatSelector/CometChatSelector";
import "./CometChatNoSSR.css";

// Replace with your actual credentials
const COMETCHAT_CONSTANTS = {
  APP_ID: "",    // Replace with your App ID
  REGION: "",    // Replace with your Region
  AUTH_KEY: "",  // Replace with your Auth Key (dev only)
};

const UID = "cometchat-uid-4"; // Replace with your actual UID

const CometChatNoSSR: React.FC = () => {
  const [user, setUser] = useState<CometChat.User | undefined>(undefined);
  const [selectedUser, setSelectedUser] = useState<CometChat.User | undefined>(undefined);
  const [selectedGroup, setSelectedGroup] = useState<CometChat.Group | undefined>(undefined);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (typeof window === "undefined") return;

    const UIKitSettings = new UIKitSettingsBuilder()
      .setAppId(COMETCHAT_CONSTANTS.APP_ID)
      .setRegion(COMETCHAT_CONSTANTS.REGION)
      .setAuthKey(COMETCHAT_CONSTANTS.AUTH_KEY)
      .subscribePresenceForAllUsers()
      .build();

    CometChatUIKit.init(UIKitSettings)
      ?.then(() => {
        console.log("Initialization completed successfully");
        CometChatUIKit.getLoggedinUser().then((loggedInUser) => {
          if (!loggedInUser) {
            CometChatUIKit.login(UID)
              .then((user) => {
                console.log("Login Successful", { user });
                setUser(user);
              })
              .catch((error) => console.error("Login failed", error));
          } else {
            console.log("Already logged-in", { loggedInUser });
            setUser(loggedInUser);
          }
        });
      })
      .catch((error) => console.error("Initialization failed", error));
  }, []);

  return user ? (
    <div className="conversations-with-messages">
      <div className="conversations-wrapper">
        <CometChatSelector
          onSelectorItemClicked={(activeItem) => {
            let item = activeItem;
            if (activeItem instanceof CometChat.Conversation) {
              item = activeItem.getConversationWith();
            }
            if (item instanceof CometChat.User) {
              setSelectedUser(item as CometChat.User);
              setSelectedGroup(undefined);
            } else if (item instanceof CometChat.Group) {
              setSelectedUser(undefined);
              setSelectedGroup(item as CometChat.Group);
            } else {
              setSelectedUser(undefined);
              setSelectedGroup(undefined);
            }
          }}
        />
      </div>

      {selectedUser || selectedGroup ? (
        <div className="messages-wrapper">
          <CometChatMessageHeader user={selectedUser} group={selectedGroup} />
          <CometChatMessageList user={selectedUser} group={selectedGroup} />
          <CometChatMessageComposer user={selectedUser} group={selectedGroup} />
        </div>
      ) : (
        <div className="empty-conversation">Select a conversation to start chatting</div>
      )}
    </div>
  ) : undefined;
};

export default CometChatNoSSR;

CometChatNoSSR.css

.conversations-with-messages {
  display: flex;
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
}

.conversations-wrapper {
  height: 100%;
  width: 480px;
  overflow: hidden;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  height: inherit;
}

.conversations-wrapper > .cometchat {
  overflow: hidden;
}

.messages-wrapper {
  width: calc(100% - 480px);
  height: 100%;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
}

.empty-conversation {
  height: 100%;
  width: 100%;
  display: flex;
  justify-content: center;
  align-items: center;
  background: white;
  color: var(--cometchat-text-color-secondary, #727272);
  font: var(--cometchat-font-body-regular, 400 14px Roboto);
}

.cometchat .cometchat-message-composer {
  border-radius: 0px;
}

Step 4 — Disable SSR and Add the Route

Create CometChat.tsx inside the routes folder. This uses lazy loading and a mounted check to ensure CometChat only runs client-side.

routes/CometChat.tsx

import React, { lazy, Suspense, useEffect, useState } from "react";
import "@cometchat/chat-uikit-react/css-variables.css";

const CometChatNoSSR = lazy(() => import("../CometChatNoSSR/CometChatNoSSR"));

export default function CometChatRoute() {
  const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    setMounted(true);
  }, []);

  return mounted ? (
    <Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>
      <CometChatNoSSR />
    </Suspense>
  ) : (
    <div>Loading...</div>
  );
}

Add the route to your routes config:

routes.ts

import { type RouteConfig, index, route } from "@react-router/dev/routes";

export default [
  index("routes/home.tsx"),
  route("chat", "routes/CometChat.tsx"),
] satisfies RouteConfig;

CometChat depends on browser APIs (window, WebSocket, document). The lazy import + mounted check ensures the component only renders on the client.

Step 5 — Run the Project

npm
pnpm
yarn

npm run dev

pnpm dev

yarn dev

Navigate to /chat (e.g. http://localhost:5173/chat). You should see the tab bar at the bottom of the sidebar. Switch between Chats, Calls, Users, and Groups — tapping any item loads the message view on the right.

Next Steps

Theming

Customize colors, fonts, and styles to match your brand

Components Overview

Browse all prebuilt UI components

React Router Integration

Back to the main setup guide

Core Features

Chat features included out of the box

​What You’re Building

​Step 1 — Create the Tab Component

​Step 2 — Create the Sidebar Component

​Step 3 — Create the CometChatNoSSR Component

​Step 4 — Disable SSR and Add the Route

​Step 5 — Run the Project

​Next Steps