# Sources

URL: /components/sources

---

title: Sources
description: A component that allows a user to view the sources or citations used to generate a response.
path: elements/components/sources

---

The `Sources` component allows a user to view the sources or citations used to generate a response.

<Preview path="sources" />

## Installation

<ElementsInstaller path="sources" />

## Usage

```tsx
import { Source, Sources, SourcesContent, SourcesTrigger } from "@/components/ai-elements/sources";
```

```tsx
<Sources>
    <SourcesTrigger count={1} />
    <SourcesContent>
        <Source href="https://ai-sdk.dev" title="AI SDK" />
    </SourcesContent>
</Sources>
```

## Usage with AI SDK

Build a simple web search agent with Perplexity Sonar.

Add the following component to your frontend:

```tsx title="app/page.tsx"
"use client";

import { useChat } from "@ai-sdk/react";
import { Source, Sources, SourcesContent, SourcesTrigger } from "@/components/ai-elements/sources";
import { Input, PromptInputTextarea, PromptInputSubmit } from "@/components/ai-elements/prompt-input";
import { Conversation, ConversationContent, ConversationScrollButton } from "@/components/ai-elements/conversation";
import { Message, MessageContent } from "@/components/ai-elements/message";
import { Response } from "@/components/ai-elements/response";
import { useState } from "react";
import { DefaultChatTransport } from "ai";

const SourceDemo = () => {
    const [input, setInput] = useState("");
    const { messages, sendMessage, status } = useChat({
        transport: new DefaultChatTransport({
            api: "/api/sources",
        }),
    });

    const handleSubmit = (e: React.FormEvent) => {
        e.preventDefault();
        if (input.trim()) {
            sendMessage({ text: input });
            setInput("");
        }
    };

    return (
        <div className="max-w-4xl mx-auto p-6 relative size-full rounded-lg border h-[600px]">
            <div className="flex flex-col h-full">
                <div className="flex-1 overflow-auto mb-4">
                    <Conversation>
                        <ConversationContent>
                            {messages.map((message) => (
                                <div key={message.id}>
                                    {message.role === "assistant" && (
                                        <Sources>
                                            <SourcesTrigger count={message.parts.filter((part) => part.type === "source-url").length} />
                                            {message.parts.map((part, i) => {
                                                switch (part.type) {
                                                    case "source-url":
                                                        return (
                                                            <SourcesContent key={`${message.id}-${i}`}>
                                                                <Source key={`${message.id}-${i}`} href={part.url} title={part.url} />
                                                            </SourcesContent>
                                                        );
                                                }
                                            })}
                                        </Sources>
                                    )}
                                    <Message from={message.role} key={message.id}>
                                        <MessageContent>
                                            {message.parts.map((part, i) => {
                                                switch (part.type) {
                                                    case "text":
                                                        return <Response key={`${message.id}-${i}`}>{part.text}</Response>;
                                                    default:
                                                        return null;
                                                }
                                            })}
                                        </MessageContent>
                                    </Message>
                                </div>
                            ))}
                        </ConversationContent>
                        <ConversationScrollButton />
                    </Conversation>
                </div>

                <Input onSubmit={handleSubmit} className="mt-4 w-full max-w-2xl mx-auto relative">
                    <PromptInputTextarea
                        value={input}
                        placeholder="Ask a question and search the..."
                        onChange={(e) => setInput(e.currentTarget.value)}
                        className="pr-12"
                    />
                    <PromptInputSubmit
                        status={status === "streaming" ? "streaming" : "ready"}
                        disabled={!input.trim()}
                        className="absolute bottom-1 right-1"
                    />
                </Input>
            </div>
        </div>
    );
};

export default SourceDemo;
```

Add the following route to your backend:

```tsx title="api/chat/route.ts"
import { convertToModelMessages, streamText, UIMessage } from "ai";
import { perplexity } from "@ai-sdk/perplexity";

// Allow streaming responses up to 30 seconds
export const maxDuration = 30;

export async function POST(req: Request) {
    const { messages }: { messages: UIMessage[] } = await req.json();

    const result = streamText({
        model: "perplexity/sonar",
        system: "You are a helpful assistant. Keep your responses short (< 100 words) unless you are asked for more details. ALWAYS USE SEARCH.",
        messages: convertToModelMessages(messages),
    });

    return result.toUIMessageStreamResponse({
        sendSources: true,
    });
}
```

## Features

-   Collapsible component that allows a user to view the sources or citations used to generate a response
-   Customizable trigger and content components
-   Support for custom sources or citations
-   Responsive design with mobile-friendly controls
-   Clean, modern styling with customizable themes

## Examples

### Custom rendering

<Preview path="sources-custom" />

## Props

### `<Sources />`

<TypeTable
type={{
  '...props': {
    description: 'Any other props are spread to the root div.',
    type: 'React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>',
  },
}}
/>

### `<SourcesTrigger />`

<TypeTable
type={{
  count: {
    description: 'The number of sources to display in the trigger.',
    type: 'number',
  },
  '...props': {
    description: 'Any other props are spread to the trigger button.',
    type: 'React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement>',
  },
}}
/>

### `<SourcesContent />`

<TypeTable
type={{
  '...props': {
    description: 'Any other props are spread to the content container.',
    type: 'React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>',
  },
}}
/>

### `<Source />`

<TypeTable
type={{
  '...props': {
    description: 'Any other props are spread to the anchor element.',
    type: 'React.AnchorHTMLAttributes<HTMLAnchorElement>',
  },
}}
/>