perplexity | Dosu

Overview#

The Perplexity Clone demonstrates how to customize assistant-ui to match Perplexity's search-focused interface. The empty state centers the perplexity wordmark above a multi-line composer with functional Search and Model dropdowns; the chat state keeps the composer pinned as a sticky follow-up footer.

Features#

Theme-Aware Styling: Cream #f6f2ec light, espresso #171615 dark — no forced theme
Hero Wordmark: Large centered perplexity headline that scales down on mobile
Multi-line Composer: rows={2} with min-h-20 so the input feels as tall as Perplexity's hero
Functional Search Dropdown: Search / Research / Labs modes, each with an icon and description
Functional Model Dropdown: Best / Sonar / Claude 4.5 Sonnet / GPT-5 / Gemini 3 Pro (hidden on small screens)
Four-State Primary Action: Cancel, StopDictation, Send, Dictate — mutually exclusive via priority
Inline Attachment Chips: Compact previews render above the input
Sticky Follow-up: Once a chat starts, the composer becomes a pinned footer with a fade-out gradient over the cream background

Quick Start#

npx assistant-ui add thread

Code#

The empty state and chat state share the same Composer. The composer uses --thread-max-width: 40rem to stay tighter than the typical max-w-3xl:

import {
  AuiIf,
  ThreadPrimitive,
  ComposerPrimitive,
  AttachmentPrimitive,
} from "@assistant-ui/react";

export const Perplexity = () => (
  <ThreadPrimitive.Root
    className="bg-[#f6f2ec] dark:bg-[#171615]"
    style={{ ["--thread-max-width"]: "40rem" }}
    <AuiIf condition={(s) => s.thread.isEmpty}>
      <EmptyState />
    </AuiIf>
    <AuiIf condition={(s) => !s.thread.isEmpty}>
      <ThreadPrimitive.Viewport>
        <ThreadPrimitive.Messages />
        <ThreadPrimitive.ViewportFooter className="sticky bottom-0">
          <Composer placeholder="Ask a follow-up..." />
        </ThreadPrimitive.ViewportFooter>
      </ThreadPrimitive.Viewport>
    </AuiIf>
  </ThreadPrimitive.Root>
);

const Composer = ({ placeholder }) => (
  <ComposerPrimitive.Root className="rounded-3xl border border-[#d7d0c5] bg-[#fcfbf8] dark:border-[#4a433b] dark:bg-[#23211f]">
    <ComposerPrimitive.Input rows={2} placeholder={placeholder} />
    <div className="flex items-center justify-between">
      <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
        <ComposerPrimitive.AddAttachment />
        <SearchModePicker />
      </div>
      <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
        <ModelPicker />
        <ComposerPrimaryAction />
      </div>
    </div>
  </ComposerPrimitive.Root>
);

Functional Search & Model Dropdowns#

import { DropdownMenu, DropdownMenuContent, DropdownMenuItem, DropdownMenuTrigger } from "@/components/ui/dropdown-menu";

const SEARCH_MODES = [
  { id: "search", name: "Search", description: "Fast answers to everyday questions", Icon: Search },
  { id: "research", name: "Research", description: "In-depth reports on complex topics", Icon: Telescope },
  { id: "labs", name: "Labs", description: "Apps, slides, and dashboards", Icon: Sparkles },
];

<DropdownMenu>
  <DropdownMenuTrigger className="rounded-full border border-[#e0d8cb] bg-[#f5f1eb] px-3">
    <CurrentIcon /> {current.name} <ChevronDown />
  </DropdownMenuTrigger>
  <DropdownMenuContent>
    {SEARCH_MODES.map((m) => (
      <DropdownMenuItem onClick={() => setMode(m.id)}>
        {m.id === mode ? <Check /> : <m.Icon />}
        {m.name} — {m.description}
      </DropdownMenuItem>
    ))}
  </DropdownMenuContent>
</DropdownMenu>

The Model picker uses hidden sm:flex so it collapses on mobile and the Search pill keeps room.

Four-State Primary Action#

<AuiIf condition={(s) => s.thread.isRunning}>
  <ComposerPrimitive.Cancel />
</AuiIf>
<AuiIf condition={(s) => s.composer.dictation != null}>
  <ComposerPrimitive.StopDictation />
</AuiIf>
<AuiIf condition={(s) => s.composer.dictation == null && !s.composer.isEmpty}>
  <ComposerPrimitive.Send />
</AuiIf>
<AuiIf condition={(s) => s.composer.dictation == null && s.composer.isEmpty}>
  <ComposerPrimitive.Dictate />
</AuiIf>

The conditions are mutually exclusive in priority order so dictation can be paused even when transcribed text fills the composer.

Color Palette#

Element	Light	Dark
Background	`#f6f2ec`	`#171615`
Composer surface	`#fcfbf8`	`#23211f`
Composer border	`#d7d0c5`	`#4a433b`
Primary text	`#1f1b17`	`#f5f2ed`
Muted text	`#7d7468`	`#a19a91`
Primary action	`#25211c`	`#f5f2ed`
Search pill	`#f5f1eb`	`#2a2724`

Styling Details#

Composer Shell: rounded-3xl card with a soft layered shadow and explicit light/dark borders
Multi-line Input: rows={2} and min-h-20 keep the composer tall like Perplexity's hero input
Wordmark: text-5xl sm:text-[3.1rem] so it stays readable on mobile
User Bubble: rounded-3xl rounded-tr-md (chopped top-right corner) with a subtle border
Assistant Avatar: Search icon on the left of every assistant message
Sticky Footer Gradient: Fade from transparent to the cream background so messages don't sit flush against the composer

Source#