Use when adding, debugging, or refactoring a shadcn ui Dialog (a focus- trapped modal that overlays the page), composing its ten primitives (Dialog / DialogTrigger / DialogPortal / DialogOverlay / DialogContent / DialogHeader / DialogFooter / DialogTitle / DialogDescription / DialogClose), deciding between controlled (`open` + `onOpenChange`) and uncontrolled (`defaultOpen` or no state at all) operation, visually hiding the title with an sr-only span while keeping screen- reader compliance, closing the dialog after a form submit, swapping the default close button via `showCloseButton={false}` on DialogContent, retargeting the portal container, or wrapping a custom button via `<DialogClose asChild>`. Prevents the canonical Dialog failures : passing `open` without `onOpenChange` (the dialog becomes read-only and uncloseable), omitting DialogTitle (Radix dev-mode throws an a11y warning + axe flags it as critical), rendering DialogContent outside DialogPortal (z-index conflicts and stacking-context bugs in transf
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Use when adding, debugging, or refactoring a shadcn ui Dialog (a focus- trapped modal that overlays the page), composing its ten primitives (Dialog / DialogTrigger / DialogPortal / DialogOverlay / DialogContent / DialogHeader / DialogFooter / DialogTitle / DialogDescription / DialogClose), deciding between controlled (`open` + `onOpenChange`) and uncontrolled (`defaultOpen` or no state at all) operation, visually hiding the title with an sr-only span while keeping screen- reader compliance, closing the dialog after a form submit, swapping the default close button via `showCloseButton={false}` on DialogContent, retargeting the portal container, or wrapping a custom button via `<DialogClose asChild>`. Prevents the canonical Dialog failures : passing `open` without `onOpenChange` (the dialog becomes read-only and uncloseable), omitting DialogTitle (Radix dev-mode throws an a11y warning + axe flags it as critical), rendering DialogContent outside DialogPortal (z-index conflicts and stacking-context bugs in transformed ancestors), using `<DialogClose asChild>` with a non-button child whose component swallows merged props, missing the synchronous `onOpenChange(false)` call inside a form-submit handler so the dialog stays open after success, and stacking nested dialogs without separate portal containers so the inner dialog ends up beneath the outer overlay. Covers the ten dialog primitives verbatim from `apps/v4/registry/ new-york-v4/ui/dialog.tsx`, the controlled-state contract that Radix enforces, the implicit Portal+Overlay wrap inside DialogContent, the v4 `showCloseButton` prop on DialogContent and DialogFooter, the mandatory `"use client"` directive, the `data-state="open|closed"` attribute used for enter/exit animation, the sr-only DialogTitle pattern via VisuallyHidden, the `aria-describedby={undefined}` opt-out, the `container` prop on DialogPortal for stacking-context fixes, and the pointer to the responsive Dialog-on-desktop / Drawer-on-mobile recipe. Keywords: shadcn dialog, modal, popup, DialogTitle, DialogTrigger, DialogContent, DialogPortal, DialogOverlay, DialogClose, DialogHeader, DialogFooter, DialogDescription, controlled dialog, uncontrolled dialog, open onOpenChange, defaultOpen, showCloseButton, modal prop, focus trap, Esc to close, sr-only DialogTitle, VisuallyHidden Title, aria-describedby undefined, dialog accessibility warning, missing DialogTitle warning, Radix dialog console warning, asChild dialog close, dialog form submit, close dialog after submit, dialog z-index, dialog Portal stacking context, Portal container, nested dialogs, how do I open a modal, how do I close a modal, modal not closing, dialog stays open after submit, dialog cannot be closed, dialog read-only, dialog open prop required, dialog stuck open, dialog blank screen.
license
MIT
compatibility
Designed for Claude Code. Requires shadcn ui evergreen-2026.
metadata
{"author":"OpenAEC-Foundation","version":"1.0"}
shadcn ui : Dialog Syntax
The Dialog component is shadcn's reference focus-trapped modal. It wraps the Radix Dialog primitive, adds default styling, and exposes a ten-part composition surface. Every dialog-shaped primitive in the catalogue (AlertDialog, Sheet, Drawer, CommandDialog, the mobile Sidebar variant) is either a thin extension of this surface or a parallel implementation following the same controlled-state and a11y contract. Mastering Dialog means mastering the whole family.
Quick Reference
The 10 primitives
Primitive
Purpose
Dialog
Root state container ; owns open / onOpenChange / defaultOpen / modal
<DialogContent><DialogHeader><DialogTitle>Are you sure?</DialogTitle><DialogDescription>This will permanently delete the file.</DialogDescription></DialogHeader><DialogFooter><DialogCloseasChild><Buttonvariant="outline">Cancel</Button></DialogClose><Buttonvariant="destructive">Delete</Button></DialogFooter></DialogContent>
Dialog
Notice : no open / onOpenChange props. Radix manages state internally. DialogTrigger and DialogClose update it.
Five invariants
ALWAYS provide a DialogTitle. NEVER omit it ; Radix logs a dev-mode warning and axe-core flags missing accessible-name as critical.
ALWAYS either control BOTH open and onOpenChange, or control NEITHER. NEVER pass open alone (the dialog becomes a frozen prop with no way to close it).
ALWAYS keep the "use client" directive at the top of components/ui/dialog.tsx. NEVER strip it ; Dialog uses Radix client-only hooks and a Portal.
ALWAYS render <DialogContent> directly (it wraps itself in DialogPortal + DialogOverlay). NEVER hand-wrap DialogContent in your own portal unless you are deliberately retargeting container, in which case use the explicit <DialogPortal container={el}> form.
ALWAYS wrap a non-default close affordance via <DialogClose asChild> so a single child receives the click handler. NEVER place two children inside <DialogClose asChild> (Radix Slot rejects multi-child).
Decision Tree 1 : Controlled or uncontrolled?
Q1. Do you need the dialog state to MIRROR a value outside the dialog
(e.g., a `selectedId` URL param, a Zustand store, a parent form
state, an effect that opens the dialog on data-arrival)?
no -> uncontrolled. Use <Dialog> with no props.
yes -> Q2
Q2. Are you willing to OWN both `open` and `onOpenChange` (every render
you write must pass both, and onOpenChange must call setOpen)?
no -> stay uncontrolled and lift state via a ref or event callback
on the trigger element ; do NOT pass `open` alone.
yes -> ALWAYS pass <Dialog open={state} onOpenChange={setState}>.
Implement onOpenChange as a STABLE setter that accepts a
boolean and writes it to your state container.
NEVER pass open without onOpenChange. Radix treats the prop as authoritative and ignores Trigger/Close/Esc, leaving the dialog frozen in its initial open state.
NEVER pass onOpenChange without open. The callback fires but the displayed state is still uncontrolled, so your handler runs against stale closed state.
For a one-shot "default to open on mount" without ongoing control, use <Dialog defaultOpen> and skip controlled state entirely.
Decision Tree 2 : Where should DialogContent render?
Q1. Is the dialog inside a transformed ancestor (any element with
`transform`, `filter`, `perspective`, `will-change`, or a CSS
container query that creates a new stacking context)?
no -> default. <DialogContent> auto-portals to document.body.
Nothing extra to do.
yes -> Q2
Q2. Does the dialog NEED to be visually anchored inside the
transformed ancestor (rare ; almost always a design mistake) ?
no -> default. Auto-portal escapes the stacking context and
the dialog renders correctly on top of everything.
yes -> Use the EXPLICIT portal form :
<DialogPortal container={hostElement}>
<DialogContent>...</DialogContent>
</DialogPortal>
and accept that the dialog is constrained to the
ancestor's stacking context.
DialogContent already calls DialogPortal + DialogOverlay internally (verified verbatim from apps/v4/registry/new-york-v4/ui/dialog.tsx). The explicit <DialogPortal> is only required when you must override container or forceMount.
Decision Tree 3 : Hide the title visually but keep a11y?
Q1. Does the dialog need a VISIBLE title?
yes -> <DialogTitle>Heading</DialogTitle>. Done.
no -> Q2
Q2. Does the dialog still need to ANNOUNCE a name to screen readers?
(yes : every dialog does, per WAI-ARIA Dialog pattern)
-> ALWAYS wrap DialogTitle in `sr-only` :
<DialogTitle className="sr-only">Settings</DialogTitle>
OR use the Radix VisuallyHidden primitive :
<VisuallyHidden asChild><DialogTitle>Settings</DialogTitle></VisuallyHidden>
NEVER drop DialogTitle entirely.
The sr-only className route is the shadcn-canonical pattern and what the Sidebar mobile variant uses internally (per issue #5746, 49 reactions).
The 10 primitives in detail
Dialog (Root)
Owns the state. Props :
open?: boolean : controlled visibility. PAIR WITH onOpenChange.
onOpenChange?: (open: boolean) => void : called when Radix wants to change visibility (Trigger click, Close click, Esc, pointer-down-outside, programmatic).
modal?: boolean (default true) : when true, focus is trapped and the rest of the page is aria-hidden ; when false, the page stays interactive (rarely useful).
ALWAYS choose either defaultOpen or open+onOpenChange. NEVER both ; Radix prefers the controlled prop and ignores the default.
DialogTrigger
Element that toggles open to true. Default render is a <button type="button">. Use asChild to wrap any focusable element. Receives the data-state="open|closed" attribute for styling.
onOpenAutoFocus?: (event) => void : called when focus moves into the content on open. event.preventDefault() to keep focus where it was.
onCloseAutoFocus?: (event) => void : called when focus moves back on close.
onEscapeKeyDown?: (event) => void : called when Esc is pressed. event.preventDefault() to keep open.
onPointerDownOutside?: (event) => void : called when user clicks outside. event.preventDefault() to keep open.
onInteractOutside?: (event) => void : union of pointer-down-outside + focus-outside.
forceMount?: boolean : keep mounted for custom exit animation.
ALWAYS render exactly ONE <DialogContent> per <Dialog>. NEVER conditionally render two and toggle which is shown.
DialogHeader
Pure layout div with flex flex-col gap-2 text-center sm:text-left. Not a Radix part ; safe to omit if your layout differs.
DialogFooter
Layout div with flex flex-col-reverse gap-2 sm:flex-row sm:justify-end. shadcn evergreen-2026 adds an optional showCloseButton?: boolean (default false) that auto-renders a <DialogClose asChild><Button variant="outline">Close</Button></DialogClose> at the end of the children.
DialogTitle
REQUIRED. Renders an <h2> with the dialog's accessible name. Without it, Radix logs DialogContent requires a DialogTitle for the component to be accessible for screen reader users. and axe-core flags the dialog as missing an accessible name (rule aria-dialog-name, severity critical).
To hide visually : <DialogTitle className="sr-only">…</DialogTitle> or wrap with <VisuallyHidden asChild>.
DialogDescription
Optional supplemental text. If you intentionally omit it, ALSO pass aria-describedby={undefined} to <DialogContent> to suppress the Radix warning about a missing description element.
DialogClose
Closes the dialog. Default render is a <button type="button">. asChild to wrap any focusable element. Useful in DialogFooter for an explicit "Cancel" button.
The WAI-ARIA Dialog pattern requires every modal dialog to have an accessible name. Radix Dialog implements this by reading <DialogTitle> and wiring it via aria-labelledby. If DialogTitle is missing :
Radix logs a development warning to the console.
axe-core / axe DevTools / Lighthouse a11y audit flag the dialog as critical (no accessible name).
Screen-reader users hear "dialog" with no further context.
This applies to EVERY dialog, including the mobile Sidebar variant (issue #5746, 49 reactions) and CommandDialog from cmdk.
The fix is always the same : add a DialogTitle, with sr-only if invisible. See references/examples.md for the visually-hidden recipe.
Portal rendering and z-index
<DialogPortal> mounts its children inside document.body by default. This means :
The dialog escapes any overflow: hidden, transform, filter, or will-change ancestor that would otherwise clip it.
The dialog renders at the top of the DOM, so a z-50 from the shadcn DialogOverlay sits above any non-portalled z-* value below 50 in the rest of the tree.
Nested dialogs MUST each use their own portal scope. The inner dialog's overlay automatically stacks above the outer (later DOM order = later in document.body), as long as both go through DialogPortal.
Note : when you take over DialogPortal manually, you ALSO render <DialogOverlay /> yourself ; DialogContent only auto-wraps if you let it.
NEVER place a <DialogContent> directly without either auto-portal or explicit DialogPortal. Z-index ordering becomes ancestor-dependent and unpredictable.
RSC and the "use client" directive
The shadcn dialog.tsx ships with "use client" at the top. This is non-negotiable :
Radix Dialog uses React Context internally.
Dialog state, focus trapping, and Portal mounting all run client-side.
The data-state attribute toggles via React state, not server render.
ALWAYS keep "use client" in components/ui/dialog.tsx. NEVER strip it ; the file imports radix-ui which requires a client boundary.
Components that consume <Dialog> may live in Server Components, but the dialog file itself draws the client boundary. See shadcn-impl-rsc-vs-client-boundaries for the broader RSC contract.
Form-inside-dialog : close after submit
The canonical pattern when the dialog body contains a form :
const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
functiononSubmit(values) {
awaitsaveProfile(values)
setOpen(false) // ALWAYS synchronously after the await
}
ALWAYS call setOpen(false) (or whatever your onOpenChange setter is) inside the success branch of the submit handler. NEVER rely on the form's submit-button being a <DialogClose> : if validation fails, <DialogClose> still fires and closes the dialog before the user sees the error.
Full recipe in references/examples.md.
Companion Skills
shadcn-syntax-sheet : Dialog with a side prop ; same controlled-state contract, side-panel UX, larger content. Read when the surface should slide in from an edge instead of centring.
shadcn-syntax-drawer : Vaul-backed bottom-sheet for mobile ; same a11y contract (DrawerTitle required) but different primitive. Read when the surface is mobile-first.
shadcn-impl-responsive-dialog-drawer : Dialog-on-desktop / Drawer-on-mobile recipe using useMediaQuery. Read when the same UI must adapt across viewports.
shadcn-errors-radix-controlled : the controlled-state failure catalogue across all Radix primitives, including open-without-onOpenChange, Slot multi-child crashes, and Portal stacking-context surprises.
shadcn-syntax-button : the asChild pattern used by DialogTrigger and DialogClose.
Reference Links
references/methods.md : full prop signatures for all ten primitives, controlled-state pair, showCloseButton toggle, data-attributes.
