Glass dock
A floating glass pill of icon buttons with always visible labels and arrow key movement.
npx shadcn@latest add https://ui.goodtabs.co/r/glass-dock.json
With the @goodtabs namespace in components.json: npx shadcn@latest add @goodtabs/glass-dock

Four labelled buttons, Home pressed.
Usage
import { GlassDock } from "@/components/ui/glass-dock"
<GlassDock items={[{ label: "Home", icon: <HomeIcon />, active: true }, { label: "Files", icon: <FolderIcon /> }]} />Props
| Prop | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| items | { label: string; icon: ReactNode; onClick?: () => void; active?: boolean }[] | Buttons in order. active sets aria-pressed. | |
| label | string | "Dock" | Accessible name of the toolbar. |
Source
glass-dock/glass-dock.tsx
"use client";
import * as React from "react";
import { GlassSurface } from "@/components/ui/glass-surface";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
export type GlassDockItem = {
label: string;
icon: React.ReactNode;
onClick?: () => void;
active?: boolean;
};
type GlassDockProps = Omit<React.ComponentProps<typeof GlassSurface>, "children"> & {
items: GlassDockItem[];
/** Accessible name of the toolbar. */
label?: string;
};
/**
* A floating pill of glass with icon buttons. Unlike the plain dock, the label is under the icon and always
* visible, so nothing waits on a tooltip. Arrow keys move between buttons.
*/
export function GlassDock({ items, label = "Dock", className, ...props }: GlassDockProps) {
const refs = React.useRef<(HTMLButtonElement | null)[]>([]);
const onKeyDown = (event: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
const index = refs.current.findIndex((el) => el === document.activeElement);
if (index < 0 || !["ArrowRight", "ArrowLeft", "Home", "End"].includes(event.key)) return;
event.preventDefault();
const last = items.length - 1;
const next =
event.key === "Home"
? 0
: event.key === "End"
? last
: event.key === "ArrowRight"
? Math.min(index + 1, last)
: Math.max(index - 1, 0);
refs.current[next]?.focus();
};
return (
<GlassSurface
data-slot="glass-dock"
radius={28}
role="toolbar"
aria-label={label}
onKeyDown={onKeyDown}
className={cn("inline-flex items-center gap-1 rounded-full bg-background/75 p-1.5 text-foreground", className)}
{...props}
>
{items.map((item, i) => (
<button
key={item.label}
ref={(el) => {
refs.current[i] = el;
}}
type="button"
onClick={item.onClick}
aria-pressed={item.active ?? undefined}
className="group/item flex h-14 min-w-14 flex-col items-center justify-center gap-0.5 rounded-full px-2 text-foreground/80 transition-[background-color,color] duration-100 ease-out outline-none hover:bg-foreground/10 hover:text-foreground focus-visible:ring-3 focus-visible:ring-ring/50 aria-pressed:bg-foreground/15 aria-pressed:text-foreground [&_svg]:size-5"
>
{item.icon}
<span className="text-[11px] leading-none">{item.label}</span>
</button>
))}
</GlassSurface>
);
}
components/ui/glass-surface.tsx
"use client";
import * as React from "react";
import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
type GlassSurfaceProps = React.ComponentProps<"div"> & {
/** Corner radius in pixels. Keep it equal to the rounded class on the surface, so the rim follows the edge. */
radius?: number;
/** Width of the bent rim in pixels. */
rim?: number;
/** How far the rim pushes what is behind it, in pixels. */
strength?: number;
/** Frost behind the glass, in pixels. */
blur?: number;
};
/** Distance from a point to the edge of a rounded rectangle centred on the origin. Negative is inside. */
function roundedBoxDistance(x: number, y: number, halfWidth: number, halfHeight: number, radius: number) {
const qx = Math.abs(x) - halfWidth + radius;
const qy = Math.abs(y) - halfHeight + radius;
return Math.hypot(Math.max(qx, 0), Math.max(qy, 0)) + Math.min(Math.max(qx, qy), 0) - radius;
}
/**
* Paints a displacement map: red and green hold how far each pixel is pushed, 128 is no push.
* Inside the rim the push points along the edge normal and falls off with a quarter circle, the
* profile of a lens edge, so the centre of the glass stays flat.
*/
function paintRefractionMap(width: number, height: number, radius: number, rim: number) {
const canvas = document.createElement("canvas");
canvas.width = width;
canvas.height = height;
const context = canvas.getContext("2d");
if (!context) return null;
const image = context.createImageData(width, height);
const halfWidth = width / 2;
const halfHeight = height / 2;
for (let py = 0; py < height; py++) {
for (let px = 0; px < width; px++) {
const x = px + 0.5 - halfWidth;
const y = py + 0.5 - halfHeight;
const edge = roundedBoxDistance(x, y, halfWidth, halfHeight, radius);
const depth = Math.min(Math.max(-edge / rim, 0), 1);
const bend = 1 - Math.sqrt(1 - (1 - depth) * (1 - depth));
// The edge normal, by central differences on the distance field.
const nx = roundedBoxDistance(x + 1, y, halfWidth, halfHeight, radius) - roundedBoxDistance(x - 1, y, halfWidth, halfHeight, radius);
const ny = roundedBoxDistance(x, y + 1, halfWidth, halfHeight, radius) - roundedBoxDistance(x, y - 1, halfWidth, halfHeight, radius);
const length = Math.hypot(nx, ny) || 1;
const at = (py * width + px) * 4;
image.data[at] = 128 - (nx / length) * bend * 127;
image.data[at + 1] = 128 - (ny / length) * bend * 127;
image.data[at + 2] = 128;
image.data[at + 3] = 255;
}
}
context.putImageData(image, 0, 0);
return canvas.toDataURL();
}
/**
* A pane of glass. Chromium bends what is behind it with an SVG filter; every other browser gets the
* frosted fallback, which is the same surface without the bent rim. Either way the pane keeps enough
* fill to hold text, and it turns solid for people who ask for less transparency.
*/
function GlassSurface({
radius = 12,
rim = 14,
strength = 40,
blur = 6,
className,
style,
children,
...props
}: GlassSurfaceProps) {
const id = React.useId().replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, "");
const surface = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
const [map, setMap] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
React.useEffect(() => {
const el = surface.current;
if (!el) return;
// backdrop-filter with a url() only renders in Chromium, and other browsers can parse it and draw nothing.
if (!("userAgentData" in navigator) || !CSS.supports("backdrop-filter", "url(#a)")) return;
const paint = () => {
const width = Math.round(el.clientWidth);
const height = Math.round(el.clientHeight);
if (width > 0 && height > 0) setMap(paintRefractionMap(width, height, radius, rim));
};
const observer = new ResizeObserver(paint);
observer.observe(el);
return () => observer.disconnect();
}, [radius, rim]);
const refracting = map !== null;
return (
<div
ref={surface}
data-slot="glass-surface"
data-refracting={refracting || undefined}
className={cn(
"relative border bg-background/50 shadow-[inset_0_1px_0_0_color-mix(in_oklab,var(--foreground)_8%,transparent)] backdrop-blur-md contrast-more:bg-background [@media(prefers-reduced-transparency:reduce)]:bg-background [@media(prefers-reduced-transparency:reduce)]:backdrop-blur-none",
className,
)}
style={refracting ? { ...style, backdropFilter: `url(#${id})` } : style}
{...props}
>
{refracting ? (
<svg aria-hidden="true" width="0" height="0" className="absolute">
<filter id={id} x="0" y="0" width="100%" height="100%" colorInterpolationFilters="sRGB">
<feImage href={map ?? undefined} preserveAspectRatio="none" result="map" />
<feGaussianBlur in="SourceGraphic" stdDeviation={blur} result="frost" />
<feDisplacementMap in="frost" in2="map" scale={strength} xChannelSelector="R" yChannelSelector="G" />
</filter>
</svg>
) : null}
{children}
</div>
);
}
export { GlassSurface };
For AI agents
Hand your agent this page, the markdown at /components/glass-dock/prompt.md, or the Copy AI prompt button above.
When to use
- Three to six actions over imagery, such as a player or a viewer
- When the label must be visible without hover
When not to use
- Page navigation with links: use the dock, which renders anchors and tooltips
- On touch only layouts where the labels are too small
Agent notes
- Unlike dock, the label sits under the icon and is always visible, and there are no tooltips or links
- A role=toolbar with arrow keys, Home and End; the active button is aria-pressed
- It takes functions, so a demo that passes onClick must be a client component
- Glass needs something behind it: it bends and frosts what sits under it, so on a flat background it reads as a grey box