🧩 Tambo Series
A practical, hands-on guide to building generative UI in React using Tambo.
Part 2 of 7
Hook
You’ve seen what Tambo is and why generative UI matters.
Now it’s time to actually use it.
In this article, we’ll go from zero to a working Tambo app — no theory overload, no deep internals — just enough setup to see generative UI come alive inside a React app.
What you’ll learn
- How to install and set up Tambo in a React project
- The minimum configuration required to run it
- How generative UI behaves once it’s wired up
- What “success” looks like in your first Tambo app
Context — from idea to first interaction
In Part 1, we talked about why Tambo exists and how generative UI changes the way interfaces are built.
This part is intentionally practical.
The goal isn’t mastery — it’s confidence.
By the end of this article, you should feel comfortable saying:
“Okay, I can run Tambo. I see how it works. I get the vibe.”
Once that mental barrier is gone, everything else becomes easier.
Core concept — the simplest possible Tambo setup
1️⃣ Starting with a basic React app
Tambo is designed to live inside a normal React application.
You don’t need a special framework or architecture.
If you already have a React app (Vite, Next.js, etc.), you’re good to go.
If not, starting with a fresh one is totally fine — the quickstart example does exactly that.
The key idea: Tambo doesn’t replace React. It extends it.
2️⃣ Installing Tambo
Once your app exists, installing Tambo is straightforward.
You add the Tambo package, then provide it with:
- an AI provider (like OpenAI)
- a small configuration layer
- a place in your React tree to live
Nothing magical yet — just wiring.
This is intentional.
Tambo wants to feel like a normal React dependency, not a black box.
3️⃣ Minimal configuration (what actually matters)
At a high level, Tambo needs three things:
- An API key (for the AI model)
- A Tambo provider wrapping your app
- At least one generative component
That’s it.
No prompt engineering.
No complex schemas.
No deep lifecycle hooks.
The quickstart keeps everything minimal so you can focus on behavior, not setup.
4️⃣ Your first generative UI moment
This is where things get interesting.
In the example app, you’ll see a component that:
- Accepts user input
- Passes intent to Tambo
- Lets the AI decide what UI to render next
Instead of hardcoding:
“If the user clicks X, show component Y”
You’ll notice that:
- The UI adapts
- The response isn’t fully predetermined
- The interface feels alive
This is the moment where generative UI “clicks.”
🧩 Example — Thinking in Generative UI (No Code Yet)
Instead of hard-coding UI states, Tambo lets the interface generate itself based on user intent.
Here’s the mental model:
- User types something
- Tambo interprets the intent
- The UI adapts on the fly
No condition spaghetti. No if/else hell.
What’s happening conceptually?
- The UI is conversation-driven
- Components are rendered based on meaning, not routes
- The experience feels closer to chatting than clicking
This approach shines when you’re building:
- Dashboards with many states
- AI-powered tools
- Exploratory or assistant-style apps
💡 Think less “page navigation” and more “UI responding to thought”.
Why this matters
Traditional UI:
- You predict every possible path ❌
- You wire everything manually ❌
Generative UI with Tambo:
- The system adapts dynamically ✅
- Less boilerplate, more flow ✅
If your app talks back to the user, this model just makes sense.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ❌ Expecting “magic” without configuration
- ❌ Trying to understand all of Tambo at once
- ❌ Overengineering the first setup
- ❌ Treating Tambo like a chatbot instead of a UI system
Keep it simple. Let the tool show you what it’s good at.
Quick recap
- Tambo plugs into a normal React app
- Setup is intentionally minimal
- Generative UI means UI decisions aren’t fully hardcoded
- The first goal is confidence, not complexity
- Seeing it run once changes how you think about UI
Next in the Tambo Series
Part 3 — Understanding Tambo Components
We’ll break down generative vs interactable components and build a clear mental model for how Tambo decides what to render and when.
📌 Tambo Series
Tambo Series — A practical, hands-on guide to building generative UI in React using Tambo.
📖 Full series index: tambo-series
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