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Skeleton

Placeholder shapes that match the final layout, so the page does not jump when content arrives.

In Brand expressive

See it live​

Start Storybook to see it live: npm run storybook
Live from StorybookOpen Skeleton in StorybookSee it in dark

When to use it​

In Brand expressive: Images while they load.

  • Use it when: Lists, cards, dashboards and tables whose shape is known.
  • Not when: A wait with no layout (spinner), or a region that loaded empty (empty).

Instead:

  • Spinner: A wait with no layout.
  • Empty: Loaded, with nothing to show.

Words​

  • Headlines are short and bold. Three to six words.
  • Verbs that move: Join, Try, Go.
  • Playful in headlines, plain in errors.
  • Use: Join, Drop, Go, Love. Avoid: Synergy, Leverage, Kindly.

The labels components use, from the voice tokens:

  • content.action.commit: Go
  • content.action.cancel: Not now
  • content.action.destroy: Remove
  • content.action.retry: Try again
  • content.action.empty-action: Explore the drop

See Voice and tone for the whole voice.

Accessibility and keyboard​

Test before you ship:

  • The region says it is loading; the shapes themselves are hidden from screen readers. undefined

Use it in code​

npx open-ds add skeleton

The component reads only component keys and semantic tokens, so it follows the brand and mode on <html>.

Tokens it reads​

Skeleton reads 2 tokens of its own, each an alias of a semantic token. Each row is one part: its own token, the semantic it aliases, and the value it ends at. Change a semantic and every component that reads it follows; override one of Skeleton's tokens to change Skeleton alone.

Changes with theme

Brand expressive decides what changes when you switch theme. Here a switch changes colors only, so the marked rows differ between light and dark; everything else holds steady.

PartIts token and the semantic it aliasesValue
Skeleton
Cornercomponent.skeleton.radiusradius.controlvar(--skeleton-radius)radius.999:9999px
Fill
Changes with theme		component.skeleton.backgroundcolor.surface.sunkenvar(--skeleton-background)Lighttaupe.light.100:#FCEFE6Darktaupe.dark.100:#33241F