> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customize the chat results carousel

> Customize how the chat widget renders Algolia search results and recommendations in a carousel with React InstantSearch.

<div className="not-prose algolia-flavor-switcher">
  <div className="afs-dropdown">
    <div className="afs-trigger" role="button" tabIndex="0" aria-haspopup="listbox">
      <span className="afs-current">React</span>

      <svg className="afs-chevron lucide lucide-chevron-down" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" aria-hidden="true">
        <path d="m6 9 6 6 6-6" />
      </svg>
    </div>

    <ul className="afs-menu" role="listbox">
      <li role="option" aria-selected="false"><a className="afs-option" href="/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/results-carousel/js"><span className="afs-option-name">JavaScript</span><span className="afs-option-lib">InstantSearch.js</span></a></li>
      <li role="option" aria-selected="true"><a className="afs-option is-current" href="/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/results-carousel/react"><span className="afs-option-name">React</span><span className="afs-option-lib">React InstantSearch</span></a></li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</div>

<Note>
  This is the **React InstantSearch v7** documentation.
  If you're upgrading from v6, see the [upgrade guide](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/upgrade-guides/react/#migrate-from-react-instantsearch-v6-to-react-instantsearch-v7).
  If you were using React InstantSearch Hooks,
  this v7 documentation applies—just check for [necessary changes](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/upgrade-guides/react/#migrate-from-react-instantsearch-hooks-to-react-instantsearch-v7).
  To continue using v6, you can find the [archived documentation](https://algolia.com/old-docs/deprecated/instantsearch/react/v6/api-reference/instantsearch/).
</Note>

When the agent searches your index, the [`<Chat>`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/react) widget renders the results in a built-in carousel. You can customize it at three levels, from the least to the most involved:

1. Restyle the default carousel with CSS.
2. Change the markup of each result card with the [`itemComponent`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/react) prop.
3. Replace the entire carousel layout by overriding the search tool.

## Restyle the default carousel with CSS

If the default structure works and you only want a different look, target the carousel's CSS classes. The search-results carousel uses classes prefixed with `ais-ChatToolSearchIndexCarousel` (for example, `ais-ChatToolSearchIndexCarouselHeader`). See the [styling guide](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/styling/react) for the full approach.

## Customize each result card

Use the [`itemComponent`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/react) prop to change what each card in the carousel looks like. The same component is used by both the search-results and recommendations carousels. It receives a single record:

```jsx React icon=code theme={"system"}
import { liteClient as algoliasearch } from "algoliasearch/lite";
import { Chat, InstantSearch } from "react-instantsearch";

const searchClient = algoliasearch(
  "ALGOLIA_APPLICATION_ID",
  "ALGOLIA_SEARCH_ONLY_API_KEY"
);

function ProductCard({ item }) {
  return (
    <article className="product-card">
      <img src={item.image} alt={item.name} />
      <h3>{item.name}</h3>
      <span className="product-card-price">${item.price}</span>
    </article>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <InstantSearch searchClient={searchClient}>
      <Chat agentId="YOUR_AGENT_ID" itemComponent={ProductCard} />
    </InstantSearch>
  );
}
```

For most stores, this is enough: you swap in your own product-card markup and the carousel behavior (header, scroll buttons, "View all") stays as-is.

## Replace the entire carousel layout

To change more than the cards—such as the header, the scroll controls, or the wrapper—override the tool that renders the carousel. Import the tool type and use it as a key in the [`tools`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/react) prop:

* `SearchIndexToolType` renders the search-results carousel.
* `RecommendToolType` renders the recommendations carousel.

Both are exported from `react-instantsearch`. Whatever you pass under a tool key fully replaces the built-in rendering for that tool.

```jsx React icon=code expandable theme={"system"}
import { Chat, SearchIndexToolType } from "react-instantsearch";

function ResultsCarousel({ message, sendEvent }) {
  const items = message.output?.hits || [];

  if (items.length === 0) {
    return <p>No results found.</p>;
  }

  return (
    <div className="MyCarousel">
      <div className="MyCarousel-header">
        {items.length} of {message.output?.nbHits} results
      </div>
      <div className="MyCarousel-track">
        {items.map((item) => (
          <article
            className="MyCarousel-item"
            key={item.objectID}
            onClick={() => sendEvent("click", item, "Product clicked from chat")}
          >
            <img src={item.image} alt={item.name} />
            <h3>{item.name}</h3>
            <span>${item.price}</span>
          </article>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <Chat
      agentId="YOUR_AGENT_ID"
      tools={{
        [SearchIndexToolType]: {
          layoutComponent: ResultsCarousel,
        },
      }}
    />
  );
}
```

The `layoutComponent` receives:

* `message`. The tool call message. The result is on `message.output` (`hits`, `nbHits`, `queryID`); the agent's parameters are on `message.input`.
* `sendEvent`. Sends `click` or `conversion` events for the result, using the [`insights`](/doc/api-reference/widgets/insights/react) middleware.
* `applyFilters` and `onClose`. Apply filters to the InstantSearch UI state, or dismiss the tool's UI.

<Note>
  Overriding a tool changes only how the result is **displayed** in the chat. The tool itself—its name, when the agent calls it, and its parameters—is configured on the agent in the [Agent Studio dashboard](/doc/guides/algolia-ai/agent-studio/how-to/dashboard#client-side-tools).
</Note>

## Related

* [Chat widget reference](/doc/api-reference/widgets/chat/react)
* [Show starter prompts on the chat welcome screen](/doc/guides/building-search-ui/going-further/chat-customization/welcome-screen/react)
* [insights middleware](/doc/api-reference/widgets/insights/react)
* [Agent Studio](/doc/guides/algolia-ai/agent-studio)