Source: https://ai-sdk.dev/elements/components/inline-citation

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Inline Citation

A hoverable citation component that displays source information and quotes inline with text, perfect for AI-generated content with references.

The InlineCitation component provides a way to display citations inline with text content, similar to academic papers or research documents. It consists of a citation pill that shows detailed source information on hover, making it perfect for AI-generated content that needs to reference sources.

Preview

Code

According to recent studies, artificial intelligence has shown remarkable progress in natural language processing. The technology continues to evolve rapidly, with new breakthroughs being announced regularlyexample.com +5.

Installation

AI Elements

shadcn CLI

Manual

npx ai-elements@latest add inline-citation

Usage with AI SDK

Build citations for AI-generated content using experimental_generateObject .

Add the following component to your frontend:

app/page.tsx

'use client';

import { experimental_useObject as useObject } from '@ai-sdk/react';
import {
  InlineCitation,
  InlineCitationText,
  InlineCitationCard,
  InlineCitationCardTrigger,
  InlineCitationCardBody,
  InlineCitationCarousel,
  InlineCitationCarouselContent,
  InlineCitationCarouselItem,
  InlineCitationCarouselHeader,
  InlineCitationCarouselIndex,
  InlineCitationCarouselPrev,
  InlineCitationCarouselNext,
  InlineCitationSource,
  InlineCitationQuote,
} from '@/components/ai-elements/inline-citation';
import { Button } from '@/components/ui/button';
import { citationSchema } from '@/app/api/citation/route';

const CitationDemo = () => {
  const { object, submit, isLoading } = useObject({
    api: '/api/citation',
    schema: citationSchema,
  });

  const handleSubmit = (topic: string) => {
    submit({ prompt: topic });
  };

  return (
    <div className="max-w-4xl mx-auto p-6 space-y-6">
      <div className="flex gap-2 mb-6">
        <Button
          onClick={() => handleSubmit('artificial intelligence')}
          disabled={isLoading}
          variant="outline"
        >
          Generate AI Content
        </Button>
        <Button
          onClick={() => handleSubmit('climate change')}
          disabled={isLoading}
          variant="outline"
        >
          Generate Climate Content
        </Button>
      </div>

      {isLoading && !object && (
        <div className="text-muted-foreground">
          Generating content with citations...
        </div>
      )}

      {object?.content && (
        <div className="prose prose-sm max-w-none">
          <p className="leading-relaxed">
            {object.content.split(/(\[\d+\])/).map((part, index) => {
              const citationMatch = part.match(/\[(\d+)\]/);
              if (citationMatch) {
                const citationNumber = citationMatch[1];
                const citation = object.citations?.find(
                  (c: any) => c.number === citationNumber,
                );

                if (citation) {
                  return (
                    <InlineCitation key={index}>
                      <InlineCitationCard>
                        <InlineCitationCardTrigger sources={[citation.url]} />
                        <InlineCitationCardBody>
                          <InlineCitationCarousel>
                            <InlineCitationCarouselHeader>
                              <InlineCitationCarouselPrev />
                              <InlineCitationCarouselNext />
                              <InlineCitationCarouselIndex />
                            </InlineCitationCarouselHeader>
                            <InlineCitationCarouselContent>
                              <InlineCitationCarouselItem>
                                <InlineCitationSource
                                  title={citation.title}
                                  url={citation.url}
                                  description={citation.description}
                                />
                                {citation.quote && (
                                  <InlineCitationQuote>
                                    {citation.quote}
                                  </InlineCitationQuote>
                                )}
                              </InlineCitationCarouselItem>
                            </InlineCitationCarouselContent>
                          </InlineCitationCarousel>
                        </InlineCitationCardBody>
                      </InlineCitationCard>
                    </InlineCitation>
                  );
                }
              }
              return part;
            })}
          </p>
        </div>
      )}
    </div>
  );
};

export default CitationDemo;

Add the following route to your backend:

app/api/citation/route.ts

import { streamObject } from 'ai';
import { z } from 'zod';

export const citationSchema = z.object({
  content: z.string(),
  citations: z.array(
    z.object({
      number: z.string(),
      title: z.string(),
      url: z.string(),
      description: z.string().optional(),
      quote: z.string().optional(),
    }),
  ),
});

// Allow streaming responses up to 30 seconds
export const maxDuration = 30;

export async function POST(req: Request) {
  const { prompt } = await req.json();

  const result = streamObject({
    model: 'openai/gpt-4o',
    schema: citationSchema,
    prompt: `Generate a well-researched paragraph about ${prompt} with proper citations. 
    
    Include:
    - A comprehensive paragraph with inline citations marked as [1], [2], etc.
    - 2-3 citations with realistic source information
    - Each citation should have a title, URL, and optional description/quote
    - Make the content informative and the sources credible
    
    Format citations as numbered references within the text.`,
  });

  return result.toTextStreamResponse();
}

Features