htmx-recipes

Development

Implement common htmx interaction recipes in server-rendered web apps. Use when building lazy loading, boosted links/forms, active search, inline validation, delete buttons, CSS transitions, form reset, optimistic updates, pagination, infinite scroll, toggled selection, polling, custom dialogs, request headers, click-to-edit, or HTML/JSON endpoint splits.

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htmx Recipes

Use this skill when the feature is a recognizable htmx interaction pattern. Start from the recipe shape, then adapt it to the framework's routing, forms, templates, and tests.

Recipe Selection

Need	Pattern
Enhance normal links/forms	`hx-boost` with full-page fallback
Load content on reveal or page load	lazy loading with `hx-get` and a non-chatty trigger
Validate an input or form section	targeted validation request with debounce
Remove an item	mutation endpoint plus target removal or refreshed list
Animate an inserted/removed fragment	CSS transitions coordinated with swap timing/classes
Clear a successful form	return a fresh form fragment or trigger local reset
Search as the user types	debounced active search into a results target
Show success before server confirms	optimistic update with explicit rollback/reconcile plan
Page through results	links/buttons that replace the list and pagination controls
Append more results	infinite scroll sentinel that appends and replaces itself
Toggle selected state	server-owned selection for durable state, local state for transient UI
Poll for changing state	bounded polling with a stop condition
Open custom dialogs	server-rendered modal body plus events for close/focus
Add request headers	one global hook for cross-cutting headers
Click to edit	display fragment -> edit form fragment -> display fragment
Serve both HTML and JSON	separate endpoints or explicit content negotiation

General Workflow

Build the plain server-rendered version first.
Identify the smallest component whose HTML changes.
Add htmx attributes to the existing link, form, button, or sentinel.
Return partials that match stable targets.
Add loading, disabled, empty, and error states.
Add accessibility checks for focus, keyboard, labels, and announcements.
Test the fragment response and the fallback path.

Boosting

Use hx-boost when links/forms already work without htmx.
Confirm boosted forms still include CSRF and validation behavior.
Avoid boosting pages with large script-driven lifecycle assumptions.
Use real URLs because boosted navigation still represents navigation.

Lazy Loading

Use lazy loading for expensive panels, secondary data, or below-the-fold content.
Show a stable placeholder with the same dimensions as the loaded content.
Avoid lazy loading critical content that affects initial accessibility or SEO.
Cache server work when repeated reveals would otherwise be expensive.

Validation

Keep server validation authoritative.
Use debounce for per-field requests.
Target the field wrapper or form section that contains the error message.
Return normal form markup with errors; avoid a JSON validation side channel.
Ensure full submit performs the same validation.

Delete And Reset

Require a mutation method for destructive actions.
Use hx-confirm for simple confirmations and a custom dialog only when design demands it.
For delete, either remove the item target or return a refreshed list when counts/order/filtering change.
For reset, prefer returning a fresh form fragment after success so server defaults are preserved.

Search, Pagination, And Infinite Scroll

Put query state in the URL when users should be able to share or refresh it.
Debounce active search and cancel stale work where the framework supports it.
Replace the result list for search/filter/sort changes.
Append for infinite scroll only when ordering is stable.
Include a fresh sentinel or "next" control in the appended response until there are no more pages.

Optimistic Updates

Use optimistic UI only when the failure mode is acceptable and reversible.

Mark optimistic elements so they can be reconciled with the server response.
Disable repeat actions while a request is in flight.
Return the canonical server-rendered component after success.
Show a visible rollback/error state after failure.

Polling

Use polling for short-lived background state, not for every realtime problem.
Choose a reasonable interval and stop when the work is done.
Return a small fragment, not an entire page.
Escalate to htmx-realtime when updates are frequent, multi-client, or event-driven.

Dialogs And Click-To-Edit

Render modal/dialog contents on the server when they include server-owned data.
Keep the dialog shell stable if local focus/escape behavior owns it.
Use events to close the dialog after successful save.
For click-to-edit, keep display and edit fragments symmetrical and test save/cancel/error paths.

Avoid

Do not attach immediate keyup or input triggers without debounce.
Do not mix optimistic updates with irreversible destructive actions unless rollback is designed.
Do not use infinite scroll when users need stable pagination, footer access, or precise result position.
Do not hide server errors by swapping empty fragments.
Do not copy a recipe blindly without deciding who owns state: server, htmx, Alpine/plain JS, or the browser.