Best for
AI tool selectors, editor toolbars, or command-palette-style popups where users choose from a categorised grid of options
Stack
A ready-made Popup Tool Selector UI you can fork, run, and customize with the prompt pack below.
What's actually inside
The honest engineer's breakdown — what the Popup Tool Selectortemplate does, how it's wired, and where it's opinionated.
The Popup Tool Selector is a floating popover component that lets users browse and confirm a selection from a grid of tool cards. Opening the trigger button launches an AnimatePresence-driven enter/exit animation, revealing a searchable grid with optional category tabs. The architecture is clean: a single ToolSelectorPopup wraps a SearchInput, CategoryTabs, and ToolGrid, with ConfirmButton handling the selection close.
The ToolGrid renders 2–4 columns of ToolCard tiles, each showing an icon, title, and a short description line. The SearchInput filters cards in real-time using a simple name match — no debounce or server call by default. The CategoryTabs row groups cards by label (AI, Design, Dev, etc.) and stacks with the search so both filters work simultaneously.
Honest caveat: the tool list is entirely hardcoded, so it cannot handle hundreds of entries without a server-side search addition. The popup also has no keyboard trap, meaning Tab can escape the popover on some browsers — something to address before using this in a production accessibility-sensitive app.
Key UI components
ToolSelectorPopupFloating Popover container triggered by a button, managing open/close state
ToolGridResponsive 2-4 column grid of ToolCard items inside the popup body
ToolCardIndividual option tile with icon, title, description, and selected/hover state styling
SearchInputText filter within the popup to narrow ToolCards by name
CategoryTabsOptional tab row grouping tools by category (AI, Design, Dev, etc.)
ConfirmButtonApplies the selected tool and closes the popup with a closing animation
Libraries it leans on
shadcn/ui (Popover, Input, Tabs, Button)All interactive scaffold components providing accessible primitives
Framer MotionAnimatePresence for popup enter/exit scale animation
Tailwind CSSGrid layout, card hover states, and popup sizing constraints
Fork it and get it running
Forking takes under five minutes and needs only a browser — no local Node.js setup required. The Vercel Sandbox preview spins up instantly so you can test the popup before deploying.
Open the template and fork
Navigate to https://v0.dev/chat/community/lxW8NXIWT70 in your browser. You will see a live preview of the popup trigger button. Click the 'Fork' button in the top-right area of the preview to create your own editable copy under your V0 account. You do not need to be signed in to view the template, but you do need a V0 account to fork.
Tip: If you are not signed in, V0 will prompt you to log in or create a free account before forking.
You should see: A new V0 chat opens with the Popup Tool Selector loaded in your account — the template is now yours to edit.
Verify the popup in the Sandbox preview
The Vercel Sandbox preview loads automatically in the right panel. Click the trigger button to open the popup and confirm the ToolGrid renders, the SearchInput filters cards as you type, and the ConfirmButton closes the popup correctly. Check that the Framer Motion enter/exit animation runs without flickering.
You should see: The popup opens and closes smoothly, search filters the ToolCard grid in real-time, and selecting a card updates the displayed selection.
Tweak labels and layout in Design Mode
Press Option+D (Mac) or Alt+D (Windows) to enter Design Mode. You can change the popup title, ToolCard label text, or trigger button copy without spending any credits. Design Mode changes take effect immediately in the preview. This is the best starting point before using AI prompts for deeper changes.
You should see: Label and copy changes appear live in the preview; no credit usage shown in the chat.
Customise tools and categories with AI prompts
Return to the chat input and use the prompts from the prompt pack below to add search filtering, category tabs, or change the ToolCard data. Each AI prompt creates a new version visible in the version history — you can roll back to any previous version if a prompt produces unexpected results.
Tip: Reference the specific component names (ToolGrid, CategoryTabs, SearchInput) in your prompts for more precise results.
You should see: Each prompt edit shows a diff preview before applying; the Sandbox preview updates with the new version.
Publish to a live Vercel URL
When you are happy with the popup, click the Share icon in the V0 top bar, then open the Publish tab and click 'Publish to Production'. Vercel builds and deploys in under 60 seconds and gives you a public URL. You can share this URL or add a custom domain later from your Vercel dashboard.
You should see: A live Vercel URL is shown (e.g., popup-tool-selector-xyz.vercel.app) that anyone can visit.
Connect to GitHub for version control
Open the Git panel in the V0 left sidebar, click Connect, choose your GitHub organisation, and select or create a repository. V0 creates a branch named v0/main-{hash} and opens a pull request automatically. Merge the PR to push the code to your main branch and integrate it with any existing CI/CD workflow.
You should see: A GitHub PR is open with the full template code; merging it deploys via Vercel's GitHub integration.
The prompt pack
Copy-paste these straight into v0's chat to customize the Popup Tool Selectortemplate. Each one names this template's own components — no generic filler.
Wire the SearchInput to filter ToolCards live
Adds live text filtering to the popup's tool grid without any backend call, using the existing SearchInput component.
Wire the SearchInput inside ToolSelectorPopup so typing filters the ToolCard grid in real-time using a simple `name.toLowerCase().includes(query)` check on each card's title field. Show a 'No tools found' empty state message centred in the ToolGrid when the query matches nothing. Make sure the filter clears when the popup closes so the next open shows all cards.
Add a 'Recently Used' row above the ToolGrid
Surfaces recently used tools at the top of the popup so repeat selections are faster without rebuilding the whole grid.
Add a horizontally scrollable row of the last 3 confirmed ToolCards above the main ToolGrid inside ToolSelectorPopup. Store the selection history in localStorage under the key 'recentTools' and update it each time the user clicks ConfirmButton. Wrap the localStorage read inside a useEffect with an empty dependency array so it only runs client-side and does not cause a SSR error.
Add CategoryTabs to group tools by type
Adds a tab-based category filter above the ToolGrid, allowing users to narrow results by type before searching by name.
Group the ToolCard items into named categories — AI, Design, Dev, and Analytics — and render a CategoryTabs row (using shadcn Tabs) at the top of the ToolSelectorPopup body. Clicking a tab filters the ToolGrid to show only cards in that category. Keep the SearchInput active so both filters work together: the displayed cards must match both the active tab and the current search query.
Persist the confirmed tool to a URL query param
Makes the selected tool shareable via URL and survives page refresh without a database.
Store the confirmed tool selection from ConfirmButton in the URL as a `?tool=tool-id` query parameter using Next.js useRouter and useSearchParams. On mount, read the param and pre-select the matching ToolCard in the ToolGrid so the selection is preserved after a page refresh. Make the URL update happen without a full page navigation using router.replace.
Fetch the tool list from a Supabase table
Replaces hardcoded tool data with a Supabase-backed catalog, making it easy to add or remove tools without touching code.
Create a Supabase table called `tools` with columns: id (uuid), name (text), description (text), category (text), and icon_name (text). In a Next.js Server Component, fetch all rows using the Supabase server client and pass them as a `tools` prop to ToolSelectorPopup to replace the hardcoded ToolCard array. Add SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_ANON_KEY to the Vars panel in V0. Add a loading skeleton in the ToolGrid while the fetch is in flight.
Gate premium tools behind a Stripe paywall
Adds a server-side Stripe entitlement check to the ConfirmButton so premium tools are paywalled without exposing billing logic on the client.
Mark selected ToolCards as premium by adding an `is_premium` boolean column to the Supabase `tools` table. In the ConfirmButton handler, call a server action that checks whether the current user has an active `premium` subscription in your database before allowing the selection. If the user is not subscribed, create a Stripe Checkout session and return the URL so the client can redirect them to the payment page. Add STRIPE_SECRET_KEY to the Vars panel.
Gotchas when you extend it
The failures people actually hit when they push this template past its defaults — and the exact fix for each.
Popup closes on ToolCard click before user hits ConfirmButtonWhy: The shadcn Popover's default onInteractOutside behaviour closes the popup on any click inside the content area, including clicking a ToolCard — so the popup dismisses before the user can confirm.
Fix: Pass `onInteractOutside={(e) => e.preventDefault()}` to the PopoverContent component to keep the popup open on inside-element clicks.
Add onInteractOutside={(e) => e.preventDefault()} to the PopoverContent in ToolSelectorPopup so clicking a ToolCard does not close the popup before the user confirms their selectionSearch input loses focus after typing one characterWhy: If the search query useState lives in a parent component of SearchInput, every keystroke triggers a parent re-render that unmounts and remounts the Input element, stripping focus.
Fix: Move the search query state into the same component that renders SearchInput, or use a useRef to restore focus after re-render.
Move the search query state into the same component that renders the SearchInput so typing doesn't cause the Input to unmount and lose focus between keystrokes
ToolGrid columns collapse and tool names overflow on small popup widthsWhy: A 4-column CSS grid inside a Popover that lacks a minimum width constraint causes tool card text to clip and icons to overlap when the viewport is narrow.
Fix: Add `min-w-[400px]` to the PopoverContent className and switch the ToolGrid to 2 columns inside the popup.
Set a min-w-[400px] on the PopoverContent and change the ToolGrid to 2 columns inside the popup so tool cards never overflow or overlap at small viewport widths
ReferenceError: localStorage is not defined when reading recent toolsWhy: V0 generates the localStorage.getItem call in the component render function, which runs during Next.js server-side rendering where window and localStorage do not exist.
Fix: Wrap all localStorage access inside a useEffect with an empty dependency array so it only executes in the browser.
Move the localStorage read for 'Recently Used' tools into a useEffect with an empty dependency array so it only runs on the client and does not cause a localStorage is not defined SSR error
Template vs. custom — the honest call
A forked template gets you far, fast. Here's where it holds up, and where you'll outgrow it.
The template is enough when
- You need a tool or integration picker for a no-code platform where users select from 10–30 hardcoded options
- The tool list is static or changes infrequently and does not require server-side search or pagination
- You want a polished popup picker to replace a plain native select or radio group with minimal setup
- You are prototyping an AI tool selector and need a working popup UI before wiring up a real backend
Go custom when
- You have hundreds of tools requiring server-side search, pagination, or AI-assisted recommendations
- Tools have multi-step configuration wizards that launch on selection rather than a single confirm action
- You need per-user tool entitlements managed by a billing system with Stripe plan tiers and feature flags
RapidDev can build on this popup template to add Supabase-backed tool catalogs, Stripe paywalls for premium tools, and per-user entitlement checks — reach out when the hardcoded tool list stops being enough.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Popup Tool Selector template free to use?
Yes — all V0 community templates are free to fork and use. You need a free V0 account to fork the template, but there is no charge for the template itself. Deploying to Vercel on the Hobby plan is also free for personal projects.
Can I use this template in a commercial product?
Yes. V0 community templates are open for commercial use. The generated Next.js and shadcn/ui code is yours once you fork — there are no licensing restrictions on the output. Check the individual library licences (MIT for shadcn/ui, Framer Motion, Tailwind) which all permit commercial use.
Why does my fork break in the V0 Sandbox preview when I add CategoryTabs?
The most common cause is a shadcn registry mismatch — V0 imports the Tabs component from the shadcn registry, but the preview sandbox may reference a version that has been renamed or restructured. Download the project as a ZIP from the Code tab, run `npx shadcn add tabs` locally, and paste in the locally installed component source. Alternatively, prompt V0 to inline the tab styles using plain Tailwind divs.
How do I add my own tools to the ToolGrid?
The easiest approach is to use Design Mode (Option+D) to change existing ToolCard labels and icons, then use an AI prompt to add or remove cards from the hardcoded array. For a dynamic list, use the 'Fetch tool list from Supabase' advanced prompt from the prompt pack above to move the data out of the component entirely.
Does this template work as a command-K palette replacement?
Not directly — the Popup Tool Selector is a shadcn Popover triggered by a button, not a global keyboard shortcut overlay. If you need a full cmdk-style command palette that opens on Cmd+K from anywhere on the page, that requires a different implementation using the cmdk library, which is custom work beyond this template.
How do I connect a database to power the tool list?
Use the 'Fetch tool list from a Supabase table' advanced prompt in the pack above. You create a `tools` table in Supabase with name, description, category, and icon_name columns, then fetch it in a Next.js Server Component and pass the rows to ToolSelectorPopup as a prop. The V0 Vars panel accepts SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_ANON_KEY so no .env file editing is needed.
Can RapidDev customise this template for my product?
Yes — RapidDev regularly extends V0 popup templates with Supabase-backed catalogs, Stripe entitlement checks, and multi-step selection wizards. Reach out at rapidevelopers.com if your requirements go beyond the hardcoded tool list.
Will the popup work on mobile devices?
The popup renders on mobile but the default ToolGrid may show too many columns for small screens. Use the 'ToolGrid columns collapse' fix from the gotchas section to set `min-w-[400px]` on PopoverContent and switch to a 2-column grid. On very small screens you may want to replace the Popover with a bottom sheet — that is a medium-effort prompt customisation.
Outgrowing the template?
RapidDev turns v0 prototypes into production apps — real auth, database, and payments — at $13K–$25K.
Book a free consultation30-min call. No commitment.