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alonso-skills/htmx

Implements HTMX interactions, configures swap behaviors, debugs hx-* requests, and builds hypermedia-driven UI components. Use when tasks involve hx-* attributes, HTMX AJAX requests, swap strategies, server-sent events, WebSockets, or hypermedia-driven UIs.

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name:
htmx
description:
Implements HTMX interactions, configures swap behaviors, debugs hx-* requests, and builds hypermedia-driven UI components. Use when tasks involve hx-* attributes, HTMX AJAX requests, swap strategies, server-sent events, WebSockets, or hypermedia-driven UIs.

HTMX

Use this skill for HTMX implementation and integration. Read only the reference file(s) needed for the task.

Quick Start

  1. Identify the domain of the task (attributes, requests, swapping, events, patterns).
  2. Open the matching file from references/.
  3. Implement using HTML-first, hypermedia-driven patterns.
  4. Validate that server responses return HTML fragments, not JSON.

Minimal example — a button that loads content via GET:

<button hx-get="/contacts" hx-target="#results" hx-swap="innerHTML">
    Load Contacts
</button>
<div id="results"></div>

The server endpoint (/contacts) must return an HTML fragment, not JSON:

<!-- Server response (HTML fragment, no <html>/<body> wrappers) -->
<ul>
    <li>Alice</li>
    <li>Bob</li>
</ul>

The default swap is innerHTML — the response replaces the target's children. Use hx-swap="outerHTML" to replace the target element itself.

Critical Rules

  1. HTML responses - HTMX expects HTML responses from the server, not JSON
  2. Attribute inheritance - Most attributes inherit to children. Not inherited: hx-trigger, hx-on*, hx-swap-oob, hx-preserve, hx-history-elt, hx-validate. Use hx-disinherit or unset to stop inheritance
  3. Default swap is innerHTML - Always confirm the intended swap method
  4. Form values auto-included - Non-GET requests automatically include the closest enclosing form's values
  5. Progressive enhancement - Use hx-boost="true" — pages must work without JS
  6. Escape user content - Escape all user-supplied content server-side to prevent XSS. Wrap areas rendering user-generated content with hx-disable to prevent HTMX processing of injected attributes
  7. CSS lifecycle classes - HTMX adds/removes CSS classes during requests — use for transitions and indicators
  8. data-prefix supported - All hx-* attributes can also be written as data-hx-* for HTML validation compliance
  9. Stop polling with HTTP 286 - Server returns status 286 to stop every or load delay polling. Always use 286 for poll termination, not conditional client-side logic
  10. Error swaps need htmx:beforeSwap - Non-2xx responses (e.g., 422 validation errors) are not swapped by default. Add an htmx:beforeSwap listener to enable swapping for error status codes
  11. Decouple with HX-Trigger headers - Use HX-Trigger response headers to fire client-side events instead of hardcoding DOM element IDs in server responses
  12. Detect HTMX requests server-side - Check the HX-Request header to serve HTML fragments for HTMX requests and full pages for direct browser requests. Set Vary: HX-Request for caching

Reference Map

  • All hx-* attributes, values, and modifiers: references/attributes.md
  • Triggers, headers, parameters, CSRF, caching, CORS: references/requests.md
  • Swap methods, targets, OOB swaps, morphing, view transitions: references/swapping.md
  • Events, JS API, configuration, extensions, debugging: references/events-api.md
  • Common UI patterns and examples: references/patterns.md
  • Official extensions (WS, SSE, Idiomorph, response-targets, head-support, preload): references/extensions.md
  • Gotchas, pitfalls, and practical guidance: references/gotchas.md
  • Cross-file index and routing: references/REFERENCE.md

Task Routing

  • Adding HTMX behavior to elements -> references/attributes.md
  • Configuring how/when requests fire -> references/requests.md
  • Controlling where/how responses render -> references/swapping.md
  • Handling events, JS interop, or config -> references/events-api.md
  • Building common UI patterns (search, infinite scroll, modals, etc.) -> references/patterns.md
  • Using WebSockets, SSE, morphing, preloading, response targeting, or head merging -> references/extensions.md
  • Avoiding common pitfalls, accessibility, error handling, architecture decisions -> references/gotchas.md
  • Cross-cutting concerns or architecture -> references/REFERENCE.md then domain-specific files
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alonso-skills
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