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Guide.js

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What Guide.js is

Guide.js is a free, open-source React component for adding guided experiences to a web app. It supports product tours, onboarding flows, and contextual help, with step formats for dialogs, pointers, banners, and announcements. Each step can be aimed at a page element with a CSS selector, which lets a tour draw attention to specific parts of an interface. You pass the tour steps into the React component as props; it does not require provider setup or a backend. Progress can be saved wherever you prefer, including localStorage, your own API, or parent component state.

The component’s appearance can be changed with CSS variables, theme tokens for individual steps, or custom CSS. It works with any bundler and includes ESM and CJS builds. The MIT license allows the project to be used as open-source software. Guide.js is suited to introducing new users, highlighting features, offering help in context, and orienting people in complex interfaces. Its introduction points to Userorbit Tours for needs such as analytics, A/B testing, or a hosted dashboard.

Who it suits

Guide.js suits React developers who want to build onboarding, feature tours, or contextual help directly into a web app. It can also fit teams that want to decide where tour progress is stored and customize each step’s presentation.

What it does well

  • Free and open source under the MIT license.
  • Runs without backend requirements.
  • Offers dialog, pointer, banner, and announcement steps.
  • Targets page elements with CSS selectors.
  • Customizes appearance with CSS variables, tokens, or CSS.
  • Works with any bundler and ships ESM and CJS builds.

What to know first

  • Analytics, A/B testing, and a hosted dashboard are needs the introduction directs to Userorbit Tours.

Getting started

  1. Visit the Guide.js website.
  2. Add the React component to your web app.
  3. Pass tour steps to the component as props.
  4. Choose step types and target DOM elements with CSS selectors.
  5. Customize the appearance and decide where to persist progress.

Verdict

Choose Guide.js if you want an open-source React component for tours and contextual guidance that runs inside your app without a backend. It offers flexible step types, targeting, and styling. Look elsewhere if analytics, A/B testing, or a hosted dashboard are central requirements.

Questions

Is Guide.js free?

Yes. It is offered free and is open source under the MIT license.

What can I use Guide.js for?

It supports product tours, onboarding flows, contextual help, new-user walkthroughs, feature spotlights, and tours of complex interfaces.

What step types does it support?

The listed types are dialog, pointer, banner, and announcement.

Does it need a backend or provider setup?

No. It runs inside your app without backend requirements and accepts tour steps as React props without provider setup.

How can I save tour progress?

You choose where to persist it; examples include localStorage, your API, or parent component state.

Does it provide analytics or A/B testing?

The introduction recommends Userorbit Tours for needs such as analytics, A/B testing, and a hosted dashboard.

Facts from Guide.js's own pages

Analytics limit
The introduction recommends Userorbit Tours for needs such as analytics, A/B testing, and a hosted dashboard. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
Backend
The component is designed to run inside your app with no backend requirements. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
Best-fit use cases
The documentation describes new-user walkthroughs, feature spotlights, contextual help, and tours of complex interfaces as use cases. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Build support
The homepage says Guide.js works with any bundler and ships ESM and CJS builds. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
Customization
The component supports render-prop slots, CSS variables, per-step theme tokens, and custom CSS. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Distribution
The homepage says it works with any bundler and ships ESM and CJS; it gives `npm install guide.js` as the install command. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Element targeting
Steps can target elements with CSS selectors, and Guide.js handles positioning and repositioning. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Intended users
The documentation describes it as a fit for new-user walkthroughs, feature spotlights, contextual help, and showing users around complex interfaces. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
License
The Guide.js site identifies the project as MIT licensed. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Limitations
The documentation says teams needing analytics, A/B testing, and a hosted dashboard should consider Userorbit Tours. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maintainer
The Guide.js homepage says it is built by Userorbit. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maker details
The Guide.js pages opened identify Userorbit as the maker but do not state its headquarters or founding year. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Progress storage
The quick start says you can persist tour progress wherever you choose, including localStorage, your API, or parent component state. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
React integration
Guide.js is rendered as a React component and accepts tour steps as props, without requiring provider setup. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security and data
The maker describes Guide.js as having zero backend requirements; the opened product pages do not state security certifications or compliance claims. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
Step types
The homepage lists dialog, pointer, banner, and announcement step types. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
Targeting
Steps can target DOM elements using CSS selectors. · guidejs.com, 4 Oct 2026
TypeScript
The homepage says Guide.js includes type definitions for tours, steps, configuration, and lifecycle callbacks. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026
What it does
Guide.js is a lightweight, open-source React component for product tours, onboarding, and contextual help, designed to embed in an app without a backend. · guidejs.com, 11 Oct 2026

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