Turbo Streams

Build real-time, push-driven features using Turbo Streams with Rails. This skill covers stream delivery, custom actions, broadcasting, morphing, optimistic UI, cross-tab sync, and list animations.

Core Workflow

Step 1: Identify What Needs Real-Time Updates

Look for lists, counters, notifications, status indicators, collaborative editing surfaces, and any UI that should reflect server-side changes without a full page reload.

Step 2: Choose Delivery Method

• HTTP response streams (.turbo_stream.erb templates): For request/response cycles — form submissions, AJAX actions.
• WebSocket broadcasts (broadcasts_to, turbo_stream_from): For pushing updates to other users or tabs without a request.
• Inline stream tags: For client-side-only stream operations embedded in ERB.

Step 3: Select the Stream Action

Pick the most precise action: