Velt Area Comments Best Practices

Implementation guide for Velt Area Comments — the rectangle area-annotation feature where users draw a box on the page and attach a comment thread to that region. Area is built on top of the Comments feature: it's not a separate component, it's a mode of <VeltComments> that is enabled by default and toggled via a prop or runtime method.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Toggling area comments on or off in your app (default is ON)
• Choosing between the declarative areaComment prop on <VeltComments> and the imperative commentElement.enableAreaComment() / disableAreaComment() API
• Building a custom area pin via the wireframe surface — only <velt-area-pin-portal-wireframe> registers; the tool and container do not yet
• Reading componentConfig.areaPinAnnotation, componentConfig.selected, componentConfig.isResizing, componentConfig.hideAreaAnnotation, or the geometry / resize-offset variables
• Typing against AreaAnnotation, AreaProperty, AreaTargetAnnotation, or AreaMetadata
• Understanding how an AreaAnnotation links back to the comment thread(s) it scopes via targetAnnotations[]

Area is a Comments-feature mode

There is no standalone <VeltArea> component. Area annotations are produced by the Comments feature when the area mode is active. The relevant SDK handle is client.getCommentElement() (the comments handle), not a hypothetical getAreaElement(). The three Area-specific public elements (<velt-area-pin-portal>, <velt-area-tool>, <velt-area-container>) are rendered automatically by the comments runtime when area mode is enabled.

Rule Categories by Priority

Quick Reference

API (HIGH)

• api-toggle-area-comments — <VeltComments areaComment={false}> prop and commentElement.enableAreaComment() / disableAreaComment() runtime methods; the three public Area primitives (tool / pin-portal / container); the "no standalone component" framing

Wireframe Variables (MEDIUM)

• wireframe-variables-area — <velt-area-pin-portal-wireframe> (the only Area primitive with a wireframe registration today) and its componentConfig.* reference (areaPinAnnotation, selected, isResizing, hideAreaAnnotation, areaProperties, resizingOffset, offsetTop/Left, areaAnnotationColor, commentPinAnnotation link)

Types (MEDIUM)

• types-area-annotation — AreaAnnotation shape with the comment-linkage field targetAnnotations[] (AreaTargetAnnotation[]); supporting AreaProperty (geometry) and AreaMetadata (open extras); how area pins attach to comment threads

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

rules/shared/api/api-toggle-area-comments.md
rules/shared/wireframe-variables/wireframe-variables-area.md
rules/shared/types/types-area-annotation.md

Each rule contains:

• Why it matters
• React / Next.js + Other Frameworks code samples
• Common pitfalls
• Verification checklist
• Source pointers to official docs

Related skills

• velt-comments-best-practices — Area is a mode of the comments feature; the commentElement handle, comment-annotation shape, and most surrounding setup live in the comments skill. Cross-link rather than duplicate.

Compiled Documents

• AGENTS.md — Compressed index of all rules with file paths (start here)
• AGENTS.full.md — Full verbose guide with all rules expanded inline