# Overview

The Flutter cookbook contains self-contained recipes that show how to build common chat patterns using the Stream Flutter SDK. Each recipe combines multiple SDK components to solve a real-world problem.

### Available recipes

| Recipe                                                                      | Description                                          |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| [Custom channel list](/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/cookbook/custom-channel-list/) | Build a channel list with a fully custom item layout |
| [Custom message list](/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/cookbook/custom-message-list/) | Build a message list with custom message bubbles     |
| [Creating channels](/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/cookbook/creating-channels/)     | Implement a user search and channel creation flow    |

### When to use the cookbook

The built-in `StreamChannelListView`, `StreamMessageListView`, and related widgets cover the majority of chat use cases with minimal configuration. Use the cookbook recipes when you need full control over layout or behavior that the built-in components do not expose.

For visual customization (colors, fonts, spacing), start with [Theming](/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/stream-chat-flutter/stream-chat-and-theming/) and [Customizing Widgets](/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/stream-chat-flutter/customizing-widgets/) before reaching for a full custom implementation.


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This page was last updated at 2026-06-09T15:44:04.014Z.

For the most recent version of this documentation, visit [https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/cookbook/overview/](https://getstream.io/chat/docs/sdk/flutter/cookbook/overview/).