return {
  -- Better `vim.notify()`
  {
    "rcarriga/nvim-notify",
    keys = {
      {
        "<leader>un",
        function()
          require("notify").dismiss({ silent = true, pending = true })
        end,
        desc = "Delete all Notifications",
      },
    },
    opts = {
      timeout = 3000,
      max_height = function()
        return math.floor(vim.o.lines * 0.75)
      end,
      max_width = function()
        return math.floor(vim.o.columns * 0.75)
      end,
    },
    init = function()
      -- when noice is not enabled, install notify on VeryLazy
      local Util = require("lazyvim.util")
      if not Util.has("noice.nvim") then
        Util.on_very_lazy(function()
          vim.notify = require("notify")
        end)
      end
    end,
  },

  -- better vim.ui
  {
    "stevearc/dressing.nvim",
    lazy = true,
    init = function()
      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: duplicate-set-field
      vim.ui.select = function(...)
        require("lazy").load({ plugins = { "dressing.nvim" } })
        return vim.ui.select(...)
      end
      ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: duplicate-set-field
      vim.ui.input = function(...)
        require("lazy").load({ plugins = { "dressing.nvim" } })
        return vim.ui.input(...)
      end
    end,
  },

  -- bufferline
  {
    "akinsho/bufferline.nvim",
    event = "VeryLazy",
    keys = {
      { "<leader>bp", "<Cmd>BufferLineTogglePin<CR>", desc = "Toggle pin" },
      { "<leader>bP", "<Cmd>BufferLineGroupClose ungrouped<CR>", desc = "Delete non-pinned buffers" },
    },
    opts = {
      options = {
        diagnostics = "nvim_lsp",
        always_show_bufferline = false,
        diagnostics_indicator = function(_, _, diag)
          local icons = require("lazyvim.config").icons.diagnostics
          local ret = (diag.error and icons.Error .. diag.error .. " " or "")
            .. (diag.warning and icons.Warn .. diag.warning or "")
          return vim.trim(ret)
        end,
        offsets = {
          {
            filetype = "neo-tree",
            text = "Neo-tree",
            highlight = "Directory",
            text_align = "left",
          },
        },
      },
    },
  },

  -- statusline
  {
    "nvim-lualine/lualine.nvim",
    event = "VeryLazy",
    opts = function()
      local icons = require("lazyvim.config").icons

      local function fg(name)
        return function()
          ---@type {foreground?:number}?
          local hl = vim.api.nvim_get_hl_by_name(name, true)
          return hl and hl.foreground and { fg = string.format("#%06x", hl.foreground) }
        end
      end

      return {
        options = {
          theme = "auto",
          globalstatus = true,
          disabled_filetypes = { statusline = { "dashboard", "alpha" } },
        },
        sections = {
          lualine_a = { "mode" },
          lualine_b = { "branch" },
          lualine_c = {
            {
              "diagnostics",
              symbols = {
                error = icons.diagnostics.Error,
                warn = icons.diagnostics.Warn,
                info = icons.diagnostics.Info,
                hint = icons.diagnostics.Hint,
              },
            },
            { "filetype", icon_only = true, separator = "", padding = { left = 1, right = 0 } },
            { "filename", path = 1, symbols = { modified = "  ", readonly = "", unnamed = "" } },
            -- stylua: ignore
            {
              function() return require("nvim-navic").get_location() end,
              cond = function() return package.loaded["nvim-navic"] and require("nvim-navic").is_available() end,
            },
          },
          lualine_x = {
            -- stylua: ignore
            {
              function() return require("noice").api.status.command.get() end,
              cond = function() return package.loaded["noice"] and require("noice").api.status.command.has() end,
              color = fg("Statement")
            },
            -- stylua: ignore
            {
              function() return require("noice").api.status.mode.get() end,
              cond = function() return package.loaded["noice"] and require("noice").api.status.mode.has() end,
              color = fg("Constant") ,
            },
            { require("lazy.status").updates, cond = require("lazy.status").has_updates, color = fg("Special") },
            {
              "diff",
              symbols = {
                added = icons.git.added,
                modified = icons.git.modified,
                removed = icons.git.removed,
              },
            },
          },
          lualine_y = {
            { "progress", separator = " ", padding = { left = 1, right = 0 } },
            { "location", padding = { left = 0, right = 1 } },
          },
          lualine_z = {
            function()
              return " " .. os.date("%R")
            end,
          },
        },
        extensions = { "neo-tree", "lazy" },
      }
    end,
  },

  -- indent guides for Neovim
  {
    "lukas-reineke/indent-blankline.nvim",
    event = { "BufReadPost", "BufNewFile" },
    opts = {
      -- char = "▏",
      char = "│",
      filetype_exclude = { "help", "alpha", "dashboard", "neo-tree", "Trouble", "lazy" },
      show_trailing_blankline_indent = false,
      show_current_context = false,
    },
  },

  -- active indent guide and indent text objects
  {
    "echasnovski/mini.indentscope",
    version = false, -- wait till new 0.7.0 release to put it back on semver
    event = { "BufReadPre", "BufNewFile" },
    opts = {
      -- symbol = "▏",
      symbol = "│",
      options = { try_as_border = true },
    },
    init = function()
      vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("FileType", {
        pattern = { "help", "alpha", "dashboard", "neo-tree", "Trouble", "lazy", "mason" },
        callback = function()
          vim.b.miniindentscope_disable = true
        end,
      })
    end,
    config = function(_, opts)
      require("mini.indentscope").setup(opts)
    end,
  },

  -- noicer ui
  {
    "folke/noice.nvim",
    event = "VeryLazy",
    opts = {
      lsp = {
        override = {
          ["vim.lsp.util.convert_input_to_markdown_lines"] = true,
          ["vim.lsp.util.stylize_markdown"] = true,
        },
      },
      presets = {
        bottom_search = true,
        command_palette = true,
        long_message_to_split = true,
      },
    },
    -- stylua: ignore
    keys = {
      { "<S-Enter>", function() require("noice").redirect(vim.fn.getcmdline()) end, mode = "c", desc = "Redirect Cmdline" },
      { "<leader>snl", function() require("noice").cmd("last") end, desc = "Noice Last Message" },
      { "<leader>snh", function() require("noice").cmd("history") end, desc = "Noice History" },
      { "<leader>sna", function() require("noice").cmd("all") end, desc = "Noice All" },
      { "<c-f>", function() if not require("noice.lsp").scroll(4) then return "<c-f>" end end, silent = true, expr = true, desc = "Scroll forward", mode = {"i", "n", "s"} },
      { "<c-b>", function() if not require("noice.lsp").scroll(-4) then return "<c-b>" end end, silent = true, expr = true, desc = "Scroll backward", mode = {"i", "n", "s"}},
    },
  },

  -- dashboard
  {
    "goolord/alpha-nvim",
    event = "VimEnter",
    opts = function()
      local dashboard = require("alpha.themes.dashboard")
      local logo = [[
      ██╗      █████╗ ███████╗██╗   ██╗██╗   ██╗██╗███╗   ███╗          Z
      ██║     ██╔══██╗╚══███╔╝╚██╗ ██╔╝██║   ██║██║████╗ ████║      Z    
      ██║     ███████║  ███╔╝  ╚████╔╝ ██║   ██║██║██╔████╔██║   z       
      ██║     ██╔══██║ ███╔╝    ╚██╔╝  ╚██╗ ██╔╝██║██║╚██╔╝██║ z         
      ███████╗██║  ██║███████╗   ██║    ╚████╔╝ ██║██║ ╚═╝ ██║
      ╚══════╝╚═╝  ╚═╝╚══════╝   ╚═╝     ╚═══╝  ╚═╝╚═╝     ╚═╝
      ]]

      dashboard.section.header.val = vim.split(logo, "\n")
      dashboard.section.buttons.val = {
        dashboard.button("f", " " .. " Find file", ":Telescope find_files <CR>"),
        dashboard.button("n", " " .. " New file", ":ene <BAR> startinsert <CR>"),
        dashboard.button("r", " " .. " Recent files", ":Telescope oldfiles <CR>"),
        dashboard.button("g", " " .. " Find text", ":Telescope live_grep <CR>"),
        dashboard.button("c", " " .. " Config", ":e $MYVIMRC <CR>"),
        dashboard.button("s", " " .. " Restore Session", [[:lua require("persistence").load() <cr>]]),
        dashboard.button("l", "󰒲 " .. " Lazy", ":Lazy<CR>"),
        dashboard.button("q", " " .. " Quit", ":qa<CR>"),
      }
      for _, button in ipairs(dashboard.section.buttons.val) do
        button.opts.hl = "AlphaButtons"
        button.opts.hl_shortcut = "AlphaShortcut"
      end
      dashboard.section.header.opts.hl = "AlphaHeader"
      dashboard.section.buttons.opts.hl = "AlphaButtons"
      dashboard.section.footer.opts.hl = "AlphaFooter"
      dashboard.opts.layout[1].val = 8
      return dashboard
    end,
    config = function(_, dashboard)
      -- close Lazy and re-open when the dashboard is ready
      if vim.o.filetype == "lazy" then
        vim.cmd.close()
        vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("User", {
          pattern = "AlphaReady",
          callback = function()
            require("lazy").show()
          end,
        })
      end

      require("alpha").setup(dashboard.opts)

      vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("User", {
        pattern = "LazyVimStarted",
        callback = function()
          local stats = require("lazy").stats()
          local ms = (math.floor(stats.startuptime * 100 + 0.5) / 100)
          dashboard.section.footer.val = "⚡ Neovim loaded " .. stats.count .. " plugins in " .. ms .. "ms"
          pcall(vim.cmd.AlphaRedraw)
        end,
      })
    end,
  },

  -- lsp symbol navigation for lualine
  {
    "SmiteshP/nvim-navic",
    lazy = true,
    init = function()
      vim.g.navic_silence = true
      require("lazyvim.util").on_attach(function(client, buffer)
        if client.server_capabilities.documentSymbolProvider then
          require("nvim-navic").attach(client, buffer)
        end
      end)
    end,
    opts = function()
      return {
        separator = " ",
        highlight = true,
        depth_limit = 5,
        icons = require("lazyvim.config").icons.kinds,
      }
    end,
  },

  -- icons
  { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons", lazy = true },

  -- ui components
  { "MunifTanjim/nui.nvim", lazy = true },
}