7 React Tips You Wish You Knew Sooner

Whether you're just starting or building advanced apps, these quick React tips will level up your code quality and developer experience. Let’s go 🚀

1. Use useCallback to avoid unnecessary re-renders Avoid re-creating functions on every render.

const handleClick = useCallback(() => {
  console.log('Clicked!');
}, []);

Especially useful when passing functions to child components.

1. Group state with useReducer for complex logic

const reducer = (state, action) => {
  switch (action.type) {
    case 'increment': return { count: state.count + 1 };
    default: return state;
  }
};

const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducer, { count: 0 });

Cleaner than managing multiple useState hooks in complex components.

1. Use React.memo to optimize functional components

const MyComponent = React.memo(({ value }) => {
  return <div>{value}</div>;
});

It prevents re-renders if props haven’t changed.

1. Debounce expensive operations like API calls

const debounce = (func, delay) => {
  let timer;
  return (...args) => {
    clearTimeout(timer);
    timer = setTimeout(() => func(...args), delay);
  };
};

Combine with useCallback or useEffect for search or input-heavy UI.

1. Extract reusable hooks If you reuse the same logic in multiple components — extract it!

// useLocalStorage.js
export const useLocalStorage = (key, initial) => {
  const [value, setValue] = useState(() =>
    JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem(key)) || initial
  );

  useEffect(() => {
    localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify(value));
  }, [key, value]);

  return [value, setValue];
};

1. Lazy load components with React.lazy

const LazyComp = React.lazy(() => import('./LazyComp'));

<Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>
  <LazyComp />
</Suspense>

Improves performance by reducing initial bundle size.

1. Use keyExtractor properly when rendering lists

{items.map(item => (
  <ListItem key={item.id} item={item} />
))}

Avoid using index as key unless necessary to prevent bugs during reordering.

💡 Bonus: Use TypeScript with React for better DX and fewer bugs.

If you found this helpful, drop a ❤️ or comment your favorite tip. Let’s keep learning together!

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