React Context provides a way to share state without prop drilling. Here's how to use it effectively.
Basic Context Setup
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Separating State and Actions
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Context with Selectors
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Compound Components Pattern
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Multiple Contexts Composition
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Context with Persistence
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Best Practices
Performance:
✓ Split state and actions into separate contexts
✓ Memoize context values
✓ Use selectors for fine-grained subscriptions
✓ Avoid putting everything in one context
Organization:
✓ Create custom hooks for context consumption
✓ Throw helpful errors when used outside provider
✓ Co-locate context with related components
✓ Use TypeScript for type safety
When to Use Context:
✓ Theme/UI preferences
✓ User authentication state
✓ Locale/i18n settings
✓ Feature flags
When NOT to Use:
✗ Frequently changing data
✗ Large state objects
✗ Server state (use React Query)
✗ Complex state logic (use Zustand/Redux)
Conclusion
React Context is powerful for sharing state across components. Split contexts for performance, use custom hooks for clean consumption, and consider compound component patterns for flexible APIs. For complex state or frequent updates, consider dedicated state management libraries.