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ReactHooksuseEffectPatterns

React useEffect Patterns and Pitfalls

Master useEffect in React. From cleanup patterns to dependency management to common mistakes.

B
Bootspring Team
Engineering
September 1, 2021
7 min read

useEffect manages side effects in React components. Here's how to use it correctly.

Basic Patterns

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Data Fetching

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Event Listeners

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Subscriptions

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Timers

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Document Effects

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Common Pitfalls

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Sync vs Effects

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Testing Effects

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Best Practices

Dependencies: ✓ Include all values used inside effect ✓ Use primitives when possible ✓ Memoize objects and functions ✓ Use refs for non-reactive values Cleanup: ✓ Always clean up subscriptions ✓ Cancel pending requests ✓ Clear timers ✓ Remove event listeners Structure: ✓ Keep effects focused ✓ Split unrelated logic ✓ Extract into custom hooks ✓ Avoid effects for derived state

Conclusion

useEffect handles side effects like data fetching, subscriptions, and DOM manipulation. Always clean up effects, include all dependencies, and avoid common pitfalls like infinite loops. Extract reusable logic into custom hooks and compute derived state during render rather than in effects.

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