React Hooks Best Practices – Code Smart, Scale Smoothly

You've got the tools:

• ✅ useState
• ✅ useEffect
• ✅ useRef
• ✅ useContext, useReducer, useCallback, useMemo
• ✅ Even your own custom hooks

Now pause.

Before you keep stacking hooks like Jenga blocks, let's talk best practices — the difference between clean, scalable code vs. spaghetti React 🍝.

🎯 1. Always Call Hooks at the Top Level

Never put hooks inside:

• Loops
• If/else
• Functions inside JSX

// ❌ Wrong
if (condition) {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
}

// ✅ Right
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

Hooks must run in the same order every time React renders the component.

🛠️ 2. Keep Hook Logic Focused (One Job Per Hook)

Don't cram 10 responsibilities into one useEffect. Split logic by purpose:

useEffect(() => {
  // Fetch data
}, []);

useEffect(() => {
  // Add event listener
}, []);

🎯 Your hook logic should be focused and clear — like a clean kitchen, not a junk drawer.

🔁 3. Memoize When Needed, Not Always

• useMemo and useCallback are great.
• But overusing them can hurt performance instead of helping.

✅ Use them for:

• Expensive calculations
• Stable callbacks in React.memo children
• Derived values that affect re-renders

🧹 4. Clean Up Side Effects

If you set up something in useEffect (like a listener or timer), always clean it:

useEffect(() => {
  const timer = setTimeout(() => console.log("tick"), 1000);

  return () => clearTimeout(timer); // ✅ cleanup
}, []);

Don't let your effects haunt your app. Clean up like a responsible dev ghostbuster 👻.

🪝 5. Start Custom Hooks with use

// ✅ Correct
function useFetch() {}

// ❌ Wrong
function fetchDataHook() {}

React recognizes hooks only if the name starts with use. Otherwise, it won't track rules like lifecycle and reactivity.

📦 6. Extract Reusable Logic into Custom Hooks

Don't copy-paste useEffect and useState blocks into 10 components.

Extract it:

function useWindowWidth() {
  const [width, setWidth] = useState(window.innerWidth);
  useEffect(() => {
    const handleResize = () => setWidth(window.innerWidth);
    window.addEventListener("resize", handleResize);
    return () => window.removeEventListener("resize", handleResize);
  }, []);
  return width;
}

✅ Now your logic is reusable, testable, and clean.

💬 7. Don't Use useRef to Replace State

Yes, useRef is cool because it doesn't trigger re-renders.
But don't abuse it for everything.

❌ Don't replace useState if the value affects UI.

✅ Do use useRef for:

• Storing DOM elements
• Timeouts
• Previous values
• API instances
• Silent memory

⚠️ 8. Know When to Use useReducer

If you're tracking a lot of related state or handling complex logic…

const [state, dispatch] = useReducer(reducerFn, initialState);

• ✅ Cleaner than writing 10 useStates
• ✅ Better for shared logic between states

🧠 9. Always Declare Dependencies in useEffect

useEffect(() => {
  doSomethingWith(name); // ❌ Missing name in deps
}, []);

✅ Fix it:

useEffect(() => {
  doSomethingWith(name);
}, [name]);

If you use it inside the effect, declare it.
Otherwise, you might be using stale data and won't even realize.

🔍 10. Use ESLint Rules for Hooks

npm install eslint-plugin-react-hooks

It warns you if you:

• Forget a dependency
• Break the Rules of Hooks

Like a bodyguard for your useEffect.

✅ Summary – React Hooks Best Practices

Practice	Why it Matters
Call hooks only at top level	Keep the order consistent across renders
Separate concerns in useEffect	Easier to debug and scale
Memoize only when needed	Avoid premature optimization
Clean up side effects	Prevent memory leaks and double firing
Use custom hooks for reuse	DRY, clean, and composable logic
Name hooks with use	React tracks it properly
Declare all effect dependencies	Avoid bugs caused by stale values

🧠 FAQs – Best Practices for Hooks

1. Should I use hooks in every component?
Only when needed. If your component doesn't need state or side effects, no need for hooks.

2. Can I skip dependencies in useEffect to stop it re-running?
Technically yes. But it's an anti-pattern. Use memoization instead.

3. When should I prefer useReducer over useState?
When your state is complex, dependent, or needs to be shared through logic (like forms or modals).

4. Do custom hooks trigger re-renders?
Not directly. Only the hooks used inside them (like useState) can cause re-renders.

5. Can I use a hook inside a helper function?
No. Hooks must be called directly at the top level of your component or custom hook.

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