React useEffect Best Practices
Effects are escape hatches - they should primarily synchronize with external systems. Many common use cases don't actually require Effects.
Key Recommendations
Avoid Effects for:
- •Computing derived values (calculate during render instead)
- •Handling user interactions (use event handlers)
- •Managing state chains (compute state in handlers)
- •Responding to prop changes (use the
keyprop)
Use Effects for:
- •Synchronizing with external systems (non-React widgets, browser APIs)
- •Subscriptions and analytics
- •Data fetching with proper cleanup
The Decision Framework
Ask yourself: Is this responding to a user interaction (event handler), component appearance (effect), prop/state change needing derivation (calculate during render), or prop-based reset (key prop)?
This approach reduces unnecessary Effects, improving performance and maintainability.
Additional Resources
- •anti-patterns.md - Common mistakes to avoid
- •alternatives.md - Better solutions for each anti-pattern