react-hooks

Write efficient React functional components and hooks. Use when writing custom hooks, optimizing useEffect, or working with useMemo/useCallback in React. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo, useState, useRef, useContext, useReducer, useLayoutEffect, custom hook)

385 stars

Best use case

react-hooks is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Write efficient React functional components and hooks. Use when writing custom hooks, optimizing useEffect, or working with useMemo/useCallback in React. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo, useState, useRef, useContext, useReducer, useLayoutEffect, custom hook)

Teams using react-hooks should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/react-hooks/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard/main/skills/react/react-hooks/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/react-hooks/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How react-hooks Compares

Feature / Agentreact-hooksStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Write efficient React functional components and hooks. Use when writing custom hooks, optimizing useEffect, or working with useMemo/useCallback in React. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo, useState, useRef, useContext, useReducer, useLayoutEffect, custom hook)

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

Related Guides

SKILL.md Source

# React Hooks Expert

## **Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)**

**You are a React Performance Expert.** Optimize renders and prevent memory leaks.

## Implementation Guidelines

- **Dependency Arrays**: exhaustive-deps is Law. **Objects/arrays are recreated each render**, causing **infinite loops** if not handled. Fix by ensuring **objects/arrays are memoized** with **`useMemo`** before putting them in deps, or using **`useRef`** for stable refs.
- **Memoization**: useMemo for heavy calc (expensive computed values) and useCallback for props (stabilize function references for memoized children). **Measure first** to avoid premature complexity.
- **Custom Hooks**: Extract logic starting with use... — use `useState` for internal state and return only what's needed.
- **`useEffect`**: Sync with external systems ONLY. **Cleanup required** for subscriptions/event listeners. **Return cleanup function** from the effect. Use **`AbortController`** for fetch cleanup to prevent state updates after unmount.
- **`useRef`**: Mutable state without re-renders (DOM, timers, tracking).
- **`useMemo`/`Callback`**: Measure first. Use for stable refs or heavy computation.
- **Stability**: Use `useLatest` pattern (ref) for event handlers to avoid dependency changes; see the [useLatest ref pattern example](https://react.gg/hooks/use-latest-ref) for a reference implementation.
- **Concurrency**: `useTransition` / `useDeferredValue` for non-blocking UI updates.
- **Initialization**: Lazy state `useState(() => expensive())`.

## Performance Checklist (Mandatory)

- [ ] **Rules of Hooks**: Called at top level? No loops/conditions?
- [ ] **Dependencies**: Are objects/arrays memoized before passing to deps?
- [ ] **Cleanup**: Do `useEffect` subscriptions return cleanup functions?
- [ ] **Render Count**: Does component re-render excessively?

## Anti-Patterns

- **No Missing Deps**: Fix logic, don't disable linter.
- **No Complex Effects**: Break tailored effects into smaller ones.
- **No Derived State**: Compute during render, don't `useEffect` to sync state.
- **No Heavy Init**: Use lazy state initialization `useState(() => heavy())`.

## References

- [Optimization Patterns](references/REFERENCE.md)

Related Skills

react-typescript

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Type React components and hooks with TypeScript patterns. Use when typing React props, hooks, event handlers, or component generics in TypeScript. (triggers: **/*.tsx, ReactNode, FC, PropsWithChildren, ComponentProps)

react-tooling

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Configure debugging, bundle analysis, and ecosystem tools for React applications. Use when setting up Vite/webpack build tooling, analyzing bundle size, debugging re-renders with React DevTools, or configuring ESLint and StrictMode for React projects. (triggers: package.json, devtool, bundle, strict mode, profile)

react-testing

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Test React components with RTL and Jest/Vitest. Use when writing React component tests with React Testing Library, Jest, or Vitest. (triggers: **/*.test.tsx, **/*.spec.tsx, render, screen, userEvent, expect)

react-state-management

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Select and implement local, global, and server state patterns in React. Use when choosing or implementing state management (Context, Zustand, Redux, React Query) in React. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, state, useReducer, context, store, props)

react-security

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Prevent XSS, secure auth flows, and harden React client-side applications. Use when preventing XSS, securing auth flows, or auditing third-party dependencies in React. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, dangerouslySetInnerHTML, token, auth, xss)

react-performance

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Optimize React rendering, bundle size, and data fetching performance. Use when optimizing React rendering performance, reducing re-renders, or improving bundle size. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.jsx, waterfall, bundle, lazy, suspense, dynamic)

react-component-patterns

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Build modern React component architecture with composition patterns. Use when designing reusable React components, applying composition patterns, or structuring component hierarchies. (triggers: **/*.jsx, **/*.tsx, component, props, children, composition, hoc, render-props)

react-native-testing

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Test React Native components with Jest and React Native Testing Library. Use when writing Jest or React Native Testing Library tests for React Native components. (triggers: **/*.test.tsx, **/*.spec.tsx, __tests__/**, test, testing, jest, render, fireEvent, waitFor)

react-native-styling

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Style React Native apps with StyleSheet API, Flexbox, theming, and responsive design. Use when implementing React Native styles, theming, Flexbox layouts, or responsive design. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.ts, StyleSheet, style, theme, responsive, flexbox)

react-native-state-management

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Implement local and global state with Context, Zustand, and Redux Toolkit in React Native. Use when choosing or implementing state management in React Native with Context, Zustand, or Redux. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.ts, useState, useContext, zustand, redux, state-management)

react-native-security

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Secure storage, network traffic, and deep links in React Native mobile apps. Use when implementing secure storage, certificate pinning, or deep link validation in React Native. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.ts, security, keychain, secure-storage, deep-link, certificate-pinning)

react-native-platform-specific

385
from HoangNguyen0403/agent-skills-standard

Resolve iOS and Android differences using Platform API and native modules in React Native. Use when handling platform-specific behavior or integrating native modules in React Native. (triggers: **/*.tsx, **/*.ts, **/*.ios.*, **/*.android.*, Platform, Platform.select, native-module, ios, android)