React

React — Skills Reference

Overview

No vendor certification exists for React. This playbook encodes the working competence applied when building, reviewing, or debugging a React application — anchored entirely on official React documentation (react.dev) and broadly accepted community best practices. Anchor all claims to react.dev; verify against it before acting.

Scope of this skill: React itself — components, hooks, state, rendering, data-fetching patterns, accessibility, and testing. Framework concerns (Next.js App Router, Server Components, Expo) are deferred to the nextjs and react-native sibling skills.

Load this skill when… writing or reviewing React components, hooks, or state architecture; debugging re-renders, stale closures, or effect dependencies; auditing accessibility (ARIA, focus management); writing or fixing React Testing Library tests. Not this skill: Next.js App Router, Server/Client Components, Server Actions → see nextjs; React Native / Expo mobile apps → see react-native.

Study resources and data-fetching library links live in references/study-resources.md.

Verify steps assume nothing about your tooling — use your project's own scripts and the language toolchain (tsc, node, the test runner, the package manager), in that order of preference.

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Uncertainty & Escalation

• Always re-verify live: React evolves rapidly — hooks, concurrent features, and the React Compiler change behavior across minor versions. [volatile — verify live] marks apply to: React Compiler availability and defaults (production-ready late 2025 — check the project's babel-plugin-react-compiler version before assuming it is active); compiler lint rules — eslint-plugin-react-compiler is superseded by eslint-plugin-react-hooks v6, which folds in the compiler rules (React 19.2, Oct 2025); useActionState and useOptimistic (React 19+ only); React 18 batching behavior in non-React-managed event handlers (verify with React 18+); TanStack Query and SWR API surface (major-version breaking changes — always check installed version). Check react in package.json — React 18 and 19 differ on form actions, optimistic updates, and compiler support.
• Live wins: the installed React version's actual behavior and react.dev are authoritative over this file → log discrepancies via Feedback protocol below.
• Escalate to a human: upgrading from React 17→18 or 18→19 in a production app (concurrent mode and batching changes can surface latent bugs); removing StrictMode from a production app; major data-fetching library upgrades (TanStack Query v4→v5 API changes); production deploys.
• Confidence taxonomy: facts in this file are stable unless tagged [volatile — verify live] or [opinion — house style].

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1. Components, Hooks & State

Component fundamentals

• Every component must be a pure function of its inputs (props + state). Same inputs → same JSX output, every time. Side effects in the render body (mutations, subscriptions, timers) are bugs waiting to surface under Strict Mode's double-invoke or the React Compiler.
• Never define a component inside another component. Each render call creates a new function reference; React sees it as a different component type, unmounts the inner component, and resets its state. Define all components at module top level.
• Key correctness. Keys tell React which items in a list are the same across renders. Use stable IDs (database id, slug); never use array index as a key on a list that can be reordered, filtered, or have items inserted — React will misapply state and DOM attributes.

Rules of hooks (non-negotiable)

1. Call hooks only at the top level of a React function — never inside loops, conditionals, or early returns.
2. Call hooks only from React function components or from other custom hooks, never from plain functions.

Violating either rule makes hook call order unstable across renders; React will corrupt state. ESLint's eslint-plugin-react-hooks (v6+ in React 19.2 projects, which folds in the former eslint-plugin-react-compiler rules) enforces both rules automatically — enable and trust it. See react.dev/blog/2025/10/01/react-19-2.

useState — right tool, right scope

• Don't sync derived values into state with an effect. If a value can be computed from existing state or props, compute it during render: const fullName = firstName + ' ' + lastName. Storing it in state and synchronizing it via useEffect creates a double-render and is a category of bug, not a pattern.
• Lift state to the closest common ancestor of all components that need it. Over-lifting (global state for local concerns) creates unnecessary coupling and re-renders.
• Don't mirror props into state at initialization unless you explicitly intend to decouple updates. If you do decouple, name the variable to signal it: const [editedTitle, setEditedTitle] = useState(initialTitle).

Prop-mirroring trap: when a child's state should reset on a controlling prop change, two correct approaches:

Situation	Correct fix
Child should reset all state when prop changes	Give the child a key equal to the controlling prop from the parent: <TabContent key={tab} />. React unmounts and remounts the child cleanly — no effect needed.
Child should be fully controlled (no local selection state)	Remove the local state entirely; accept the value as a prop.

Wrong: useEffect(() => { setState(prop); }, [prop]) — still fires a double render (stale state visible before the effect corrects it). Guard conditions inside the effect have the same problem. The key prop or a fully-controlled pattern eliminates this effect entirely.

useReducer — prefer over useState when next state depends on previous in complex ways, multiple fields change together as a unit, or you want pure update logic outside the component for testability. Reducer functions are pure: state + action → next state, no side effects.

useEffect — the discipline

useEffect synchronizes a component with an external system (DOM APIs, browser subscriptions, third-party libraries, network). If there is no external system, you don't need an effect.

Dependency array rules:

• Every reactive value read inside the effect (props, state, variables derived from them) must appear in the deps array. Omitting deps to "run less" is a stale-closure bug.
• Don't add deps to suppress the lint warning — instead, restructure the effect to need fewer reactive values (move objects/functions inside the effect, or use useReducer dispatch which is stable).
• An empty dep array [] means "run once after mount and clean up on unmount" — correct for subscriptions, wrong for effects that should react to prop/state changes.

Always return a cleanup function when the effect sets up a subscription, timer, or connection. Without cleanup, re-mounting, StrictMode double-invoke, or hot reload will leak.

useEffectEvent — non-reactive values in effects: Stable since React 19.2 (Oct 2025). When an effect needs to read a prop or state value (e.g., a logging callback or analytics flag) without re-running the effect every time that value changes, wrap the non-reactive read in useEffectEvent. The event function always sees the latest value but is not a reactive dependency — you do not add it to the deps array. This replaces the previous workaround of holding the value in a useRef and reading ref.current inside the effect. Source: react.dev/reference/react/useEffectEvent.

Common effect over-use patterns — and the fix:

Mistaken pattern	Fix
useEffect updates state from props	Compute derived value during render; or use key prop to reset the component
useEffect sends a POST after state flag	Call the API in the event handler directly
Chain of effects updating each other	Collect all state changes in the event handler; compute final state together
useEffect notifies parent via callback	Call the parent callback directly in the event handler
useEffect transforms data for render	Calculate during render (or useMemo if expensive)

useRef — holds a mutable value that doesn't trigger re-renders. Use for: DOM node references, timer IDs, tracking mount state, previous prop values. Never read or write refs during rendering.

useContext — eliminates prop-drilling for cross-cutting values (theme, locale, current user). Not a replacement for server-state caching — use TanStack Query or Zustand for that. Every subscriber re-renders on context value changes: split contexts by change frequency and memoize the provider value object.

Custom hooks: a function whose name starts with use that calls other hooks. Extract shared stateful logic into custom hooks; each call gets its own independent state instance. Extended guidance: references/advanced-patterns.md → "Custom Hooks."

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2. Rendering & Performance

How React renders

Rendering = calling your component function to produce a JSX tree. React reconciles it against the previous tree and commits only changed DOM nodes. Three phases: Trigger → Render → Commit.

State updates are batched in React 18+. Multiple setState calls in a single event handler are batched into a single re-render.

Memoization: don't memoize without measuring. In React Compiler projects [volatile — verify live], the compiler inserts React.memo/useMemo/useCallback automatically — manual memoization is usually redundant. Without the compiler, apply after profiling: React.memo memoizes render output, useMemo memoizes a computed value, useCallback memoizes a function reference (only useful when passed to a memo-wrapped child). Prefer structural patterns first: accept children as a prop, keep state local, split contexts by change frequency. Full comparison table and when-to-apply criteria: references/advanced-patterns.md → "Memoization."

Key prop — the reset lever

Giving a component a different key tells React to unmount the old instance and mount a new one, resetting all its state. This is the correct fix for "reset form when user changes" — <Form key={userId} /> — not an effect that clears state fields.

Concurrent features (React 18+) — load references/advanced-patterns.md → "Concurrent Features" for useTransition, useDeferredValue, and Suspense usage patterns. Key constraint: useTransition cannot be used to control text inputs (react.dev is explicit). For a laggy controlled filter/text input, the correct tool is useDeferredValue + memo on the expensive consumer, or a two-state split — not useTransition.

Profiling

Use React DevTools Profiler before optimizing. It shows which components rendered, why, and how long. Optimize the actual bottleneck, not the assumed one.

Red flags in review:

• useMemo / useCallback applied everywhere without measurement
• Component definitions nested inside other component render bodies
• Array index used as key on a sortable/filterable list
• useEffect reading a value not in the dep array (stale closure)
• useState holding a value that's derivable from other state
• Multiple sequential setState calls that each force a re-render (batch or use useReducer)

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3. Data & Architecture

Data fetching

React itself has no built-in data-fetching — use a library that handles caching, background refresh, loading/error states, and deduplication.

Need	Tool
Server state (remote data, REST/GraphQL)	TanStack Query (React Query) or SWR
Optimistic updates before server confirmation	useOptimistic (React 19) or TanStack Query's optimisticUpdate
Form submission with loading/error state	useActionState (React 19) replaces the useState + onSubmit + loading flag pattern
Client/global UI state	useState / useReducer + context, or Zustand
Complex cross-component state	Redux Toolkit or Zustand

Avoid writing useEffect + fetch + useState for server data — you get no caching, no deduplication, and race conditions. Use TanStack Query or SWR instead.

Race condition: when a component fetches data on a changing prop, a slow response from an old request can overwrite the new response. Fix: use the effect cleanup to set an ignore flag, or use a library that handles this automatically. Example pattern: references/advanced-patterns.md → "Race Condition."

State architecture decisions

Question	Guidance
Does only one component need this?	Keep it local with useState
Do sibling components need the same data?	Lift to closest common ancestor
Is it remote/server data that must be cached?	TanStack Query / SWR, not context
Is it shared UI state across many unrelated components?	Context (if low-frequency updates) or Zustand
Is the update logic complex or shared?	useReducer with context, or Redux Toolkit

Folder / feature structure and framework scope boundary (Next.js/RN handoff rules, feature-based co-location guidance): references/advanced-patterns.md → "Folder Structure and Framework Scope."

React 19 and 19.2 Notable Additions

These features are in scope for this skill. They shipped across two releases — React 19.0 (Dec 2024) and React 19.2 (Oct 2025) — so version attribution matters when checking availability.

React 19.0 (2024-12-05) — source: https://react.dev/blog/2024/12/05/react-19

• use() hook — reads a resource (a Promise or a Context) during render. use(SomeContext) replaces useContext(SomeContext). use(promise) suspends until the promise resolves (must be inside a Suspense boundary). Unlike hooks, use() can be called conditionally. Use for data-loading patterns that pair with Suspense; prefer useContext for simple context reads (more explicit).
• ref as a prop — function components now accept ref directly as a prop (e.g. function Input({ ref, ...props })). forwardRef is no longer needed for new components. Existing forwardRef usage continues to work but is considered legacy.
• <Context> as a provider — render <MyContext value={…}> directly; <MyContext.Provider value={…}> still works but is no longer required.

React 19.2 (2025-10-01) — source: https://react.dev/blog/2025/10/01/react-19-2

• <Activity> component — hides/shows a subtree without unmounting it, preserving state while the subtree is visually hidden. Intended for tabs, expandable panels, and off-screen pre-rendering. Use instead of CSS display:none when you need preserved state across visibility changes.
• Performance Tracks in DevTools — React DevTools 19.2 adds a "Performance Tracks" panel in the browser profiler timeline, visualizing when React components render, commit, and suspend alongside native browser tasks. Use it to pinpoint jank sources more precisely than the Profiler flame chart alone.

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4. Accessibility & Testing

Accessibility

React renders to the DOM — all standard HTML accessibility rules apply. React-specific concerns:

• Prefer semantic HTML. A <button> is keyboard-focusable and announces its role to screen readers automatically. A <div onClick> is not. Use the correct element before reaching for ARIA.
• Every interactive element needs an accessible name. Buttons and links must have visible text or aria-label/aria-labelledby. Icon-only buttons (no visible text by design) must have aria-label — that is the correct and complete fix for that case.
• aria-label is not a substitute for a visible <label>. For form inputs, the correct fix is a persistent visible label (<label htmlFor="id">). aria-label satisfies screen readers but leaves sighted/cognitive-accessibility users without a persistent field name. Reserve aria-label for icon-only buttons; on form fields it is a lower-quality fix. Decision table: references/advanced-patterns.md → "Accessibility: Input Accessible Name."
• Associate form inputs with labels. Use <label htmlFor="inputId"> (htmlFor, not for in JSX) or wrap the input inside the label. Never rely on placeholder text alone.
• Focus management on dynamic content. When a modal opens, move focus inside it; trap Tab within the modal; when it closes, return focus to the trigger. Use useRef + element.focus(). For lists that update (e.g. after a filter), ensure the user's position is not lost.
• ARIA roles supplement, not replace, semantics. Add role, aria-expanded, aria-controls, aria-live when native HTML can't convey the interaction. An aria-live="polite" region announces dynamic updates (search results count, toast notifications) to screen readers without moving focus.
• Keyboard navigation. Every action available by mouse must be reachable by keyboard. Tab/Shift-Tab navigate focusable elements; Enter/Space activate buttons; Escape dismisses overlays. Custom widgets (combobox, date picker, slider) must implement the ARIA Authoring Practices patterns.

Red flags in review:

• onClick on a non-interactive element with no role or tabIndex
• <img> without alt (or alt="" for decorative images)
• <input> without associated <label>
• Focus not managed after modal open/close
• Color alone used to convey meaning

Testing with React Testing Library

Core principle: test what the user sees and does, not what the component stores internally. Tests that assert on state variables or component internals break on refactor while behavior stays the same.

Query priority: getByRole (most robust; validates a11y) → getByLabelText → getByPlaceholderText (fix the a11y issue too) → getByText → getByTestId (last resort; use data-testid, not class names).

Interaction: use @testing-library/user-event (userEvent.click, userEvent.type) rather than fireEvent. userEvent simulates the full browser event sequence (pointerdown, mousedown, focus, click, etc.); fireEvent fires a single synthetic event and misses side effects.

Async patterns:

• findBy* queries return a Promise and retry until the element appears or times out — use for anything that renders after an async operation.
• waitFor(() => expect(...)) retries the assertion — use when multiple things must be true after an async operation.
• Never use act() manually in tests that use userEvent v14+ — it wraps automatically.

What not to test:

• Internal state values (test what the UI shows instead)
• Exact CSS classes (test behavior, not styling implementation)
• That a mock was called with internal component details (test the resulting UI, not the wiring)

Custom hooks: test via renderHook from @testing-library/react. Invoke the hook, manipulate inputs via act(), assert on the returned values.

Decision scenario:

Situation: A button triggers a network call, and after success a confirmation message appears. The test clicks the button and immediately asserts on the message — but the assertion fails. Competent move: Switch to await screen.findByText('Confirmation') or wrap the assertion in await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByText('Confirmation')).toBeInTheDocument()). The message renders asynchronously; getBy* queries are synchronous and fail immediately. Tempting-but-wrong: Adding await act(async () => userEvent.click(button)) and then a synchronous getBy*. This works in some cases but is fragile and masks the real intent. Verify: Run the test with --verbose; confirm the query waits and passes when the message appears.

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Executable Workflows

Workflow 1 — Place state correctly (compute-during-render vs lift vs key-reset — avoid effect-sync)

1. Ask: "Can this value be derived from existing state or props?" If yes, compute it during render — no useState, no useEffect. → gate: removing the derived state and computing inline produces identical UI with no console warnings.
2. Ask: "Does only one component need this value?" If yes, keep it local with useState in that component. Move on.
3. Ask: "Do two sibling components need the same value?" Lift state to their closest common ancestor. Pass as props. → gate: both siblings render the same value; changing it in one sibling updates the other.
4. Ask: "Should a child reset all its state when a controlling prop changes?" Give the child a key equal to the controlling prop: <Form key={userId} />. Do not write useEffect(() => { setState(prop) }, [prop]). → gate: change the controlling prop; confirm the child's internal state resets cleanly (React DevTools Components tab shows the instance unmounted and remounted).
5. Ask: "Is this server/remote data?" Use TanStack Query or SWR — not useEffect + fetch + useState. → gate: remove the useEffect + fetch; queries deduplicate, cache, and handle loading/error states automatically.

Workflow 2 — Diagnose an extra/infinite re-render (profiler → identity/deps → memo decision)

1. Open React DevTools Profiler. Record a session covering the unexpected re-render. Click the component that re-renders unexpectedly — the "Why did this render?" panel lists the prop or state that changed. → gate: you can name the specific prop/state/context value that triggered the render.
2. If the triggering value is an object or function, check whether its reference is stable. Inline {} and () => {} in render produce a new reference every render. → gate: console.log(Object.is(prev, next)) (or React DevTools) confirms the reference is changing.
3. If the reference instability is in a context value, wrap with useMemo(() => ({ … }), [deps]) at the provider. If it is a callback prop, wrap with useCallback(fn, deps) at the parent. → gate: re-record in Profiler; the component should no longer appear in the flame chart for unrelated parent renders.
4. For infinite render loops: check whether a useEffect sets state unconditionally (no condition before setState) or whether its deps array contains an unstable object that it also updates. → gate: enable eslint-plugin-react-hooks — exhaustive-deps warns on missing/extra deps; fix the root cause, not the warning.
5. Only add React.memo after confirming the re-render is measurably slow (Profiler "render duration" > 2ms under real load). In React Compiler projects, skip manual memo entirely. → gate: Profiler shows reduced render count without introducing stale prop bugs.

Workflow 3 — Test a component's behavior with React Testing Library

1. Render the component with render(<MyComponent …/>). Import from @testing-library/react.
2. Query for elements with the highest-confidence query first: getByRole('button', { name: /submit/i }), then getByLabelText, then getByText, never getByClassName. → gate: the query finds exactly one element; if it throws "Unable to find…", run screen.debug() to inspect the rendered tree.
3. Interact using @testing-library/user-event: await userEvent.click(button), await userEvent.type(input, 'hello'). Do not use fireEvent unless you need low-level synthetic events. → gate: userEvent.setup() is called once per test (v14+ API); all interactions are awaited.
4. For async outcomes (data loaded, UI updated after an API call), use await screen.findByText('Expected text') or await waitFor(() => expect(screen.getByRole('alert')).toBeInTheDocument()). Never query synchronously for async results. → gate: the test passes consistently without artificial setTimeout or sleep calls.
5. Assert on what the user sees, not on internal state. expect(screen.getByRole('status')).toHaveTextContent('Saved') — not expect(component.state.saved).toBe(true). → gate: refactoring the component's state shape without changing visible behavior does not break the test.

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Decision Scenarios

Scenario 1 — Context provider value object recreated every render causes all consumers to re-render

Situation: A ThemeProvider component holds { theme, setTheme } as a context value created inline: <ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, setTheme }}>. Profiling reveals that every component consuming the context re-renders whenever any state anywhere in the app changes — even unrelated state that re-renders the ThemeProvider parent.

Competent move: Memoize the context value: const value = useMemo(() => ({ theme, setTheme }), [theme, setTheme]). The inline {} creates a new object reference on every render, and React's context compares values by reference — all subscribers see a "changed" value and re-render. Memoizing the object ensures consumers only re-render when theme or setTheme actually changes.

Tempting-but-wrong: Wrapping each consumer component in React.memo. React.memo skips re-renders due to unchanged props, but context changes are not props — React.memo does not prevent context-triggered re-renders. The fix must be at the provider, not the consumer.

Verify: Use React DevTools Profiler before and after the fix. Before: every context consumer shows a re-render reason of "context changed" on every unrelated state update. After memoization: consumers only re-render when theme itself changes.

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Scenario 2 — useEffect cleanup missing from a setInterval in a polling component

Situation: A LivePriceTicker component starts a setInterval that fetches a price every 3 seconds inside a useEffect with an empty dependency array []. In development (Strict Mode), multiple fetch calls fire simultaneously on mount, creating duplicate network requests. In production the component unmounts and remounts during navigation, and after navigating away the polling continues in the background.

Competent move: Return a cleanup function from the effect: return () => clearInterval(intervalId). React Strict Mode double-invokes effects in development to surface missing cleanup — the duplicate requests are the diagnostic signal, not a bug to suppress. The cleanup function runs on unmount and on every re-run in Strict Mode, stopping the interval correctly in both environments.

Tempting-but-wrong: Disabling Strict Mode to stop the duplicate requests in development. Strict Mode is revealing a real production bug (the leaked interval after unmount). Removing it hides the signal without fixing the problem.

Verify: Wrap the component in a toggle button so it can be mounted and unmounted. Without cleanup, open the browser Network tab and confirm requests continue after the component is hidden. With cleanup, requests stop immediately on unmount.

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Scenario 3 — useActionState for form submission vs manual useState + onSubmit loading flag

Situation: A React 19 project has a comment-submission form implemented with three useState variables (value, isLoading, error) and a handleSubmit function that sets them manually. A reviewer suggests replacing the whole pattern with useActionState.

Competent move: Replace the three-variable pattern with const [state, submitAction, isPending] = useActionState(postCommentAction, initialState). useActionState (React 19) encapsulates the loading/error/result lifecycle for an async action, provides a stable isPending boolean, and supports progressive enhancement when used with <form action={submitAction}>. The manual pattern is error-prone (forgetting to reset isLoading on error is a common bug) and requires more code.

Tempting-but-wrong: Using useReducer to consolidate the three state fields. useReducer removes the multi-setState problem but still requires manual isLoading management and does not integrate with <form action> for progressive enhancement. useActionState is the purpose-built React 19 primitive for this exact pattern.

Verify: Confirm the project is on React 19+ (package.json). Implement useActionState and verify isPending becomes true during the async call and false after — test with a slow mock action using setTimeout inside a wrapper.

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Scenario 4 — Testing a custom hook with renderHook and act — asserting synchronous state

Situation: A developer tests a custom useCounter hook by calling renderHook(() => useCounter(0)) and immediately asserting result.current.count === 0. The test passes. They then call the increment function and assert result.current.count === 1 — but the assertion fails because the value is still 0.

Competent move: Wrap the state-mutating call in act(): act(() => { result.current.increment(); }). React batches and flushes state updates asynchronously. act() tells React Testing Library to flush all pending state updates and effects before the assertion runs, so result.current.count reflects the post-update value.

Tempting-but-wrong: Using waitFor(() => expect(result.current.count).toBe(1)). waitFor is for asynchronous operations (network calls, timers). A synchronous state update triggered by calling a hook function should be wrapped in act(), not awaited — using waitFor here works but signals a misunderstanding of what is synchronous vs asynchronous.

Verify: Run the test with act() wrapping the increment call. The assertion should pass without any timeout. Also verify that omitting act() produces a React testing warning about "not wrapped in act" in the console — that warning is the diagnostic signal for this pattern.

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Operational Rules Quick Reference

Read this before writing or reviewing any React code.

• DO keep components pure — same props + state → same JSX, every render, no side effects in the render body.
• DON'T define components inside other components — each render creates a new reference; React unmounts and resets state.
• DO place state at the closest common ancestor of the consumers; no higher.
• DON'T sync derived values into state via useEffect — compute them during render.
• DO include every reactive value read inside an effect in the deps array. Never omit deps to reduce runs.
• DON'T write useEffect + fetch + useState for server data — use TanStack Query or SWR.
• DO return a cleanup function from every effect that sets up a subscription, timer, or connection.
• DON'T use array index as key on any list that can be reordered, filtered, or have items inserted.
• DO use key prop to intentionally reset a component's state (e.g. <TabContent key={tab} />, <Form key={userId} />). This is the preferred fix when a child's state should reset on a controlling prop change — not a useEffect that mirrors the prop into state.
• DON'T use useEffect to sync a prop into local state (useEffect(() => { setState(prop) }, [prop])). The component renders once with stale state before the effect fires. Use key to remount or make the component fully controlled instead.
• DON'T treat aria-label as a substitute for a visible <label> on form inputs — it satisfies screen readers but leaves sighted users without a persistent label. Use a visible label element for inputs; reserve aria-label for icon-only buttons and other cases where no visible label text is appropriate.
• DON'T memoize (React.memo / useMemo / useCallback) without measuring first — in React Compiler projects, the compiler handles this automatically.
• DO use useTransition (startTransition) to keep the UI responsive during expensive non-urgent state updates — but not to fix a laggy controlled text input. react.dev is explicit: "Transitions can't be used to control text inputs." For a laggy controlled input, use useDeferredValue (defer the derived/expensive work while keeping the input controlled) plus memo on the expensive consumer — or a two-state split.
• DO use useDeferredValue to defer the expensive re-render of a memoized child component while keeping the controlled input immediately responsive. Note: useDeferredValue only helps when the expensive consumer is wrapped in React.memo; without memo the deferred value still triggers a synchronous re-render.
• DO use semantic HTML first (<button>, <label htmlFor>, <nav>, <main>) before reaching for ARIA.
• DON'T put onClick on a non-interactive element without role and tabIndex.
• DO manage focus programmatically when modals open/close or content changes significantly.
• DO query with getByRole first in RTL tests; fall back to getByTestId only as a last resort.
• DON'T test internal state or implementation details — test what the user sees and can do.
• DO use findBy* or waitFor for anything that renders after an async operation.
• DO use userEvent (not fireEvent) for interaction in tests.
• DO verify against official react.dev documentation before treating any of the above as ground truth — React evolves.

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Feedback protocol

Using this skill and hit a wall? If you find a claim contradicted by the live system or official docs, a missing rule that cost you a wrong attempt, or a decision this skill gave no criteria for — append an entry in the moment to .skill-feedback/react.md at the project root (create it if absent):

date | skill last-reviewed | claim or gap | what you observed instead | evidence (error text / doc URL / query output) | suggested fix

These are harvested back into the skill via the learning loop. When the live system and this file disagree, trust the live system.

Changelog

• 2026-06-09 — Conformed to the 12-dimension skill standard: task-vocab description + Scope block, Uncertainty & Escalation guidance with inline [volatile — verify live] marks, executable workflows, tool-agnostic verify steps, and the feedback protocol above. last-reviewed set to 2026-06-09.
• 2026-06-09 — Curation pass (inbox: D9 audit finding): inlined 3 decision scenarios into the body (Scenarios 2–4: useEffect cleanup/Strict Mode, useActionState vs useState, renderHook/act) to meet the teaching-scenario standard (≥4 inline). references/scenarios.md deleted (all scenarios now inline). Custom hooks, Concurrent features, race-condition code block, and Folder/framework scope subsections moved to references/advanced-patterns.md to offset body length.
• 2026-06-10 — Curation pass C3 (inbox 2026-06-10). Six findings integrated: (1) useTransition/controlled-input correctness bug — corrected guidance: useTransition cannot be used to control text inputs (react.dev); useDeferredValue+memo is the right tool; updated Operational Rules and Section 2 pointer; eval answer-key scenario 6 rewritten. (2) useEffectEvent added — new paragraph in useEffect section covering stable React 19.2 API for non-reactive deps in effects. (3) useDeferredValue mischaracterization fixed — corrected in references/advanced-patterns.md: not a debounce/timer; immediate interruptible background re-render; only helps with memo'd consumer; added tool-selection table. (4) Stale tooling — eslint-plugin-react-compiler superseded by eslint-plugin-react-hooks v6 (React 19.2); updated Uncertainty section and Rules of Hooks paragraph. (5) Coverage gaps — added React 19/19.2 Notable Additions section: use() hook, ref-as-prop, Context-as-provider, <Activity> component, Performance Tracks in DevTools. (6) Trademark + link — disclaimer updated from Meta to React Foundation (Linux Foundation, Feb 2026); Rules-of-Hooks link in study-resources.md corrected to react.dev/reference/rules/rules-of-hooks; study-resources footer updated. Eval: situations.md scenario 6 prompt clarified for coherence with corrected answer; 6 new held-out scenarios added (13–18) probing useEffectEvent, useDeferredValue+memo, Activity, use(), ref-as-prop, and useTransition/controlled-input distinctions.
• 2026-06-10 — Cycle-3 volatile reconciliation: 6 facts confirmed (markers cleared); corrected React 19.0 vs 19.2 attribution for use()/ref-as-prop/Context-as-provider (19.0) vs Activity/Performance Tracks (19.2).

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