react-best-practices

name	react-best-practices
description	React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines tuned by gracefullight, forked from Vercel Engineering. This skill should be used when writing, reviewing, or refactoring React/Next.js code to ensure optimal performance patterns. Triggers on tasks involving React components, Next.js pages, data fetching, bundle optimization, or performance improvements.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"gracefullight","version":"2.0.0","forked_from":"vercel"}

React Best Practices

Comprehensive performance optimization guide for React and Next.js applications, tuned by gracefullight (forked from Vercel Engineering). Contains 42 rules across 8 categories (some rules are enforced by Biome linter), prioritized by impact to guide automated refactoring and code generation.

Project-Specific Notes

This project uses Orval + React Query (@tanstack/react-query) for API layer:

• Orval generates type-safe React Query hooks from OpenAPI specs
• Always use Orval-generated hooks in Client Components instead of RSC data fetching
• React Query handles caching, deduplication, and devtools
• RSC Components should handle layout, SEO metadata, and pass static props only

React Compiler is enabled (reactCompiler: true in next.config.ts):

• React Compiler automatically handles memoization (useMemo, useCallback, React.memo)
• Only use manual memoization when profiling a bottleneck or for genuinely expensive computations

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

• Writing new React components or Next.js pages
• Implementing data fetching (client or server-side)
• Reviewing code for performance issues
• Refactoring existing React/Next.js code
• Optimizing bundle size or load times

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Eliminating Waterfalls	CRITICAL	async-
2	Bundle Size Optimization	CRITICAL	bundle-
3	Server-Side Performance	HIGH	server-
4	Client-Side Data Fetching	MEDIUM-HIGH	client-
5	Re-render Optimization	MEDIUM	rerender-
6	Rendering Performance	MEDIUM	rendering-
7	JavaScript Performance	LOW-MEDIUM	js-
8	Advanced Patterns	LOW	advanced-

Quick Reference

1. Eliminating Waterfalls (CRITICAL)

• async-defer-await - Move await into branches where actually used
• async-parallel - Use Promise.all() for independent operations
• async-dependencies - Use better-all for partial dependencies
• async-api-routes - Start promises early, await late in API routes
• async-suspense-boundaries - Use Suspense to stream content

2. Bundle Size Optimization (CRITICAL)

• bundle-dynamic-imports - Use next/dynamic for heavy components
• bundle-defer-third-party - Load analytics/logging after hydration
• bundle-conditional - Load modules only when feature is activated
• bundle-preload - Preload on hover/focus for perceived speed

Note: Barrel file imports are enforced by Biome linter (noBarrelFile, noReExportAll)

3. Server-Side Performance (HIGH)

• server-after-nonblocking - Use after() for non-blocking operations

Note: RSC data fetching rules are excluded. This project uses Orval + React Query for API integration.

4. Client-Side Data Fetching (MEDIUM-HIGH)

• client-react-compiler-optimal - React Compiler handles memoization, only use useMemo/useCallback when profiling bottlenecks
• client-orval-pattern - Always use Orval-generated hooks for API data fetching
• client-tanstack-query-dedup - Use @tanstack/query for automatic request deduplication
• client-event-listeners - Deduplicate global event listeners

IMPORTANT: Do NOT use RSC async data fetching in this project. Use Orval-generated React Query hooks instead.

5. Re-render Optimization (MEDIUM)

• rerender-defer-reads - Don't subscribe to state only used in callbacks
• rerender-memo - Extract expensive work into memoized components
• rerender-dependencies - Use primitive dependencies in effects
• rerender-derived-state - Subscribe to derived booleans, not raw values
• rerender-functional-setstate - Use functional setState for stable callbacks
• rerender-lazy-state-init - Pass function to useState for expensive values
• rerender-transitions - Use startTransition for non-urgent updates

6. Rendering Performance (MEDIUM)

• rendering-animate-svg-wrapper - Animate div wrapper, not SVG element
• rendering-content-visibility - Use content-visibility for long lists
• rendering-hoist-jsx - Extract static JSX outside components
• rendering-svg-precision - Reduce SVG coordinate precision
• rendering-hydration-no-flicker - Use inline script for client-only data
• rendering-activity - Use Activity component for show/hide

Note: Conditional rendering with && is enforced by Biome linter (noLeakedRender)

7. JavaScript Performance (LOW-MEDIUM)

• js-batch-dom-css - Group CSS changes via classes or cssText
• js-index-maps - Build Map for repeated lookups
• js-cache-property-access - Cache object properties in loops
• js-cache-function-results - Cache function results in module-level Map
• js-cache-storage - Cache localStorage/sessionStorage reads
• js-combine-iterations - Combine multiple filter/map into one loop
• js-length-check-first - Check array length before expensive comparison
• js-early-exit - Return early from functions
• js-min-max-loop - Use loop for min/max instead of sort
• js-set-map-lookups - Use Set/Map for O(1) lookups
• js-tosorted-immutable - Use toSorted() for immutability

Note: RegExp hoisting is enforced by Biome linter (useTopLevelRegex)

8. Advanced Patterns (LOW)

• advanced-event-handler-refs - Store event handlers in refs
• advanced-use-latest - useLatest for stable callback refs

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

rules/async-parallel.md
rules/bundle-dynamic-imports.md
rules/_sections.md

Each rule file contains:

• Brief explanation of why it matters
• Incorrect code example with explanation
• Correct code example with explanation
• Additional context and references

Full Compiled Document

For complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md