orchestrate-side-effectshandle-side-effects

name	orchestrate-side-effects/handle-side-effects
description	Use this when choosing between RTK Query, createAsyncThunk, handwritten thunks, and createListenerMiddleware. Covers imperative versus reactive workflows, listener middleware setup, and keeping side effects out of reducers and UI components.
type	core
library	@reduxjs/toolkit
library_version	2.11.2
requires	["build-modern-redux-apps/redux-dataflow"]
sources	["reduxjs/redux-toolkit:docs/api/createAsyncThunk.mdx","reduxjs/redux-toolkit:docs/api/createListenerMiddleware.mdx","reduxjs/redux:docs/style-guide/style-guide.md","reduxjs/redux:docs/tutorials/essentials/part-5-async-logic.md"]

Handle Side Effects

Setup

import {
  configureStore,
  createListenerMiddleware,
  createSlice,
} from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const docsSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'docs',
  initialState: { status: 'idle' as 'idle' | 'saved' },
  reducers: {
    saveStarted(state) {
      state.status = 'idle'
    },
    saveFinished(state) {
      state.status = 'saved'
    },
  },
})

const listenerMiddleware = createListenerMiddleware()

export const store = configureStore({
  reducer: {
    docs: docsSlice.reducer,
  },
  middleware: (getDefaultMiddleware) =>
    getDefaultMiddleware().prepend(listenerMiddleware.middleware),
})

export type RootState = ReturnType<typeof store.getState>
export type AppDispatch = typeof store.dispatch

export const startAppListening =
  listenerMiddleware.startListening.withTypes<RootState, AppDispatch>()

Core Patterns

Use RTK Query for server cache by default

import { createApi, fetchBaseQuery } from '@reduxjs/toolkit/query/react'

type Post = { id: string; title: string }

export const api = createApi({
  reducerPath: 'api',
  baseQuery: fetchBaseQuery({ baseUrl: '/api' }),
  tagTypes: ['Post'],
  endpoints: (build) => ({
    getPosts: build.query<Post[], void>({
      query: () => 'posts',
      providesTags: ['Post'],
    }),
  }),
})

If the problem is server data that should be cached and re-used, start with RTK Query instead of a thunk.

Use createAsyncThunk for imperative workflows

import { createAsyncThunk, createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

type Draft = { title: string }

export const draftSaved = createAsyncThunk(
  'drafts/save',
  async (draft: Draft) => {
    const response = await fetch('/api/drafts', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
      body: JSON.stringify(draft),
    })

    return (await response.json()) as { id: string; title: string }
  },
)

const draftsSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'drafts',
  initialState: { status: 'idle' as 'idle' | 'pending' | 'failed' },
  reducers: {},
  extraReducers: (builder) => {
    builder
      .addCase(draftSaved.pending, () => {
        state. = 
      })
      .(draftSaved.,  {
        state. = 
      })
      .(draftSaved.,  {
        state. = 
      })
  },
})

Use a thunk when you need one imperative async workflow with dispatch and getState.

Use listener middleware for reactive workflows

import { createListenerMiddleware, createSlice } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const docsSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'docs',
  initialState: { status: 'idle' as 'idle' | 'saved' },
  reducers: {
    saveFinished(state) {
      state.status = 'saved'
    },
  },
})

const notificationsSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'notifications',
  initialState: [] as string[],
  reducers: {
    notificationQueued(state, action: { payload: string }) {
      state.push(action.payload)
    },
  },
})

const listenerMiddleware = createListenerMiddleware()

listenerMiddleware.startListening({
  actionCreator: docsSlice.actions.saveFinished,
  effect: async (_action, listenerApi) => {
    listenerApi.dispatch(
      notificationsSlice.actions.notificationQueued('Document saved'),
    )
  },
})

Listeners fit workflows that react to future actions or state changes over time instead of driving one imperative request from a single callsite.

Common Mistakes

CRITICAL Running side effects inside reducers

Wrong:

const todosSlice = createSlice({
  name: 'todos',
  initialState: [] as { id: string }[],
  reducers: {
    todoSaved(state, action: { payload: { id: string } }) {
      fetch('/api/todos', { method: 'POST' })
      state.push(action.payload)
    },
  },
})

Correct:

import { createAsyncThunk } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const todoSaved = createAsyncThunk('todos/save', async (todo: { id: string }) => {
  await fetch('/api/todos', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify(todo),
  })
  return todo
})

Reducers must stay pure even when Immer is available.

Source: reduxjs/redux:docs/style-guide/style-guide.md

HIGH Using thunks to watch future state changes

Wrong:

export const waitForSave = () => async (
  _dispatch: unknown,
  getState: () => { docs: { status: string } },
) => {
  while (getState().docs.status !== 'saved') {
    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
  }
}

Correct:

startAppListening({
  predicate: (_action, currentState) => currentState.docs.status === 'saved',
  effect: async () => {
    console.log('Document saved')
  },
})

Polling inside thunks fights the architecture; listener middleware is the reactive tool.

Source: reduxjs/redux-toolkit:docs/api/createListenerMiddleware.mdx

HIGH Appending listener middleware after the default checks

Wrong:

import { configureStore, createListenerMiddleware } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const reducer = (state = { ready: true }) => state
const listenerMiddleware = createListenerMiddleware()

const store = configureStore({
  reducer,
  middleware: (getDefaultMiddleware) =>
    getDefaultMiddleware().concat(listenerMiddleware.middleware),
})

Correct:

import { configureStore, createListenerMiddleware } from '@reduxjs/toolkit'

const reducer = (state = { ready: true }) => state
const listenerMiddleware = createListenerMiddleware()

const store = configureStore({
  reducer,
  middleware: (getDefaultMiddleware) =>
    getDefaultMiddleware().prepend(listenerMiddleware.middleware),
})

Listener add and remove actions may carry functions, so the listener middleware needs to run before serializability checks.

Source: reduxjs/redux-toolkit:docs/api/createListenerMiddleware.mdx

References

• Listener helpers and decision heuristics