React Performance
Deep Knowledge: Usemcp__documentation__fetch_docswith technology:reacttopic:performancefor comprehensive documentation on React performance optimization and profiling techniques.
Full Reference: See advanced.md for Profiling with React DevTools, Bundle Optimization, Image Optimization, and Web Workers.
Memoization
React.memo
Prevents re-renders when props haven't changed:
// Only re-renders when props change (shallow comparison)
const ExpensiveComponent = memo(function ExpensiveComponent({
data,
onItemClick,
}: Props) {
return (
<ul>
{data.map(item => (
<li key={item.id} onClick={() => onItemClick(item.id)}>
{item.name}
</li>
))}
</ul>
);
});
// With custom comparison
const OptimizedComponent = memo(
function OptimizedComponent({ user }: Props) {
return <div>{user.name}</div>;
},
(prevProps, nextProps) => prevProps.user.id === nextProps.user.id
);When to Use memo
// ✅ Good: Expensive component with stable parent
const ExpensiveList = memo(function ExpensiveList({ items }: { items: Item[] }) {
return items.map(item => <ExpensiveItem key={item.id} item={item} />);
});
// ❌ Bad: Simple component, memo overhead not worth it
const SimpleText = memo(function SimpleText({ text }: { text: string }) {
return <span>{text}</span>;
});
// ❌ Bad: Props always change anyway
function Parent() {
// New object on every render - memo is useless!
return <MemoizedChild data={{ value: 1 }} />;
}useMemo
Memoize expensive calculations:
function ProductList({ products, filter }: Props) {
const filteredProducts = useMemo(() => {
return products
.filter(p => p.category === filter.category)
.filter(p => p.price >= filter.minPrice && p.price <= filter.maxPrice)
.sort((a, b) => a.name.localeCompare(b.name));
}, [products, filter.category, filter.minPrice, filter.maxPrice]);
return (
<ul>
{filteredProducts.map(p => <ProductCard key={p.id} product={p} />)}
</ul>
);
}
// ❌ Don't overuse - simple operations don't need memoization
const total = useMemo(() => a + b, [a, b]); // Overkill!useCallback
Memoize functions to prevent child re-renders:
function Parent() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
// ✅ Stable reference for child components
const handleClick = useCallback((id: string) => {
console.log('Clicked:', id);
}, []);
// ✅ Dependencies that change function behavior
const handleSubmit = useCallback((data: FormData) => {
submitWithCount(data, count);
}, [count]);
return (
<>
<ChildComponent onClick={handleClick} />
<Form onSubmit={handleSubmit} />
</>
);
}Virtualization
Render only visible items for large lists:
import { FixedSizeList } from 'react-window';
function VirtualList({ items }: { items: Item[] }) {
const Row = ({ index, style }: { index: number; style: CSSProperties }) => (
<div style={style} className="list-item">
{items[index].name}
</div>
);
return (
<FixedSizeList
height={400}
width="100%"
itemCount={items.length}
itemSize={50}
>
{Row}
</FixedSizeList>
);
}With TanStack Virtual
import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';
function VirtualList({ items }: { items: Item[] }) {
const parentRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
count: items.length,
getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
estimateSize: () => 50,
overscan: 5,
});
return (
<div ref={parentRef} style={{ height: 400, overflow: 'auto' }}>
<div style={{ height: virtualizer.getTotalSize(), position: 'relative' }}>
{virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualItem) => (
<div
key={virtualItem.key}
style={{
position: 'absolute',
top: 0,
left: 0,
width: '100%',
height: virtualItem.size,
transform: `translateY(${virtualItem.start}px)`,
}}
>
{items[virtualItem.index].name}
</div>
))}
</div>
</div>
);
}Code Splitting
Route-based Splitting
import { lazy, Suspense } from 'react';
import { Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
const Home = lazy(() => import('./pages/Home'));
const Dashboard = lazy(() => import('./pages/Dashboard'));
const Settings = lazy(() => import('./pages/Settings'));
function App() {
return (
<Suspense fallback={<PageLoader />}>
<Routes>
<Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
<Route path="/dashboard" element={<Dashboard />} />
<Route path="/settings" element={<Settings />} />
</Routes>
</Suspense>
);
}Component-based Splitting
const HeavyChart = lazy(() => import('./HeavyChart'));
function Dashboard() {
const [showChart, setShowChart] = useState(false);
return (
<div>
<button onClick={() => setShowChart(true)}>Show Chart</button>
{showChart && (
<Suspense fallback={<ChartSkeleton />}>
<HeavyChart data={data} />
</Suspense>
)}
</div>
);
}Preloading
const Dashboard = lazy(() => import('./Dashboard'));
const preloadDashboard = () => import('./Dashboard');
function NavLink() {
return (
<Link
to="/dashboard"
onMouseEnter={preloadDashboard}
onFocus={preloadDashboard}
>
Dashboard
</Link>
);
}Avoiding Unnecessary Re-renders
Stable References
// ❌ Bad: New object on every render
function Parent() {
return <Child style={{ color: 'red' }} />;
}
// ✅ Good: Stable reference
const style = { color: 'red' };
function Parent() {
return <Child style={style} />;
}
// ✅ Good: useMemo for dynamic values
function Parent({ color }) {
const style = useMemo(() => ({ color }), [color]);
return <Child style={style} />;
}Component Composition
// ❌ Bad: Entire component re-renders on count change
function App() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return (
<div>
<button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>{count}</button>
<ExpensiveComponent /> {/* Re-renders on every count change! */}
</div>
);
}
// ✅ Good: Move state down
function Counter() {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return <button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>{count}</button>;
}
function App() {
return (
<div>
<Counter />
<ExpensiveComponent /> {/* Doesn't re-render! */}
</div>
);
}
// ✅ Good: Pass children as props
function Counter({ children }) {
const [count, setCount] = useState(0);
return (
<div>
<button onClick={() => setCount(c => c + 1)}>{count}</button>
{children} {/* Doesn't re-render! */}
</div>
);
}State Management Optimization
Batching Updates
// React 18+ automatically batches these
function handleClick() {
setCount(c => c + 1);
setFlag(f => !f);
setText('updated');
// Only ONE re-render!
}Derived State
// ❌ Bad: Synchronized state
function Form() {
const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
const [total, setTotal] = useState(0);
useEffect(() => {
setTotal(items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0));
}, [items]); // Extra re-render!
}
// ✅ Good: Calculate during render
function Form() {
const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
const total = items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0);
}
// ✅ Good: useMemo for expensive calculations
function Form() {
const [items, setItems] = useState([]);
const total = useMemo(
() => items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price, 0),
[items]
);
}Common Pitfalls
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Slow initial render | Large bundle | Code splitting, lazy loading |
| Slow updates | Too many re-renders | memo, useMemo, useCallback |
| Janky scrolling | Rendering all list items | Virtualization |
| Memory leaks | Uncleaned effects | Proper cleanup functions |
| Layout thrashing | Forced synchronous layout | Batch DOM reads/writes |
Best Practices
- ✅ Profile before optimizing
- ✅ Use React DevTools Profiler
- ✅ Virtualize long lists (>100 items)
- ✅ Code split at route level
- ✅ Memoize expensive computations
- ✅ Use stable references for objects/functions
- ❌ Don't over-optimize prematurely
- ❌ Don't wrap everything in memo
- ❌ Don't block main thread with heavy JS
When NOT to Use This Skill
- React 19 Compiler optimization - Use
react-19skill for compiler-specific features - Basic React development - Use
reactskill for general component development - Testing - Use
react-testingskill for performance testing strategies - Non-performance React issues - This skill is specifically for optimization
Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Problem | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Premature optimization | Wasted effort, complex code | Profile first, optimize what matters |
| Wrapping everything in memo | Overhead, no benefit | Only memoize expensive components |
| useMemo for cheap calculations | More overhead than savings | Only memoize expensive operations |
| Inline object/function in JSX | Breaks child memoization | Extract to constant or useCallback |
| Not using key prop correctly | Full list re-render | Use stable unique IDs |
| Rendering entire list | Slow scrolling | Use virtualization for >100 items |
| Large bundle without code splitting | Slow initial load | Split by routes |
Quick Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slow initial load | Large bundle size | Code split, lazy load routes |
| Janky scrolling | Rendering all list items | Use react-window or TanStack Virtual |
| Frequent unnecessary re-renders | Props changing identity | Memoize objects/functions with useMemo/useCallback |
| Slow component updates | Heavy computation in render | Move to useMemo or Web Worker |
| Memory leaks | Uncleaned effects/subscriptions | Add cleanup functions to useEffect |
| Large JavaScript payload | Not tree-shaking | Import only what you need |
Reference Documentation
- React Profiler
- Performance Optimization
- MCP:
mcp__documentation__fetch_docs→ technology:react, topic:performance