tanstack-query

---
name: tanstack-query
description: Powerful asynchronous state management, server-state utilities, and data fetching for TS/JS, React, Vue, Solid, Svelte & Angular.
license: MIT
---

## Overview

TanStack Query (formerly React Query) manages server state - data that lives on the server and needs to be fetched, cached, synchronized, and updated. It provides automatic caching, background refetching, stale-while-revalidate patterns, pagination, infinite scrolling, and optimistic updates out of the box.

**Package:** `@tanstack/react-query`
**Devtools:** `@tanstack/react-query-devtools`
**Current Version:** v5

## Installation

```bash
npm install @tanstack/react-query
npm install -D @tanstack/react-query-devtools  # Optional
```

## Setup

```tsx
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query'
import { ReactQueryDevtools } from '@tanstack/react-query-devtools'

const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    queries: {
      staleTime: 1000 * 60, // 1 minute
      gcTime: 1000 * 60 * 5, // 5 minutes (garbage collection)
      retry: 3,
      refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
      refetchOnReconnect: true,
    },
  },
})

function App() {
  return (
    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
      <YourApp />
      <ReactQueryDevtools initialIsOpen={false} />
    </QueryClientProvider>
  )
}
```

## Core Concepts

### Query Keys

Query keys uniquely identify cached data. They must be serializable arrays:

```tsx
// Simple key
useQuery({ queryKey: ['todos'], queryFn: fetchTodos })

// With variables (dependency array pattern)
useQuery({ queryKey: ['todos', { status, page }], queryFn: fetchTodos })

// Hierarchical keys for invalidation
useQuery({ queryKey: ['todos', todoId], queryFn: () => fetchTodo(todoId) })
useQuery({ queryKey: ['todos', todoId, 'comments'], queryFn: () => fetchComments(todoId) })

// Invalidation matches prefixes:
// queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
// ^ Invalidates ALL queries starting with 'todos'
```

### Query Functions

```tsx
// Query function receives a QueryFunctionContext
useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos', todoId],
  queryFn: async ({ queryKey, signal, meta }) => {
    const [_key, id] = queryKey
    const response = await fetch(`/api/todos/${id}`, { signal })
    if (!response.ok) throw new Error('Failed to fetch')
    return response.json()
  },
})

// Using the signal for automatic cancellation
useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: async ({ signal }) => {
    const response = await fetch('/api/todos', { signal })
    return response.json()
  },
})
```

### queryOptions Helper

Create reusable, type-safe query configurations:

```tsx
import { queryOptions } from '@tanstack/react-query'

export const todosQueryOptions = queryOptions({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: fetchTodos,
  staleTime: 5000,
})

export const todoQueryOptions = (todoId: string) =>
  queryOptions({
    queryKey: ['todos', todoId],
    queryFn: () => fetchTodo(todoId),
    enabled: !!todoId,
  })

// Usage
const { data } = useQuery(todosQueryOptions)
const { data } = useSuspenseQuery(todoQueryOptions(id))
await queryClient.prefetchQuery(todosQueryOptions)
```

## Queries (useQuery)

### Basic Usage

```tsx
import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'

function Todos() {
  const {
    data,
    error,
    isLoading,      // First load, no data yet
    isFetching,     // Any fetch in progress (including background)
    isError,
    isSuccess,
    isPending,      // No data yet (same as isLoading in most cases)
    status,         // 'pending' | 'error' | 'success'
    fetchStatus,    // 'fetching' | 'paused' | 'idle'
    refetch,
    isStale,
    isPlaceholderData,
    dataUpdatedAt,
    errorUpdatedAt,
  } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos'],
    queryFn: fetchTodos,
  })

  if (isLoading) return <Spinner />
  if (isError) return <Error message={error.message} />
  return <TodoList todos={data} />
}
```

### Query Options

```tsx
useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: fetchTodos,

  // Freshness
  staleTime: 5000,            // ms data stays fresh (default: 0)
  gcTime: 300000,             // ms unused data stays in cache (default: 5 min)

  // Refetching
  refetchInterval: 10000,     // Poll every 10s
  refetchIntervalInBackground: false, // Don't poll when tab hidden
  refetchOnMount: true,       // Refetch on component mount if stale
  refetchOnWindowFocus: true, // Refetch on window focus if stale
  refetchOnReconnect: true,   // Refetch on network reconnect

  // Retry
  retry: 3,                   // Number of retries (or function)
  retryDelay: (attemptIndex) => Math.min(1000 * 2 ** attemptIndex, 30000),

  // Conditional
  enabled: !!userId,          // Only run when truthy

  // Initial/placeholder data
  initialData: () => cachedData,
  initialDataUpdatedAt: Date.now() - 10000,
  placeholderData: (previousData) => previousData, // keepPreviousData pattern
  placeholderData: initialTodos,

  // Transform
  select: (data) => data.filter(todo => !todo.done),

  // Structural sharing (default: true)
  structuralSharing: true,

  // Network mode
  networkMode: 'online', // 'online' | 'always' | 'offlineFirst'

  // Meta (accessible in query function context)
  meta: { purpose: 'user-facing' },
})
```

## Mutations (useMutation)

### Basic Usage

```tsx
import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query'

function AddTodo() {
  const queryClient = useQueryClient()

  const mutation = useMutation({
    mutationFn: (newTodo: { title: string }) => {
      return fetch('/api/todos', {
        method: 'POST',
        body: JSON.stringify(newTodo),
      }).then(res => res.json())
    },
    // Lifecycle callbacks
    onMutate: async (variables) => {
      // Called before mutationFn
      // Good for optimistic updates
      return { previousTodos } // context for onError
    },
    onSuccess: (data, variables, context) => {
      // Invalidate related queries
      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
    },
    onError: (error, variables, context) => {
      // Rollback optimistic updates
      queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], context.previousTodos)
    },
    onSettled: (data, error, variables, context) => {
      // Always runs (success or error)
      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
    },
  })

  return (
    <button
      onClick={() => mutation.mutate({ title: 'New Todo' })}
      disabled={mutation.isPending}
    >
      {mutation.isPending ? 'Adding...' : 'Add Todo'}
    </button>
  )
}
```

### Mutation State

```tsx
const {
  mutate,         // Fire-and-forget
  mutateAsync,    // Returns promise
  isPending,      // Mutation in progress
  isError,
  isSuccess,
  isIdle,         // Not yet fired
  data,           // Success response
  error,          // Error object
  reset,          // Reset state to idle
  variables,      // Variables passed to mutate
  status,         // 'idle' | 'pending' | 'error' | 'success'
} = useMutation({ ... })
```

## Optimistic Updates

```tsx
const mutation = useMutation({
  mutationFn: updateTodo,
  onMutate: async (newTodo) => {
    // 1. Cancel outgoing refetches
    await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['todos', newTodo.id] })

    // 2. Snapshot previous value
    const previousTodo = queryClient.getQueryData(['todos', newTodo.id])

    // 3. Optimistically update
    queryClient.setQueryData(['todos', newTodo.id], newTodo)

    // 4. Return context for rollback
    return { previousTodo }
  },
  onError: (err, newTodo, context) => {
    // Rollback on error
    queryClient.setQueryData(['todos', newTodo.id], context.previousTodo)
  },
  onSettled: () => {
    // Always refetch to sync with server
    queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
  },
})
```

### Optimistic Updates on Lists

```tsx
onMutate: async (newTodo) => {
  await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
  const previousTodos = queryClient.getQueryData(['todos'])

  queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], (old) => [...old, newTodo])

  return { previousTodos }
},
onError: (err, newTodo, context) => {
  queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], context.previousTodos)
},
```

## Query Invalidation

```tsx
const queryClient = useQueryClient()

// Invalidate all queries
queryClient.invalidateQueries()

// Invalidate by prefix
queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Invalidate exact match
queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos', 1], exact: true })

// Invalidate with predicate
queryClient.invalidateQueries({
  predicate: (query) =>
    query.queryKey[0] === 'todos' && query.queryKey[1]?.status === 'done',
})

// Invalidate and refetch immediately
queryClient.refetchQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Remove from cache entirely
queryClient.removeQueries({ queryKey: ['todos', 1] })

// Reset to initial state
queryClient.resetQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
```

## Infinite Queries

```tsx
import { useInfiniteQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'

function InfiniteList() {
  const {
    data,
    fetchNextPage,
    fetchPreviousPage,
    hasNextPage,
    hasPreviousPage,
    isFetchingNextPage,
    isFetchingPreviousPage,
  } = useInfiniteQuery({
    queryKey: ['projects'],
    queryFn: async ({ pageParam }) => {
      const res = await fetch(`/api/projects?cursor=${pageParam}`)
      return res.json()
    },
    initialPageParam: 0,
    getNextPageParam: (lastPage, allPages, lastPageParam) => {
      return lastPage.nextCursor ?? undefined // undefined = no more pages
    },
    getPreviousPageParam: (firstPage, allPages, firstPageParam) => {
      return firstPage.prevCursor ?? undefined
    },
    maxPages: 3, // Keep max 3 pages in cache (for performance)
  })

  return (
    <div>
      {data.pages.map((page) =>
        page.items.map((item) => <Item key={item.id} item={item} />)
      )}
      <button
        onClick={() => fetchNextPage()}
        disabled={!hasNextPage || isFetchingNextPage}
      >
        {isFetchingNextPage ? 'Loading...' : hasNextPage ? 'Load More' : 'No more'}
      </button>
    </div>
  )
}
```

## Parallel Queries

```tsx
// Multiple independent queries run in parallel automatically
function Dashboard() {
  const usersQuery = useQuery({ queryKey: ['users'], queryFn: fetchUsers })
  const projectsQuery = useQuery({ queryKey: ['projects'], queryFn: fetchProjects })

  // Both fetch simultaneously
}

// Dynamic parallel queries with useQueries
function UserProjects({ userIds }) {
  const queries = useQueries({
    queries: userIds.map((id) => ({
      queryKey: ['user', id],
      queryFn: () => fetchUser(id),
    })),
    combine: (results) => ({
      data: results.map(r => r.data),
      pending: results.some(r => r.isPending),
    }),
  })
}
```

## Dependent Queries

```tsx
// Sequential queries using enabled
function UserPosts({ userId }) {
  const userQuery = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['user', userId],
    queryFn: () => fetchUser(userId),
  })

  const postsQuery = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['posts', userId],
    queryFn: () => fetchPostsByUser(userId),
    enabled: !!userQuery.data, // Only run when user is loaded
  })
}
```

## Paginated Queries

```tsx
function PaginatedList() {
  const [page, setPage] = useState(1)

  const { data, isPlaceholderData } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos', page],
    queryFn: () => fetchTodos(page),
    placeholderData: (previousData) => previousData, // Keep showing old data
  })

  return (
    <div style={{ opacity: isPlaceholderData ? 0.5 : 1 }}>
      {data.items.map(item => <Item key={item.id} item={item} />)}
      <button
        onClick={() => setPage(p => p + 1)}
        disabled={isPlaceholderData || !data.hasMore}
      >
        Next
      </button>
    </div>
  )
}
```

## Suspense Integration

```tsx
import { useSuspenseQuery, useSuspenseInfiniteQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'

// Component will suspend until data is loaded
function TodoList() {
  const { data } = useSuspenseQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos'],
    queryFn: fetchTodos,
  })
  // data is guaranteed to be defined here
  return <ul>{data.map(todo => <li key={todo.id}>{todo.title}</li>)}</ul>
}

// Wrap with Suspense boundary
function App() {
  return (
    <ErrorBoundary fallback={<Error />}>
      <Suspense fallback={<Loading />}>
        <TodoList />
      </Suspense>
    </ErrorBoundary>
  )
}

// Multiple suspense queries (fetch in parallel)
function Dashboard() {
  const [{ data: users }, { data: projects }] = useSuspenseQueries({
    queries: [
      { queryKey: ['users'], queryFn: fetchUsers },
      { queryKey: ['projects'], queryFn: fetchProjects },
    ],
  })
}
```

## Prefetching

```tsx
const queryClient = useQueryClient()

// Prefetch on hover
function TodoLink({ todoId }) {
  const prefetch = () => {
    queryClient.prefetchQuery({
      queryKey: ['todo', todoId],
      queryFn: () => fetchTodo(todoId),
      staleTime: 5000, // Only prefetch if data older than 5s
    })
  }

  return (
    <Link to={`/todos/${todoId}`} onMouseEnter={prefetch}>
      Todo {todoId}
    </Link>
  )
}

// Prefetch in route loader (TanStack Router integration)
export const Route = createFileRoute('/todos/$todoId')({
  loader: ({ context: { queryClient }, params: { todoId } }) =>
    queryClient.ensureQueryData(todoQueryOptions(todoId)),
})

// Prefetch infinite queries
queryClient.prefetchInfiniteQuery({
  queryKey: ['projects'],
  queryFn: fetchProjects,
  initialPageParam: 0,
  pages: 3, // Prefetch first 3 pages
})
```

## SSR & Hydration

### Server-Side Prefetching

```tsx
// Server component or loader
import { dehydrate, HydrationBoundary, QueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query'

async function getServerSideProps() {
  const queryClient = new QueryClient()

  await queryClient.prefetchQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos'],
    queryFn: fetchTodos,
  })

  return {
    props: {
      dehydratedState: dehydrate(queryClient),
    },
  }
}

function Page({ dehydratedState }) {
  return (
    <HydrationBoundary state={dehydratedState}>
      <Todos />
    </HydrationBoundary>
  )
}
```

### Streaming SSR (React Server Components)

```tsx
import { dehydrate, HydrationBoundary } from '@tanstack/react-query'
import { makeQueryClient } from './query-client'

export default async function Page() {
  const queryClient = makeQueryClient()

  // Prefetch on server
  await queryClient.prefetchQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos'],
    queryFn: fetchTodos,
  })

  return (
    <HydrationBoundary state={dehydrate(queryClient)}>
      <TodoList />
    </HydrationBoundary>
  )
}
```

## QueryClient API

```tsx
const queryClient = useQueryClient()

// Get cached data
queryClient.getQueryData(['todos'])

// Set cached data
queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], updatedTodos)
queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], (old) => [...old, newTodo])

// Get query state
queryClient.getQueryState(['todos'])

// Check if fetching
queryClient.isFetching({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
queryClient.isMutating()

// Cancel queries
queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Invalidate (marks stale, refetches active)
queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Refetch (force refetch even if fresh)
queryClient.refetchQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Remove from cache
queryClient.removeQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Reset to initial state
queryClient.resetQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })

// Clear entire cache
queryClient.clear()

// Prefetch
queryClient.prefetchQuery({ queryKey: ['todos'], queryFn: fetchTodos })
queryClient.ensureQueryData({ queryKey: ['todos'], queryFn: fetchTodos })

// Get/set defaults
queryClient.setQueryDefaults(['todos'], { staleTime: 10000 })
queryClient.getQueryDefaults(['todos'])
queryClient.setMutationDefaults(['addTodo'], { mutationFn: addTodo })
```

## Testing

```tsx
import { renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query'

function createWrapper() {
  const queryClient = new QueryClient({
    defaultOptions: {
      queries: {
        retry: false, // Don't retry in tests
        gcTime: Infinity, // Prevent garbage collection during tests
      },
    },
  })
  return ({ children }) => (
    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
      {children}
    </QueryClientProvider>
  )
}

test('fetches todos', async () => {
  const { result } = renderHook(() => useQuery({
    queryKey: ['todos'],
    queryFn: fetchTodos,
  }), { wrapper: createWrapper() })

  await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isSuccess).toBe(true))
  expect(result.current.data).toEqual(expectedTodos)
})

// Mock with setQueryData for component tests
test('renders todos', () => {
  const queryClient = new QueryClient()
  queryClient.setQueryData(['todos'], mockTodos)

  render(
    <QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
      <TodoList />
    </QueryClientProvider>
  )

  expect(screen.getByText('Todo 1')).toBeInTheDocument()
})
```

## TypeScript Patterns

### Typing Query Functions

```tsx
interface Todo {
  id: number
  title: string
  completed: boolean
}

// Type is inferred from queryFn return type
const { data } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: async (): Promise<Todo[]> => {
    const res = await fetch('/api/todos')
    return res.json()
  },
})
// data: Todo[] | undefined

// With select
const { data } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: fetchTodos,
  select: (data): string[] => data.map(t => t.title),
})
// data: string[] | undefined
```

### Typing Errors

```tsx
// Default error type is Error
const { error } = useQuery<Todo[], AxiosError>({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: fetchTodos,
})

// Or register globally
declare module '@tanstack/react-query' {
  interface Register {
    defaultError: AxiosError
  }
}
```

### Query Options Pattern (Recommended)

```tsx
import { queryOptions, infiniteQueryOptions } from '@tanstack/react-query'

export const todosOptions = queryOptions({
  queryKey: ['todos'] as const,
  queryFn: fetchTodos,
  staleTime: 5000,
})

export const todoOptions = (id: string) =>
  queryOptions({
    queryKey: ['todos', id] as const,
    queryFn: () => fetchTodo(id),
    enabled: !!id,
  })

// Full type inference everywhere
const { data } = useQuery(todosOptions)
const { data } = useSuspenseQuery(todoOptions('123'))
await queryClient.ensureQueryData(todosOptions)
queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: todosOptions.queryKey })
```

## Advanced Patterns

### Window Focus Refetching

```tsx
// Disable globally
const queryClient = new QueryClient({
  defaultOptions: {
    queries: { refetchOnWindowFocus: false },
  },
})

// Custom focus manager
import { focusManager } from '@tanstack/react-query'

// For React Native
focusManager.setEventListener((handleFocus) => {
  const subscription = AppState.addEventListener('change', (state) => {
    handleFocus(state === 'active')
  })
  return () => subscription.remove()
})
```

### Network Mode

```tsx
useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: fetchTodos,
  // 'online' (default): only fetch when online
  // 'always': always fetch (useful for local-first)
  // 'offlineFirst': try fetch, use cache if offline
  networkMode: 'offlineFirst',
})
```

### Query Cancellation

```tsx
useQuery({
  queryKey: ['todos'],
  queryFn: async ({ signal }) => {
    // signal is AbortSignal - automatically cancelled on unmount or key change
    const res = await fetch('/api/todos', { signal })
    return res.json()
  },
})

// Manual cancellation
queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['todos'] })
```

### Persistence

```tsx
import { persistQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query-persist-client'
import { createSyncStoragePersister } from '@tanstack/query-sync-storage-persister'

const persister = createSyncStoragePersister({
  storage: window.localStorage,
})

persistQueryClient({
  queryClient,
  persister,
  maxAge: 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24, // 24 hours
})
```

## Best Practices

1. **Use `queryOptions` helper** for type-safe, reusable query configurations
2. **Structure query keys hierarchically** for granular invalidation
3. **Set appropriate `staleTime`** - 0 means always refetch on mount (default), increase for less dynamic data
4. **Use `placeholderData`** (not `initialData`) for keeping previous page data during pagination
5. **Prefer `useSuspenseQuery`** when using Suspense boundaries for cleaner component code
6. **Use `enabled`** for dependent queries, not conditional hook calls
7. **Always invalidate after mutations** - don't rely solely on optimistic updates
8. **Cancel queries in `onMutate`** before optimistic updates to prevent race conditions
9. **Use `ensureQueryData`** in route loaders instead of `prefetchQuery` for immediate access
10. **Set `retry: false` in tests** to avoid timeout issues
11. **Don't destructure the query result** if you need to pass it around (breaks reactivity)
12. **Use `select`** for derived data instead of transforming in the component
13. **Keep query functions pure** - they should only fetch, not cause side effects
14. **Use `gcTime: Infinity`** in tests to prevent cache cleanup during assertions

## Common Pitfalls

- Using `initialData` when you mean `placeholderData` (initialData counts as "fresh" data)
- Not providing `initialPageParam` for infinite queries (required in v5)
- Calling hooks conditionally (violates React rules)
- Not cancelling queries before optimistic updates (race conditions)
- Setting `staleTime` higher than `gcTime` (data gets garbage collected while "fresh")
- Forgetting to wrap tests with `QueryClientProvider`
- Using same `QueryClient` instance across tests (shared state)
- Not awaiting `invalidateQueries` in mutation callbacks when order matters