Where Should State Live in a React Application?
Choose between local, shared, server, and URL state based on ownership, lifetime, synchronization, and whether users should share it.
Many state-management problems begin by treating every changing value as the same kind of state. A modal being open, search results from an API, and the current page in a filterable list have different owners and lifetimes.
Keep temporary interaction state close to the component that uses it. Input values, expanded rows, and a local dialog usually do not need a global store. Lift state only when multiple parts of the interface genuinely coordinate around it.
Server data has its own concerns: caching, freshness, retries, background updates, and invalidation. A server-state library or framework data layer often handles these better than copying responses into a general client store.
Put shareable navigation state in the URL. Search terms, categories, sort order, page number, and active tabs often belong there because users expect refresh, back navigation, and copied links to preserve them.
Use context or a dedicated store for durable client state shared across distant components, such as an editing session or complex workspace. Even then, keep the store focused and avoid turning it into a destination for every value. State is easiest to reason about when ownership is narrow, synchronization is explicit, and the representation matches how users expect the information to behave.
