React Query: More Than Just a Data Fetching Library

Is React Query just a data fetching library? Let me tell you simply: No!

It goes much deeper than that…

The Old Way

If you work with React, you've definitely been through this routine:

useEffect(() => {
  fetch(...)
}, [])
// Store in useState
// Handle loading and error states
// Manual data updates

All of this? Just for some data?

That's where TanStack Query (formerly React Query) comes in — a tool that completely transformed how we manage Server State.

What is Server State?

Any data coming from an API: posts, courses, users, products — anything that doesn't exist locally.

What Does React Query Offer?

🔹 Query Caching

Fetches data once, caches it temporarily, and returns it if you revisit the same page — no new API call needed.

🔹 Background Sync

Data updates while you're browsing… without doing anything.

🔹 Automatic Refetching

Refetches when:

The network reconnects
User focuses on the tab
At intervals you specify

🔹 Smart Invalidation

After any update or deletion, data refreshes automatically.

🔹 Built-in DevTools

Shows you the state of every Query: loading / success / error in real-time.

Why Should You Use It?

✅ Less and cleaner code
✅ Faster user experience
✅ Better performance without the hassle
✅ Focus on UI, not state management

Simple Code That Does All This

const { data, isLoading, error } = useQuery({
  queryKey: ['posts'],
  queryFn: () => fetch('/api/posts').then(res => res.json())
})

That's it! From here on, React Query handles everything for you.

Does It Only Work with REST APIs?

No! It works with any source that returns a Promise:

GraphQL
gRPC
Firebase
Local files
IndexedDB

Does It Work with Next.js?

Absolutely! It supports:

✅ SSR (Server-Side Rendering)
✅ SSG (Static Site Generation)
✅ Prefetching
✅ Hydration

That means faster pages with fewer loading spinners.

Summary

React Query = A complete data management system with:

Feature	Benefit
📦 Caching	Faster subsequent loads
🔄 Background Sync	Always fresh data
🎯 Smart Refetch	Automatic updates
🛠️ DevTools	Easy debugging

If you haven't tried it yet, give it a shot — you'll thank yourself after your first project!

Resources

Interfaces you love, code you understand. 💡

Have you tried React Query before? Let me know about your experience!