No useEffect

Never call useEffect directly unless the work is a true mount-only sync with an external system and no simpler pattern fits. Prefer a render-time computation, a query or mutation hook, an event handler, or a remount boundary instead.

Workflow

1. Classify why the effect exists.
2. Replace it with the narrowest pattern below.
3. Verify with the project's normal lint, typecheck, and tests.

Replacement Patterns

1. Derive state, do not sync it

Replace useEffect(() => setX(derive(y)), [y]) with inline computation or the project's existing memoization conventions.

const filteredProducts = products.filter((product) => product.inStock);

Smell test: state only mirrors props or other state.

2. Use query or mutation libraries for async work

Replace fetch-in-effect code with the app's data layer.

const productQuery = useQuery({
  queryKey: ["product", productId],
  queryFn: () => fetchProduct(productId),
});

Smell test: the effect fetches, awaits, retries, cancels, or writes async results into local state.

3. Use event handlers for user actions

Do the work where the action happens instead of setting a flag and reacting later.

const handleLike = () => {
  postLike();
};

Smell test: state exists only to trigger an effect, then gets reset.

4. Use useMountEffect for mount-only external sync

Use this only for work that is naturally "set up on mount, clean up on unmount": DOM integration, subscriptions, third-party widgets, and stable singleton bindings.

If the project already has a useMountEffect, use it. If not, add a small wrapper:

import { useEffect } from "react";

export function useMountEffect(effect: () => void | (() => void)) {
  useEffect(effect, []);
}

Prefer changing component structure so the component only mounts once preconditions are satisfied.

Smell test: the effect is a one-time setup or teardown for something outside React.