Ref Hooks in React

Last Updated : 24 Apr, 2025

Ref Hooks provide a way to access and interact with the DOM (Document Object Model) nodes directly within functional components. Before hooks, refs were primarily used in class components. However, with Ref Hooks, functional components can also take advantage of this capability, enhancing flexibility and simplifying code.

useRef is used to create mutable references that persist across renders in functional components.
useImperativeHandler customizes the instance value that is exposed when using ref with functional components.

We will discuss about the following types of Ref Hooks in React.

Table of Content

useRef Hooks
useImperativeHandler Hooks

useRef Hooks:

The useRef hook is a feature in React that provides a way to access and interact with a DOM element or a React component instance directly. It returns a mutable ref object whose current property is initialized with the passed argument (initially undefined). The current property can then be modified to reference a DOM element or a component instance.

Access DOM Elements: If you need to do something specific with a certain HTML element, like focusing on an input field or measuring its size, useRef lets you get a reference to that element so you can work with it directly.
Store Values without Triggering Re-renders: Sometimes, you might have values that change but you don't want them to cause your component to rerender. With useRef, you can store these values, and when they change, they won't automatically trigger a rerender.
Work Outside of the Regular React Flow: While React encourages a declarative approach, sometimes you need to do things imperatively, like triggering animations or working with third-party libraries. useRef helps you do this by providing a way to work with elements outside of React's usual flow.

Syntax:

const refContainer = useRef(initialValue);

Example: Below is an example of useRef Hooks that can access the DOM elements.

JavaScript

// App.js
import React, {
    Fragment,
    useRef
} from 'react';
import './App.css';

function App() {

    const focusPoint = useRef(null);
    const onClickHandler = () => {
        focusPoint.current.value =
            "Welcome to GeeksforGeeks!";
        focusPoint.current.focus();
        console.log("Textarea ref:",
            focusPoint.current);
    };

    return (
        <Fragment>
            <div className="container">
                <button onClick={onClickHandler}>
                    ACTION
                </button>
                <label>
                    Click on the action button to
                    focus and populate the text.
                </label>
                <br />
                <textarea ref={focusPoint} />
            </div>
        </Fragment>
    );
};

export default App;

CSS

/* App.css */
.container {
  margin: 50px auto;
  width: 80%;
  max-width: 600px;
  padding: 20px;
  border: 1px solid #ccc;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

button {
  padding: 10px 20px;
  font-size: 16px;
  background-color: #007bff;
  color: #fff;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 4px;
  cursor: pointer;
}

button:hover {
  background-color: #0056b3;
}

textarea {
  width: 100%;
  height: 200px;
  margin-top: 10px;
  padding: 10px;
  font-size: 16px;
  border: 1px solid #ccc;
  border-radius: 4px;
  resize: vertical;
}

Start your application using the following command.

npm start

Output:

useImperativeHandler Hooks:

The useImperativeHandler hook is a feature in React that allows you to define custom imperative methods that can be called from parent components. It's particularly useful when you need to expose specific functionalities of a child component to its parent in a controlled manner.

Defining Custom Methods: With useImperativeHandler, you can define custom functions inside a child component that the parent component can call directly. This is helpful when you want to encapsulate certain functionalities within the child component but still allow the parent to interact with them.
Controlled Exposures: Unlike traditional component methods, the methods defined using useImperativeHandler are exposed explicitly by the parent component. This means the parent has full control over when and how these methods are accessed, which can be crucial for maintaining a clear and predictable component interface.

Syntax:

useImperativeHandle(ref, createHandle, [deps])

Example: Below is an example of useImperativeHandler hooks.

JavaScript

import React, {
    useRef
} from 'react';

const App = () => {
    const inputRef = useRef(null);
    return (
        <div>
            <Input onFocus={() =>
                inputRef.current.focus()}
                ref={inputRef} />
        </div>
    );
};

export default App;

JavaScript

import React, {
    useRef,
    useImperativeHandle,
    forwardRef
} from 'react';

function Input(props, ref) {
    const btn = useRef();
    useImperativeHandle(ref, () => ({
        focus: () => {
            console.log('Input is in focus');
        },
    }));
    return <input ref={btn}
        {...props}
        placeholder="type here" />;
}

export default forwardRef(Input);

Ref Hooks in React

useRef Hooks:

Syntax:

useImperativeHandler Hooks:

Syntax:

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