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Clean React code comes from making component relationships and variation clear—not from shrinking every component or abstracting every repeated line. Let a component own the part of the interface it understands, then compose it with caller-supplied content, explicit props, and shared state where needed.
What component composition means in React
React components are reusable, nestable pieces of UI that can be arranged into a page. A parent can render child components and pass them information through props. Props can carry ordinary JavaScript values, objects, arrays, functions, and JSX. This lets a component define a stable frame while its caller supplies the details that vary. See React’s Describing the UI guide.
A useful design question is: what should this component own, and what should callers decide? A card may own its border, spacing, and semantic container; the page using it may decide which heading and content appear inside.
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A rigid component often starts with a fixed set of content props and gradually gains booleans for each consumer’s variation:
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function Card({ title, body, footer, compact, showAvatar }) {
// Special cases accumulate as different callers need different layouts.
}When callers need substantially different contents, keep the shared shell and let each caller provide its own children:
function Card({ children }) {
return <section className="card">{children}</section>;
}
function ProfileCard({ person }) {
return (
<Card>
<h2>{person.name}</h2>
<p>{person.bio}</p>
</Card>
);
}The Card owns the common frame; ProfileCard owns the profile-specific structure. The wrapper need not know what its content will be in advance. This is an application of React’s composition model, not a rule that every repeated fragment must become a component.
When should you use children versus props?
Choose based on the structure the component must express. If there is one open-ended region, children is usually direct. If the component has multiple meaningful content regions, named element props make those slots visible at the call site.
| Need | Prefer | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A generic wrapper around content chosen by its caller | children |
The wrapper does not need to know the nested content in advance. |
| A layout with distinct regions, such as left and right | Named element props | The API identifies each content area explicitly. |
| A child needs a value or action from its parent | Ordinary props | Props make parent-to-child data and event relationships explicit. |
For example, a split layout can name both of its content regions:
function SplitPane({ left, right }) {
return (
<div className="split-pane">
<aside>{left}</aside>
<main>{right}</main>
</div>
);
}A caller can pass JSX into left and right. This pattern suits a component whose layout has several distinct slots; it is clearer than overloading one children region or adding flags to guess which content belongs where. React’s archived composition guide demonstrates this named-prop approach in its SplitPane example.
How do you coordinate state between composed components?
When two or more components must stay in sync, put the state in their closest common parent. That parent becomes the single owner of the shared value and passes the current value and callbacks to the children that need them.
For example, an accordion that allows one panel to be open can keep an active panel index in its parent. The parent passes each panel an isActive value and an onShow callback. A panel reports an interaction; the parent updates the shared state and supplies the new value on the next render. React’s Sharing State Between Components guide illustrates this pattern.
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How do you avoid prop drilling in React?
Use props for ordinary parent-to-child communication. Consider context when many descendants need the same information or passing it through intermediate components becomes inconvenient. Context lets a descendant read shared information without each layer explicitly forwarding it. React’s guidance and examples are in Passing Data Deeply with Context.
Context is a targeted alternative to repeated forwarding, not a default replacement for props. If an intermediate component itself uses or meaningfully controls a value, passing that value as a prop can make the relationship easier to see. If unrelated layers only pass the same information along, context may better express that it is shared more broadly.
Composition versus inheritance—and non-UI reuse
React’s longstanding documented guidance favors composition over inheritance for reusing component behavior and structure: combine components, props, and content rather than extending a base component hierarchy. The dedicated Composition vs. Inheritance page is archived and marked no longer updated, so treat it as historical guidance alongside the current composition examples in React Learn.
Not every reusable piece of code needs to be a component. If the logic does not describe or render UI, extract it into a plain JavaScript function or module instead of making it part of a component inheritance scheme. This keeps UI composition focused on UI.
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Implementation habits that keep composition predictable
Define components at the top level
Declare component functions at module scope rather than inside another component’s render function. A nested declaration creates a new component identity during rendering, which React’s Learn tutorial warns can be slow and cause bugs. Pass changing data through props instead of creating a new component definition to capture it.
Keep rendering pure
A component should return the same UI for the same inputs. Avoid side effects during render and do not mutate values outside the component’s local scope; React may render more than once. Put side effects in event handlers or effects, as appropriate. See the Keeping Components Pure reference. Its localized reference displays React v18.3.1, while current Learn pages displayed v19.3 when accessed on October 7, 2026.
Expose the flexibility real callers need
Do not try to make every component universal. A stable shell with children works when content is open-ended; named slots work when the layout has distinct regions; explicit data props work when a child needs a specific value or action. Give callers the choices the design actually requires, without accumulating speculative flags.
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