Introduction

Building scalable React applications requires careful planning and the right architectural patterns. Let's explore the most effective approaches.

The challenge of React architecture is that the library itself is intentionally unopinionated. This freedom is powerful but can lead to fragmented, inconsistent codebases as teams grow. Establishing clear conventions early , for folder structure, component responsibilities, and state boundaries , pays dividends in maintainability as projects scale to hundreds of components and multiple feature teams.

Component Structure

Organize your components into a clear hierarchy. Use container components for logic and presentational components for UI.

A widely adopted pattern is to organize components by feature rather than by type. Instead of a flat components/ folder, group related components, hooks, utilities, and tests into feature folders. This co-location makes it easy to understand, modify, and delete a feature in isolation without hunting across the codebase.

UI Components: Purely presentational, no business logic, accept only props
Container Components: Handle data fetching, state, and pass data down to UI components
Page Components: Compose feature sections together, handle routing-level concerns
Layout Components: Define the structural shell (headers, sidebars, footers) reused across pages

State Management

Choose the right state management solution for your needs. Consider React Context for simple state, and libraries like Zustand or Redux for complex applications.

A common mistake is reaching for a global state library too early. Server state (data from APIs) and client state (UI state like modal open/closed) have very different characteristics and should be managed separately. Libraries like TanStack Query (React Query) are purpose-built for server state, handling caching, background refetching, and loading/error states automatically , reducing the amount of state you need to manage globally.

Use React Context only for low-frequency updates (theme, locale, auth user)
Use Zustand or Jotai for lightweight client-side global state without boilerplate
Use TanStack Query for all server state , it replaces most useEffect data fetching patterns
Keep component-level state local unless it genuinely needs to be shared

Code Splitting

Implement code splitting to reduce initial bundle size and improve load times. Use React.lazy and Suspense for route-based splitting.

Beyond route-level splitting, consider splitting large third-party libraries that are only used in specific parts of the app. For example, a rich text editor or a charting library can be loaded dynamically only when the user navigates to the page that needs it. This technique can cut the initial JavaScript payload by 40–60% for content-heavy applications.

Wrap lazily loaded routes in <Suspense> with a meaningful skeleton fallback
Use dynamic import() for heavy components like modals, drawers, and complex form sections
Analyze your bundle with tools like @next/bundle-analyzer or Webpack Bundle Analyzer
Prefetch routes the user is likely to navigate to using framework-specific prefetching APIs