The Tool Desk
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What is an Action in React 19?
The React Team describes a common application workflow as “a data mutation and then update state in response.” An Action is a function used for that kind of state-changing work. React can integrate Actions with transitions and form actions, making it easier to represent pending work and show an optimistic result while an operation is underway. React 19 release announcement
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React 19 supports passing functions to form-related action and formAction props. When a form Action succeeds, React resets uncontrolled form controls. The three hooks discussed here help with common surrounding needs, but they are not three competing ways to submit a form.
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| Hook | What it represents | Where its value comes from | How long it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
useActionState |
State returned by an Action, plus whether that Action is pending | The hook’s Action, which receives the previous state and submitted payload | The returned action state and the Action’s pending lifecycle |
useFormStatus |
Submission status for a form, including pending and submitted data |
The parent <form> of the component calling the hook |
The form submission lifecycle |
useOptimistic |
A temporary expected state shown while work is underway | A supplied base state and optimistic setter; an optional reducer can calculate updates | The optimistic interval while the Action is in progress |
What each hook does
useActionState: track an Action’s returned state
Use useActionState when the component needs to keep and render the state returned by an Action. It provides the current state, a dispatcher for the Action, and an isPending flag. The Action receives the previous state and the submitted payload, so it can calculate the next state from both.
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This is more than a form-status hook: its state represents the Action’s result, and its pending flag belongs to that Action. When using a Server Function, the hook can also take an optional permalink for progressive enhancement. React: useActionState
useFormStatus: read the parent form’s submission status
Use useFormStatus when a component inside a form needs that form’s submission information. It returns status that includes pending and submitted data. The hook reads the parent form, so call it in a component rendered inside the form whose status it should report.
This placement is useful for a reusable submit button or another nested design-system component: it can respond to the containing form without requiring status to be passed down through props. React: useFormStatus
useOptimistic: display a temporary expected state
Use useOptimistic when the interface should respond immediately with an expected result while an Action runs—for example, showing a change before the underlying operation has settled. Call its setter within an Action. React can return the UI to the base state when the operation settles; a reducer can calculate optimistic state as the base changes.
The hook affects what the UI displays temporarily. It does not, by itself, persist a mutation: that remains the responsibility of the underlying operation. React: useOptimistic
How to choose the right hook
- Choose
useActionStatewhen you need to render the state an Action returns or its pending flag. - Choose
useFormStatuswhen a descendant of a form needs to know that form’s submission status or submitted data. - Choose
useOptimisticwhen you want a temporary UI update while an Action is running, while the underlying operation handles persistence.
These hooks can complement one another because they describe different things: an Action’s result, the parent form’s submission, and a provisional view of state. Select based on which value the component needs and where that value is available.
Server Functions and Server Actions are not interchangeable terms
A Server Function is called a Server Action when it is passed to an action prop or called inside an Action. Not every Server Function is therefore a Server Action; the usage determines the term. React: Server Functions
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Terminology for older React material
The stable React 19 release announcement was published on December 5, 2024. In earlier Canary releases, the API now named useActionState was called useFormState. Use useActionState for current code and terminology; the older name is useful when interpreting material written for those earlier releases. React 19 release announcement
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