Efficient Data Synchronization with React Query: Mastering Refetch Techniques

One of the key features of React Query is its ability to refetch data, either manually or automatically under certain conditions. This ensures that your application's data is up-to-date with the server, improving the user experience by showing the most recent data without reloading the entire page.

How does refetching work in React Query?

Refetching is the process of fetching data again from the server. In React Query, this can be done in several ways, including manually triggering a refetch or configuring queries to refetch automatically based on specific triggers such as window focus or network reconnection.

Manual refetching

To manually refetch data, you can use the refetch function returned by the useQuery hook. This is particularly useful when you want to refresh the data in response to a specific user action, such as clicking a refresh button.

const { data, refetch } = useQuery('todos', fetchTodos);

// In your component
<button onClick={() => refetch()}>Refresh</button>

Refetching on window focus

React Query can automatically refetch data when the window regains focus. This ensures that the user sees the most up-to-date information after switching tabs or returning to the app. This is enabled by default but can be configured or disabled in the query options.

useQuery('todos', fetchTodos, {
  refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
})

Refetching on network reconnect

Similarly, React Query supports refetching data automatically when the user's device reconnects to the network. This is useful in mobile applications or web apps that might be used in areas with spotty internet connections.

useQuery('todos', fetchTodos, {
  refetchOnReconnect: true,
})

Interval refetching

For data that needs to be kept up-to-date in real-time, React Query offers the ability to refetch data at specified intervals. This can be configured using the refetchInterval option.

useQuery('todos', fetchTodos, {
  refetchInterval: 60000, // Refetch every 60 seconds
})

Conclusion

Refetching is a crucial aspect of managing server state in modern web applications. React Query provides flexible and powerful mechanisms to ensure your application's data is always fresh, enhancing the user experience by displaying the most current data without manual page reloads. Whether you need to manually trigger a refetch, automatically update data on window focus or network reconnection, or keep data updated in real-time with interval refetching, React Query simplifies the process, allowing you to focus on building your application.