React Composition Patterns

Composition patterns for building flexible, maintainable React components. Avoid boolean prop proliferation by using compound components, lifting state, and composing internals. These patterns make codebases easier for both humans and AI agents to work with as they scale.

When to Apply

Reference these guidelines when:

Refactoring components with many boolean props
Building reusable component libraries
Designing flexible component APIs
Reviewing component architecture
Working with compound components or context providers

Rule Categories by Priority

Priority	Category	Impact	Prefix
1	Component Architecture	HIGH	`architecture-`
2	State Management	MEDIUM	`state-`
3	Implementation Patterns	MEDIUM	`patterns-`
4	React 19 APIs	MEDIUM	`react19-`

Quick Reference

1. Component Architecture (HIGH)

architecture-avoid-boolean-props - Don't add boolean props to customize behavior; use composition
architecture-compound-components - Structure complex components with shared context

2. State Management (MEDIUM)

state-decouple-implementation - Provider is the only place that knows how state is managed
state-context-interface - Define generic interface with state, actions, meta for dependency injection
state-lift-state - Move state into provider components for sibling access

3. Implementation Patterns (MEDIUM)

patterns-explicit-variants - Create explicit variant components instead of boolean modes
patterns-children-over-render-props - Use children for composition instead of renderX props

4. React 19 APIs (MEDIUM)

⚠️ React 19+ only. Skip this section if using React 18 or earlier.

react19-no-forwardref - Don't use forwardRef; use use() instead of useContext()

How to Use

Read individual rule files for detailed explanations and code examples:

text

rules/architecture-avoid-boolean-props.md
rules/state-context-interface.md

Each rule file contains:

Brief explanation of why it matters
Incorrect code example with explanation
Correct code example with explanation
Additional context and references

Full Compiled Document

For the complete guide with all rules expanded: AGENTS.md