How to Use Bootstrap with React?

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Bootstrap is one of the most popular front-end frameworks, widely used to create visually appealing, responsive, and mobile-first websites quickly. It provides pre-designed UI components, grid systems, and various CSS classes that help you build mobile-first, responsive web applications quickly and efficiently.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how to use Bootstrap with React effectively.

Bootstrap with React

To use Bootstrap in React and style using the Bootstrap classes we can directly add the Bootstrap CDN in html file, use the Bootstrap npm package and also use the React-Bootstrap library which directly provides the styled React Components.

There are mainly three main ways to use Bootstrap with the ReactJS app.

Three Ways to Use Bootstrap with React

Using the Bootstrap CDN
Importing Bootstrap as a Dependency
Using React-Bootstrap

Method 1: Using the Bootstrap CDN

Step 1. Add the Bootstrap CSS link

In your public/index.html file, add the following line inside the <head> section to include the Bootstrap CSS:

<link
  rel="stylesheet"
  href="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/5.3.2/css/bootstrap.min.css"
 
  crossorigin="anonymous"
/>

Step 2. Add Bootstrap’s JavaScript files

If your app requires Bootstrap’s interactive JavaScript components (like modals, tooltips, etc.), add the following scripts just before the closing </body> tag:

<script
  src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@popperjs/[email protected]/dist/umd/popper.min.js"
 
  crossorigin="anonymous"
></script>
<script
  src="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/5.3.2/js/bootstrap.min.js"
 
  crossorigin="anonymous"
></script>

Here is the implementation

HTML

<!-- Filename - public/index.html -->
<html lang="en">
<head>
   
    <link rel="stylesheet"
          href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css"
          integrity="sha384-d4E8z2JwGe7y5ZK0K4dU2kjT7v43QzxB2+pN8ARdI9lDlZORFfop9tFfjG4PUwsw"
          crossorigin="anonymous">
    <title>React App</title>
</head>

<body>
    <noscript>You need to enable JavaScript to run this app.</noscript>
    <div id="root"></div>

    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@popperjs/[email protected]/dist/umd/popper.min.js"
            integrity="sha384-oBqDVmMz4fnFO9gyb56E8fR+6xKnujsH1X2jxXUSqWExY0g0U7tUdbzPvV4H8nX"
            crossorigin="anonymous">
    </script>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"
            integrity="sha384-pzjw8f+ua7Kw1TIq0sStbd5Y7fuD9BqR6O3doBoq3UMaS2m5uZlZKHw3LFG2Orv6"
            crossorigin="anonymous">
    </script>
</body>

</html>

Output

In this code

Includes the Bootstrap 5.3.2 CSS via CDN for styling the application.
Loads Popper.js and Bootstrap's JavaScript bundle (which includes necessary plugins) at the end of the <body>.
Contains a <div id="root"></div> as the mounting point for the React app.

Method 2: Import Bootstrap as a Dependency

If we prefer managing your app's dependencies, you can install Bootstrap through npm and import it into your React app. This method is especially useful when working with module bundlers like Webpack or when you want more control over the package versions.

Steps to Install and Import Bootstrap

1. Install Bootstrap and Supporting Libraries

Run the following command to install Bootstrap and Popper.js (which are required for certain Bootstrap components) as dependencies:

npm install bootstrap @popperjs/core

2. Import Bootstrap in Your React App

After installing the packages, open your src/index.js (or src/index.tsx for TypeScript) and import Bootstrap CSS:

import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';
import 'bootstrap/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min';

Here is the implementation :

JavaScript

import "bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css"; 
import "bootstrap/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min";  
import React from "react";
import "./App.css";

function App() {
    return (
        <div className="App">
            <nav className="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light bg-light">
                <a className="navbar-brand" href="#">
                    Navbar
                </a>
                <button
                    className="navbar-toggler"
                    type="button"
                    data-bs-toggle="collapse"  
                    data-bs-target="#navbarNav"  
                    aria-controls="navbarNav"
                    aria-expanded="false"
                    aria-label="Toggle navigation"
                >
                    <span className="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
                </button>
                <div className="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNav">
                    <ul className="navbar-nav">
                        <li className="nav-item active">
                            <a className="nav-link" href="#">
                                Home <span className="sr-only">(current)</span>
                            </a>
                        </li>
                        <li className="nav-item">
                            <a className="nav-link" href="#">
                                Features
                            </a>
                        </li>
                        <li className="nav-item">
                            <a className="nav-link" href="#">
                                Pricing
                            </a>
                        </li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
            </nav>

            <div className="container mt-5">
                <div className="row">
                    <div className="col-md-6">
                        <div className="card">
                            <div className="card-body">
                                <h5 className="card-title">Card title</h5>
                                <p className="card-text">
                                    Some quick example text to build on the card title and make up
                                    the bulk of the card's content.
                                </p>
                                <a href="#" className="btn btn-primary">
                                    Go somewhere
                                </a>
                            </div>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    );
}

export default App;

Output

bootstrap-2 — Import Bootstrap as a Dependency

In this code

This App.js sets up a simple layout with Bootstrap.
It includes a responsive navbar that collapses on smaller screens, a card component with a title, text, and a button. Bootstrap's JavaScript features are enabled by importing jQuery, Popper.js, and Bootstrap's bundle.
The page also uses Bootstrap's grid system for layout and spacing.

Method 3: Using React-Bootstrap

For a more React-friendly approach, you can use the React-Bootstrap library, which provides pre-built Bootstrap components as React components. React-Bootstrap helps to seamlessly integrate Bootstrap’s UI elements into your React applications without relying on jQuery.

Steps to Use React-Bootstrap

1. Install React-Bootstrap and Bootstrap

Run the following command to install both the react-bootstrap package and Bootstrap itself:

npm install react-bootstrap bootstrap

2. Import React-Bootstrap Components

React-Bootstrap allows you to use Bootstrap components as React components. For example, to add a navbar and a button:

JavaScript

import React from 'react';
import { Navbar, Nav, Button } from 'react-bootstrap';

function App() {
  return (
    <div>
      <Navbar bg="dark" variant="dark" expand="lg">
        <Navbar.Brand href="#home">React-Bootstrap</Navbar.Brand>
        <Nav className="me-auto"> {/* Updated from 'mr-auto' to 'me-auto' */}
          <Nav.Link href="#home">Home</Nav.Link>
          <Nav.Link href="#features">Features</Nav.Link>
          <Nav.Link href="#pricing">Pricing</Nav.Link>
        </Nav>
      </Navbar>
      <Button variant="primary">Click Me!</Button>
    </div>
  );
}

export default App;

Output

In this code

This App.js renders a simple React-Bootstrap layout with a dark-themed navbar, three responsive cards in a grid, and a footer.
Each card includes an image, title, description, and a button with different variants.
The layout is responsive, adjusting the number of cards per row based on screen size.
The footer is styled with a dark background and centered text.

Project Setup for React-Bootstrap

Create a React App: If you haven't already, create a new React app using the following command:

npx create-react-app my-app
cd my-app

Install Dependencies: Install axios, bootstrap, and reactstrap:

npm install axios bootstrap react-bootstrap

Project Structure : The Project Structure will look like this.

Screenshot-from-2023-10-19-12-40-38

Dependency list After installing packages

"dependencies": {
  "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^5.17.0",               
  "@testing-library/react": "^13.4.0",                    
  "@testing-library/user-event": "^14.4.3",               
  "axios": "^1.6.0",                                    
  "bootstrap": "^5.3.2",                                
  "react": "^18.3.0",                                     
  "react-bootstrap": "^2.11.0",                            
  "react-dom": "^18.3.0",                                  
  "react-router-dom": "^6.18.0",                           
  "react-scripts": "5.0.1",                                
  "web-vitals": "^2.1.4"                               
}

Implementation : Here's a simple implementation of a web page using react-bootstrap with navbar, dropdown, cards and and posts.

JavaScript

// Filename - App.js

import React, { Fragment } from "react";
import "bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css";
import axios from "axios";
import { Container, Row, Col } from "react-bootstrap";

import Post from "./components/Post";
import Header from "./components/Header";
import LeftCard from "./components/LeftCard";

const App = () => (
    <Fragment>
        <Header />

        <main className="my-5 py-5">
            <Container className="px-0">
                <Row
                    className="pt-2 pt-md-5 w-100 px-4 px-xl-0 position-relative g-0"
                >
                    <Col
                        xs={{ order: 2 }}
                        md={{ span: 4, order: 1 }} // Updated `size` to `span` in Bootstrap 5
                        tag="aside"
                        className="pb-5 mb-5 pb-md-0 mb-md-0 mx-auto mx-md-0"
                    >
                        <LeftCard />
                    </Col>

                    <Col
                        xs={{ order: 1 }}
                        md={{ span: 7, offset: 1 }} // Updated `size` to `span` in Bootstrap 5
                        tag="section"
                        className="py-5 mb-5 py-md-0 mb-md-0"
                    >
                        <Post />
                    </Col>
                </Row>
            </Container>
        </main>
    </Fragment>
);

export default App;

Output: This output will be visible on http://localhost:3000/ on the browser window.

In this code

This App.js creates a responsive layout with Bootstrap.
It displays a header and two columns: one for a left-side card (LeftCard) and another for main content (Post).
The layout adjusts based on screen size using Bootstrap's grid system (Col, Row).
The Fragment is used to return multiple components without extra DOM nodes.

How to Customize Bootstrap in React?

Bootstrap is an excellent front-end framework that provides ready-to-use components for building responsive websites. However, in many cases, you may want to customize these components to fit the style of your React app. In this section, we'll explain how to customize Bootstrap in React with a simple example

Step 1: Install Bootstrap in Your React Project

To get started, you need to install Bootstrap in your React project. You can do this by running the following command:

npm install bootstrap

Step 2: Import Bootstrap CSS

Once Bootstrap is installed, you can import its CSS into your React app. Go to your src/index.js (or src/index.tsx for TypeScript) file and add the following import statement at the top:

import 'bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css';

Step 3: Create a Custom CSS File for Your Customizations

The easiest way to customize Bootstrap in React is by overriding its default styles with your own custom CSS. You can create a new CSS file, such as src/custom.css, to add these overrides.

/* custom.css */

/* Change the background color of the primary button */
.btn-primary {
  background-color: #4CAF50; /* Green color */
  border-color: #4CAF50;
}

/* Change the navbar background to dark */
.navbar {
  background-color: #333; /* Dark background for navbar */
}

Step 4: Import the Custom CSS File

After creating the custom styles, you need to import the custom.css file into your app. Go back to src/index.js and add this import statement after the Bootstrap CSS import:

import './custom.css';  // Import your custom styles

Step 5: Use Bootstrap Components with Your Custom Styles

Now that you've added custom styles, you can start using Bootstrap components in your React app. Here's a simple example that includes a Navbar and a Primary Button with the custom styles applied:

CSS

/* custom.css */
.btn-primary {
    background-color: #4CAF50; 
    border-color: #4CAF50;
  }
  
  .navbar {
    background-color: #333;
  }

JavaScript

import React from "react";
import { Button, Navbar, Nav } from "react-bootstrap";
import "bootstrap/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css";
import "./custom.css";  

function App() {
    return (
        <div>
            <Navbar bg="light" expand="lg">
                <Navbar.Brand href="#home">Custom Bootstrap</Navbar.Brand>
                <Nav className="me-auto"> {/* Updated from 'mr-auto' to 'me-auto' */}
                    <Nav.Link href="#home">Home</Nav.Link>
                    <Nav.Link href="#features">Features</Nav.Link>
                </Nav>
            </Navbar>

            <div className="container mt-4">
                <Button variant="primary">Click Me!</Button>
            </div>
        </div>
    );
}

export default App;

Output

In this code

Navbar Customization: The navbar has a default Bootstrap background, but we’ve customized it to have a dark color (#333) using our custom CSS.
Button Customization: The primary button uses the .btn-primary class from Bootstrap. We’ve overridden its default blue background to a green (#4CAF50), also using our custom CSS.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered three methods for using Bootstrap in a React app: using the Bootstrap CDN for quick setup without installation, importing Bootstrap as a dependency for npm-based package management, and React-Bootstrap for a more React-friendly approach with Bootstrap components as React components. Each method offers unique advantages based on your project needs.

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Article Tags :

How to Use Bootstrap with React?

Bootstrap with React

Three Ways to Use Bootstrap with React

Method 1: Using the Bootstrap CDN

Step 1. Add the Bootstrap CSS link

Step 2. Add Bootstrap’s JavaScript files

Method 2: Import Bootstrap as a Dependency

Steps to Install and Import Bootstrap

Method 3: Using React-Bootstrap

Steps to Use React-Bootstrap

Project Setup for React-Bootstrap

How to Customize Bootstrap in React?

Conclusion

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