INSTALL ATION

Getting Started Getting Started

Add React to a Website
Create a New React App
CDN Links
Release Channels
These docs are old and won’t be updated. Go to react.dev for the
new React docs.
MAIN CONCEPTS
The new Quick Start teaches modern React and includes live examples.
ADVANCED GUIDES

This page is an overview of the React documentation and related API REFERENCE
resources.
HOOKS

React is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces. Learn what React is
all about on our homepage or in the tutorial. TESTING

CONTRIBUTING

Try React
FAQ
 Learn React

Staying Informed

Versioned Documentation

Something Missing?

Try React Getting Started

Add React to a Website
React has been designed from the start for gradual adoption, and you can Create a New React App
use as little or as much React as you need. Whether you want to get a CDN Links
taste of React, add some interactivity to a simple HTML page, or start a Release Channels
complex React-powered app, the links in this section will help you get
started.

Online Playgrounds

If you’re interested in playing around with React, you can use an online
code playground. Try a Hello World template on CodePen, CodeSandbox,
or Stackblitz.

If you prefer to use your own text editor, you can also download this HTML
file, edit it, and open it from the local filesystem in your browser. It does a
slow runtime code transformation, so we’d only recommend using this for
simple demos.
Add React to a Website

You can add React to an HTML page in one minute. You can then either
gradually expand its presence, or keep it contained to a few dynamic
widgets.
Getting Started
Add React to a Website
Create a New React App Create a New React App

When starting a React project, a simple HTML page with script tags might CDN Links

still be the best option. It only takes a minute to set up! Release Channels

As your application grows, you might want to consider a more integrated

setup. There are several JavaScript toolchains we recommend for larger
applications. Each of them can work with little to no configuration and lets
you take full advantage of the rich React ecosystem. Learn how.

Learn React

People come to React from different backgrounds and with different

learning styles. Whether you prefer a more theoretical or a practical
approach, we hope you’ll find this section helpful.

If you prefer to learn by doing, start with our practical tutorial.

If you prefer to learn concepts step by step, start with our guide to main
concepts.

Like any unfamiliar technology, React does have a learning curve. With
practice and some patience, you will get the hang of it.
Getting Started
Add React to a Website
First Examples Create a New React App

The React homepage contains a few small React examples with a live CDN Links

editor. Even if you don’t know anything about React yet, try changing their Release Channels

code and see how it affects the result.

React for Beginners

If you feel that the React documentation goes at a faster pace than you’re
comfortable with, check out this overview of React by Tania Rascia. It
introduces the most important React concepts in a detailed, beginner-
friendly way. Once you’re done, give the documentation another try!

React for Designers

If you’re coming from a design background, these resources are a great
place to get started.

JavaScript Resources

The React documentation assumes some familiarity with programming in

the JavaScript language. You don’t have to be an expert, but it’s harder to
learn both React and JavaScript at the same time.
Getting Started
Add React to a Website
We recommend going through this JavaScript overview to check your
Create a New React App
knowledge level. It will take you between 30 minutes and an hour but you
CDN Links
will feel more confident learning React.
Release Channels

Tip
Whenever you get confused by something in JavaScript, MDN and
javascript.info are great websites to check. There are also community
support forums where you can ask for help.

Practical Tutorial

If you prefer to learn by doing, check out our practical tutorial. In this
tutorial, we build a tic-tac-toe game in React. You might be tempted to
skip it because you’re not into building games — but give it a chance. The
techniques you’ll learn in the tutorial are fundamental to building any
React apps, and mastering it will give you a much deeper understanding.

Step-by-Step Guide

If you prefer to learn concepts step by step, our guide to main concepts
is the best place to start. Every next chapter in it builds on the knowledge
introduced in the previous chapters so you won’t miss anything as you go
Getting Started
along.
Add React to a Website
Create a New React App
Thinking in React CDN Links
Release Channels
Many React users credit reading Thinking in React as the moment React
finally “clicked” for them. It’s probably the oldest React walkthrough but
it’s still just as relevant.

Recommended Courses

Sometimes people find third-party books and video courses more helpful
than the official documentation. We maintain a list of commonly
recommended resources, some of which are free.

Advanced Concepts
Once you’re comfortable with the main concepts and played with React a
little bit, you might be interested in more advanced topics. This section will
introduce you to the powerful, but less commonly used React features like
context and refs.

API Reference

This documentation section is useful when you want to learn more details
Getting Started
about a particular React API. For example, React.Component API reference
Add React to a Website
can provide you with details on how setState() works, and what
Create a New React App
different lifecycle methods are useful for.
CDN Links
Release Channels
Glossary and FAQ

The glossary contains an overview of the most common terms you’ll see in
the React documentation. There is also a FAQ section dedicated to short
questions and answers about common topics, including making AJAX
requests, component state, and file structure.

Staying Informed

The React blog is the official source for the updates from the React team.
Anything important, including release notes or deprecation notices, will be
posted there first.

You can also follow the @reactjs account on Twitter, but you won’t miss
anything essential if you only read the blog.

Not every React release deserves its own blog post, but you can find a
detailed changelog for every release in the CHANGELOG.md file in the React
repository, as well as on the Releases page.
Getting Started
Add React to a Website
Create a New React App
CDN Links
Versioned Documentation
Release Channels

This documentation always reflects the latest stable version of React. Since
React 16, you can find older versions of the documentation on a separate
page. Note that documentation for past versions is snapshotted at the
time of the release, and isn’t being continuously updated.

Something Missing?

If something is missing in the documentation or if you found some part

confusing, please file an issue for the documentation repository with your
suggestions for improvement, or tweet at the @reactjs account. We love
hearing from you!

Is this page useful? Edit this page

Getting Started
Add React to a Website
Create a New React App
CDN Links
Release Channels
Next article

Add React to a
Website