Jul 23, 2025 · React manages the rendering of components and updates the DOM automatically. However, there are situations where you may need to access a specific DOM element directly.

When React creates a DOM node for this <div>, React will put a reference to this node into myRef.current. You can then access this DOM node from your event handlers and use the …

Dec 18, 2024 · While React typically manages the DOM in a declarative way through state and props, there are times when you may need to interact with the DOM directly, such as for …

Refs provide a way to access DOM nodes or React elements created in the render method. In the typical React dataflow, props are the only way that parent components interact with their …

Aug 20, 2025 · Once attached, the ref can be used to access the underlying DOM node directly in the handleClick function. In the example above, a ref is created using the useRef hook and …

Jun 29, 2016 · Note that when you specify a ref on a function component, you need to use React.forwardRef on it to forward the ref to the DOM element of use useImperativeHandle to …

Access DOM nodes directly via ref.current. Avoid using Refs for state-like logic or component data flow. Best suited for interactions like focus, scroll, animation, and media control. Program to …

Jan 24, 2020 · In this article you'll learn how to access underlying DOM elements in React. This can be useful in scenarios when there is no alternative React-way to do that.

Sep 6, 2024 · With refs, you can directly access DOM nodes and perform actions that aren't feasible with the standard React data flow. The ref attribute can be used to get a reference to …

Oct 5, 2024 · Learn how to effectively access and manipulate DOM elements within your React components, moving beyond document.getElementById () for seamless integration. 1. Refs for …