/handbook/react-best-practices/dependency-management/
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CLEAR
Resources React project best practices Dependency management
Topics
On this page
- React project best practices
- Project structure
- State management
- Component architecture
- Styling
- Hooks
- Performance optimization
- Commit messages
- Code quality
- Data loading
- Testing
- Dependency management
- Accessibility
- React frameworks
- Documentation
- Deployment and monitoring
- React skeleton
- Appendices
1. Package selection: criteria for choosing third-party libraries
Functionality and necessity
Maintenance and activity
License
Transitive Dependencies
2. Dependency updates: Keeping dependencies current safely
Use a lock file
Automate dependency scanning and update PRs
Upgrade strategy
3. Upgrading React versions
4. Upgrading other dependencies (e.g., Tailwind, Next.js)
5. Best practices summary
Last updated on Apr 2, 2026
Dependency management
Managing dependencies responsibly is essential for maintaining a secure, stable, and maintainable React project. Every package added introduces potential risks, in terms of security, performance, and long-term maintenance. This section outlines how we evaluate, adopt, and maintain third-party libraries.
1. Package selection: criteria for choosing third-party libraries
Functionality and necessity
Ask questions like:
-
Is it necessary?
- Avoid adding a dependency for a trivial task you could easily implement yourself. (e.g.,
is-emptyorleft-pad). - Every dependency adds to your project’s maintenance load and security attack surface.
- Avoid adding a dependency for a trivial task you could easily implement yourself. (e.g.,
-
Does it solve your problem well?
- Prefer well-scoped libraries over all-in-one frameworks that introduce unnecessary complexity.
- Draft requirements first before researching libraries, prevents bias toward a “shiny” package.
Maintenance and activity
-
Recent commits:
- Look for an active commit history
- A project that hasn’t been updated in years is likely abandoned and may contain unpatched security vulnerabilities or bugs.
-
Open issues/pull requests:
- Are issues being actively addressed?
- Are pull requests being reviewed and merged?
- A high number of neglected issues is a red flag.
-
Release frequency:
Regular releases indicate that the maintainers are actively improving the package and responding to issues.
License
- Permissive Licenses (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD) are generally safe for commercial use.
- Copyleft Licenses (e.g., GPL, LGPL) have stricter requirements, often mandating that you open-source your own code if you distribute the software. Always consult with legal counsel if you are unsure.
Transitive Dependencies
-
A library that pulls in dozens of other packages increases complexity and your project’s potential attack surface.
-
Inspect the full tree with tools like:
npm lsyarn listpnpm why- Avoid “dependency bloat” whenever possible.
2. Dependency updates: Keeping dependencies current safely
Use a lock file
- Always commit
package-lock.jsonoryarn.lock. - This is the most critical practice for reproducible builds.
- A lock file (e.g.,
package-lock.json,yarn.lock,Pipfile.lock,poetry.lock) records the exact version of every dependency and sub-dependency installed. - Do not delete lock files without a clear reason.
Automate dependency scanning and update PRs
-
Use Dependabot, Renovate, or Snyk to:
- Scan for vulnerabilities.
- Propose PRs with version bumps.
-
Configure these tools to automatically create Pull Requests (PRs) for updates. This integrates the update process directly into your development workflow.
-
Review and test updates before merging. Never merge blindly.
Upgrade strategy
-
Minor & Patch Versions: Safe to upgrade regularly. Automate these when possible.
-
Major Versions: Require a plan:
- Review changelogs carefully.
- Test in staging before merging.
- Upgrade incrementally if multiple libraries depend on each other.
3. Upgrading React versions
React upgrades can introduce breaking changes; plan upgrades carefully:
-
Read React’s official migration guide before upgrading.
-
Upgrade React first, then libraries that depend on it (e.g., React Router, Redux, React Query).
-
Run tests (unit, integration, E2E) after upgrading to catch regressions.
-
For large projects:
- Start with a feature flag (turns features on or off at runtime without deploying new code) or canary branch (a special branch in Git used to test risky changes).
- Gradually roll out instead of upgrading everything at once.
4. Upgrading other dependencies (e.g., Tailwind, Next.js)
- Read release notes: Look for breaking changes and migration steps.
- Update incrementally instead of skipping multiple major versions.
- Validate design and layout changes visually (especially CSS frameworks like Tailwind).
- If using Storybook, run visual regression checks before and after the upgrade.
5. Best practices summary
- Be selective: Only add necessary, well-maintained packages.
- Audit transitive dependencies to avoid hidden risks.
- Use lock files for consistent builds.
- Automate updates but review carefully before merging.
- Upgrade React & core libraries strategically, using tests and staging environments.
- Document upgrade steps in PRs so future developers understand why and how the upgrade was done.
Credits
Sayed Taqui
Author
Sayed Taqui
Author
Seasoned React, JavaScript, and WordPress Developer. Contributed significantly to WordPress Core. Currently serving as the Lead WordPress Engineer at rtCamp. Passionate about crafting innovative so…
Imran Sayed
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Imran Sayed
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Senior Software Engineer and Full-Stack Web Developer building high-performance, user-centric web applications that drive business growth. Expertise lies in e-commerce development, custom WordPress…
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