Performant, flexible and extensible forms library for React Hooks
react-hook-form is a form state management and validation library built specifically for React's hooks API. It takes an uncontrolled component approach, meaning form inputs maintain their own state in the DOM rather than through React component state. This architectural decision results in significantly fewer re-renders compared to traditional controlled component patterns, making it particularly effective for complex forms with many fields.
The library was created to address the verbosity and performance issues inherent in React form handling. Traditional approaches require managing state, onChange handlers, and validation logic for every input field, leading to substantial boilerplate code. react-hook-form simplifies this by providing a registration system where inputs connect to the form state through a simple ref-based mechanism, eliminating the need for manual state management while maintaining full control over validation and submission logic.
With over 18 million weekly downloads, react-hook-form has become one of the most popular form solutions in the React ecosystem. It's used by development teams ranging from startups to enterprises who need reliable form handling without the bundle size overhead of heavier alternatives. The library provides first-class TypeScript support, integrates seamlessly with schema validation libraries like Zod and Yup, and offers specialized tools for dynamic field arrays and custom UI component integration.
import { useForm, Controller } from 'react-hook-form';
import { z } from 'zod';
import { zodResolver } from '@hookform/resolvers/zod';
const schema = z.object({
email: z.string().email('Invalid email address'),
password: z.string().min(8, 'Password must be at least 8 characters'),
age: z.number().min(18, 'Must be 18 or older'),
newsletter: z.boolean()
});
type FormData = z.infer<typeof schema>;
function SignupForm() {
const {
register,
handleSubmit,
control,
formState: { errors, isSubmitting }
} = useForm<FormData>({
resolver: zodResolver(schema),
defaultValues: {
newsletter: false
}
});
const onSubmit = async (data: FormData) => {
await fetch('/api/signup', {
method: 'POST',
headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
body: JSON.stringify(data)
});
};
return (
<form onSubmit={handleSubmit(onSubmit)}>
<div>
<input
type="email"
placeholder="Email"
{...register('email')}
/>
{errors.email && <span>{errors.email.message}</span>}
</div>
<div>
<input
type="password"
placeholder="Password"
{...register('password')}
/>
{errors.password && <span>{errors.password.message}</span>}
</div>
<div>
<input
type="number"
placeholder="Age"
{...register('age', { valueAsNumber: true })}
/>
{errors.age && <span>{errors.age.message}</span>}
</div>
<Controller
name="newsletter"
control={control}
render={({ field }) => (
<label>
<input
type="checkbox"
checked={field.value}
onChange={field.onChange}
/>
Subscribe to newsletter
</label>
)}
/>
<button type="submit" disabled={isSubmitting}>
{isSubmitting ? 'Signing up...' : 'Sign Up'}
</button>
</form>
);
}Registration and login forms where you need client-side validation with custom error messages, password strength checking, and async validation for username availability. The library's built-in validation and error state management eliminates manual state tracking.
Multi-step wizards and surveys that require maintaining form state across multiple pages or components. Using useFormContext allows child components to access form methods without prop drilling, while the form state persists throughout the user journey.
Dynamic form builders where users can add or remove field groups, such as adding multiple addresses, phone numbers, or work experiences. The useFieldArray hook efficiently manages arrays of fields with built-in add, remove, and reorder functionality without performance degradation.
Complex admin dashboards with large forms containing dozens of inputs across different sections. The uncontrolled approach prevents unnecessary re-renders, keeping the UI responsive even with 50+ fields, conditional logic, and real-time validation.
Third-party UI library integration when using component libraries like Material-UI, Ant Design, or Chakra UI. The Controller component wraps external inputs to bridge their API with react-hook-form's registration system, maintaining the performance benefits while using custom components.
npm install react-hook-formpnpm add react-hook-formbun add react-hook-form