Mastering useEffect in React: Dependencies and Cleanup

useEffect — The Hook That Confused Me (Until I Got This) useEffect was confusing until I understood one thing: dependencies control everything. The Rule: javascript // Runs ONCE after mount useEffect(() => { fetchData(); }, []); // Runs when userId changes useEffect(() => { fetchUser(userId); }, [userId]); // Runs on EVERY render (avoid!) useEffect(() => { console.log('render'); }); What I Learned the Hard Way: Missing dependencies = stale data Adding everything = infinite loops Cleanup functions matter (especially for subscriptions) My Checklist: What should trigger this effect? Do I need to clean up? Can this cause unnecessary renders? What's your React Hook survival tip? #ReactJS #JavaScript #FrontendDeveloper #WebDev #CodingTi

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