
React Testing Patterns
- 112 installs
- 8 repo stars
- Updated February 6, 2026
- hieutrtr/ai1-skills
React component and hook testing patterns with Testing Library and Vitest: rendering, user interaction, async state, MSW mocking, and a11y assertions.
About
Covers testing React components and custom hooks with Testing Library and Vitest, including interaction simulation, async state, MSW API mocking, renderHook, and accessibility assertions. A developer uses it when writing frontend tests.
- Component rendering and user-interaction tests plus renderHook for hooks
- MSW API mocking and jest-axe accessibility assertions
React Testing Patterns by the numbers
- 112 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +2 installs in the week ending Aug 2, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #966 of 2,153 Testing & QA skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 2, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 112 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 8 |
| Last updated | February 6, 2026 |
| Repository | hieutrtr/ai1-skills ↗ |
What it does
React component and hook testing patterns with Testing Library and Vitest: rendering, user interaction, async state, MSW mocking, and a11y assertions.
Files
React Testing Patterns
When to Use
Activate this skill when:
- Writing tests for React components (rendering, interaction, accessibility)
- Testing custom hooks with
renderHook - Mocking API calls with MSW (Mock Service Worker)
- Testing async state changes (loading, error, success)
- Auditing component accessibility with jest-axe
- Setting up test infrastructure (providers, test utilities)
Do NOT use this skill for:
- E2E browser tests with Playwright (use
e2e-testing) - Backend Python tests (use
pytest-patterns) - TDD workflow enforcement (use
tdd-workflow) - Writing component implementation code (use
react-frontend-expert)
Instructions
Testing Library Philosophy
Core principle: Test behavior, not implementation.
Query priority (prefer higher in the list): 1. getByRole — accessible role (button, heading, textbox) 2. getByLabelText — form elements with labels 3. getByPlaceholderText — input placeholders 4. getByText — visible text content 5. getByDisplayValue — current form input value 6. getByAltText — images 7. getByTestId — last resort (data-testid attribute)
Interaction: Always use userEvent over fireEvent:
import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
// Good — simulates real user behavior
const user = userEvent.setup();
await user.click(button);
await user.type(input, "hello");
// Bad — low-level event dispatch
fireEvent.click(button);What NOT to test:
- Internal component state (don't test
useStatevalues directly) - CSS classes or styles
- Component instance methods
- Which hooks were called
- Snapshot tests for dynamic content
- Third-party library internals
Component Test Structure
Every component test follows Arrange → Act → Assert:
import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
import { axe } from "jest-axe";
import { UserCard } from "./UserCard";
describe("UserCard", () => {
const defaultProps = {
user: { id: 1, displayName: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com" },
onEdit: vi.fn(),
};
it("renders user name", () => {
// Arrange
render(<UserCard {...defaultProps} />);
// Assert
expect(screen.getByText("Alice")).toBeInTheDocument();
});
it("calls onEdit when edit button is clicked", async () => {
// Arrange
const user = userEvent.setup();
render(<UserCard {...defaultProps} />);
// Act
await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /edit/i }));
// Assert
expect(defaultProps.onEdit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
});
it("has no accessibility violations", async () => {
const { container } = render(<UserCard {...defaultProps} />);
expect(await axe(container)).toHaveNoViolations();
});
});Async Testing
waitFor (wait for state update)
it("shows user data after loading", async () => {
render(<UserProfile userId={1} />);
// Loading state
expect(screen.getByText(/loading/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
// Wait for data to appear
await waitFor(() => {
expect(screen.getByText("Alice")).toBeInTheDocument();
});
// Loading state gone
expect(screen.queryByText(/loading/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
});findBy (built-in waitFor)
it("shows user data after loading", async () => {
render(<UserProfile userId={1} />);
// findBy = getBy + waitFor — preferred for async appearance
const heading = await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: "Alice" });
expect(heading).toBeInTheDocument();
});*Prefer `findBy over waitFor + getBy`* for elements that appear asynchronously.
Testing Error States
it("shows error message on API failure", async () => {
// Override MSW handler for this test
server.use(
http.get("/api/users/:id", () => {
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: "User not found" },
{ status: 404 },
);
}),
);
render(<UserProfile userId={999} />);
const error = await screen.findByRole("alert");
expect(error).toHaveTextContent(/not found/i);
});MSW API Mocking
Setup a mock server for all API tests:
// test/mocks/handlers.ts
import { http, HttpResponse } from "msw";
export const handlers = [
http.get("/api/users", () => {
return HttpResponse.json({
items: [
{ id: 1, displayName: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com" },
{ id: 2, displayName: "Bob", email: "bob@example.com" },
],
next_cursor: null,
has_more: false,
});
}),
http.get("/api/users/:id", ({ params }) => {
return HttpResponse.json({
id: Number(params.id),
displayName: "Alice",
email: "alice@example.com",
});
}),
http.post("/api/users", async ({ request }) => {
const body = await request.json();
return HttpResponse.json(
{ id: 3, ...body, created_at: new Date().toISOString() },
{ status: 201 },
);
}),
];// test/mocks/server.ts
import { setupServer } from "msw/node";
import { handlers } from "./handlers";
export const server = setupServer(...handlers);// test/setup.ts (Vitest setup file)
import { server } from "./mocks/server";
beforeAll(() => server.listen({ onUnhandledRequest: "error" }));
afterEach(() => server.resetHandlers());
afterAll(() => server.close());Per-test handler override:
server.use(
http.get("/api/users", () => {
return HttpResponse.json({ items: [], next_cursor: null, has_more: false });
}),
);Hook Testing
import { renderHook, act } from "@testing-library/react";
import { useDebounce } from "./useDebounce";
describe("useDebounce", () => {
beforeEach(() => { vi.useFakeTimers(); });
afterEach(() => { vi.useRealTimers(); });
it("returns initial value immediately", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useDebounce("hello", 300));
expect(result.current).toBe("hello");
});
it("debounces value changes", () => {
const { result, rerender } = renderHook(
({ value }) => useDebounce(value, 300),
{ initialProps: { value: "hello" } },
);
rerender({ value: "world" });
expect(result.current).toBe("hello"); // Still old value
act(() => { vi.advanceTimersByTime(300); });
expect(result.current).toBe("world"); // Now updated
});
});Testing hooks with TanStack Query:
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
function createWrapper() {
const queryClient = new QueryClient({
defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } },
});
return ({ children }) => (
<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>{children}</QueryClientProvider>
);
}
it("fetches users", async () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useUsers(), { wrapper: createWrapper() });
await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isSuccess).toBe(true));
expect(result.current.data).toHaveLength(2);
});Accessibility Testing
Add to every component test file:
import { axe, toHaveNoViolations } from "jest-axe";
expect.extend(toHaveNoViolations);
it("has no accessibility violations", async () => {
const { container } = render(<UserCard {...defaultProps} />);
const results = await axe(container);
expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
});Test Utility: Custom Render
Create a custom render that wraps components with required providers:
// test/utils.tsx
import { render, RenderOptions } from "@testing-library/react";
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router-dom";
import { AuthProvider } from "@/contexts/AuthContext";
function AllProviders({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
const queryClient = new QueryClient({
defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false, gcTime: 0 } },
});
return (
<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
<MemoryRouter>
<AuthProvider>{children}</AuthProvider>
</MemoryRouter>
</QueryClientProvider>
);
}
export function renderWithProviders(ui: React.ReactElement, options?: RenderOptions) {
return render(ui, { wrapper: AllProviders, ...options });
}Examples
Testing a Form Component
describe("CreateUserForm", () => {
it("submits valid data", async () => {
const onSubmit = vi.fn();
const user = userEvent.setup();
render(<CreateUserForm onSubmit={onSubmit} />);
await user.type(screen.getByLabelText(/email/i), "test@example.com");
await user.type(screen.getByLabelText(/name/i), "Test User");
await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /create/i }));
expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
email: "test@example.com",
displayName: "Test User",
role: "member",
});
});
it("shows validation errors for empty required fields", async () => {
const user = userEvent.setup();
render(<CreateUserForm onSubmit={vi.fn()} />);
await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /create/i }));
expect(await screen.findByText(/required/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
});
});Edge Cases
- Components with providers: Always use a custom render function that wraps components with
QueryClientProvider,MemoryRouter, and any context providers needed.
- Components with router: Use
<MemoryRouter initialEntries={["/users/1"]}>for components that useuseParamsoruseNavigate.
- Flaky async tests: Prefer
findBy*overwaitFor+getBy*. If usingwaitFor, increase timeout for CI:waitFor(() => ..., { timeout: 5000 }).
- Testing modals/portals: Use
screenqueries (they search the entire document), notcontainerqueries.
- Cleanup: Testing Library auto-cleans after each test. Don't call
cleanup()manually unless using a custom setup.
See references/component-test-template.tsx for an annotated test file template. See references/msw-handler-examples.ts for MSW handler patterns. See references/hook-test-template.tsx for hook testing patterns.
/**
* Component Test Template
*
* Copy this template as a starting point for component tests.
* Adapt the imports, props, and assertions to your component.
*/
import { render, screen, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
import userEvent from "@testing-library/user-event";
import { axe, toHaveNoViolations } from "jest-axe";
import { ExampleComponent } from "./ExampleComponent";
// Extend expect with accessibility matchers
expect.extend(toHaveNoViolations);
// Default props — reuse across tests, override per-test as needed
const defaultProps = {
title: "Test Title",
onAction: vi.fn(),
items: [
{ id: 1, name: "Item 1" },
{ id: 2, name: "Item 2" },
],
};
describe("ExampleComponent", () => {
// Reset mocks between tests
beforeEach(() => {
vi.clearAllMocks();
});
// ---------- Rendering ----------
it("renders the title", () => {
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
expect(screen.getByRole("heading", { name: "Test Title" })).toBeInTheDocument();
});
it("renders all items", () => {
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
expect(screen.getAllByRole("listitem")).toHaveLength(2);
});
it("renders empty state when no items", () => {
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} items={[]} />);
expect(screen.getByText(/no items/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
});
// ---------- User Interaction ----------
it("calls onAction when action button is clicked", async () => {
const user = userEvent.setup();
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /action/i }));
expect(defaultProps.onAction).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
});
it("filters items when search is typed", async () => {
const user = userEvent.setup();
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
await user.type(screen.getByRole("searchbox"), "Item 1");
expect(screen.getByText("Item 1")).toBeInTheDocument();
expect(screen.queryByText("Item 2")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
});
// ---------- Async Behavior ----------
it("shows loading state while fetching", () => {
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} isLoading />);
expect(screen.getByText(/loading/i)).toBeInTheDocument();
});
it("shows data after loading completes", async () => {
render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
// Use findBy for elements that appear asynchronously
const heading = await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: "Test Title" });
expect(heading).toBeInTheDocument();
});
// ---------- Accessibility ----------
it("has no accessibility violations", async () => {
const { container } = render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} />);
const results = await axe(container);
expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
});
it("has no accessibility violations in empty state", async () => {
const { container } = render(<ExampleComponent {...defaultProps} items={[]} />);
const results = await axe(container);
expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
});
});
/**
* Hook Test Template
*
* Patterns for testing custom React hooks with renderHook.
*/
import { renderHook, act, waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
import { useCounter } from "./useCounter";
import { useUsers } from "./useUsers";
// ---------- Simple Synchronous Hook ----------
describe("useCounter", () => {
it("starts with initial value", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useCounter(10));
expect(result.current.count).toBe(10);
});
it("increments the count", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useCounter(0));
act(() => {
result.current.increment();
});
expect(result.current.count).toBe(1);
});
it("decrements the count", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useCounter(5));
act(() => {
result.current.decrement();
});
expect(result.current.count).toBe(4);
});
it("resets to initial value", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useCounter(0));
act(() => {
result.current.increment();
result.current.increment();
result.current.reset();
});
expect(result.current.count).toBe(0);
});
});
// ---------- Hook with Changing Props ----------
describe("useDebounce", () => {
beforeEach(() => {
vi.useFakeTimers();
});
afterEach(() => {
vi.useRealTimers();
});
it("returns initial value immediately", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useDebounce("hello", 300));
expect(result.current).toBe("hello");
});
it("updates value after delay", () => {
const { result, rerender } = renderHook(
({ value }) => useDebounce(value, 300),
{ initialProps: { value: "hello" } },
);
// Change the value
rerender({ value: "world" });
// Not yet updated
expect(result.current).toBe("hello");
// Advance timers past the delay
act(() => {
vi.advanceTimersByTime(300);
});
// Now updated
expect(result.current).toBe("world");
});
});
// ---------- Async Hook with TanStack Query ----------
// Helper: create a fresh QueryClient wrapper for each test
function createTestWrapper() {
const queryClient = new QueryClient({
defaultOptions: {
queries: {
retry: false,
gcTime: 0,
},
},
});
return function Wrapper({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
return (
<QueryClientProvider client={queryClient}>
{children}
</QueryClientProvider>
);
};
}
describe("useUsers (TanStack Query hook)", () => {
it("starts in pending state", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useUsers(), {
wrapper: createTestWrapper(),
});
expect(result.current.isPending).toBe(true);
expect(result.current.data).toBeUndefined();
});
it("returns user data on success", async () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() => useUsers(), {
wrapper: createTestWrapper(),
});
await waitFor(() => {
expect(result.current.isSuccess).toBe(true);
});
expect(result.current.data).toHaveLength(2);
expect(result.current.data![0].displayName).toBe("Alice");
});
it("returns error on failure", async () => {
// Override MSW handler for this test
server.use(
http.get("/api/users", () => {
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: "Server error", code: "INTERNAL_ERROR" },
{ status: 500 },
);
}),
);
const { result } = renderHook(() => useUsers(), {
wrapper: createTestWrapper(),
});
await waitFor(() => {
expect(result.current.isError).toBe(true);
});
expect(result.current.error).toBeDefined();
});
});
// ---------- Hook with Side Effects ----------
describe("useLocalStorage", () => {
beforeEach(() => {
localStorage.clear();
});
it("returns initial value when no stored value exists", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() =>
useLocalStorage("theme", "light"),
);
expect(result.current[0]).toBe("light");
});
it("returns stored value when it exists", () => {
localStorage.setItem("theme", JSON.stringify("dark"));
const { result } = renderHook(() =>
useLocalStorage("theme", "light"),
);
expect(result.current[0]).toBe("dark");
});
it("updates localStorage when value changes", () => {
const { result } = renderHook(() =>
useLocalStorage("theme", "light"),
);
act(() => {
result.current[1]("dark");
});
expect(result.current[0]).toBe("dark");
expect(JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem("theme")!)).toBe("dark");
});
});
/**
* MSW Handler Examples
*
* Mock Service Worker handler patterns for common API operations.
* Import these in your test setup or override per-test.
*/
import { http, HttpResponse, delay } from "msw";
// ---------- CRUD Handlers ----------
// GET /api/users — List with pagination
const listUsers = http.get("/api/users", ({ request }) => {
const url = new URL(request.url);
const cursor = url.searchParams.get("cursor");
const limit = Number(url.searchParams.get("limit") || "20");
const allUsers = [
{ id: 1, displayName: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com", role: "admin" },
{ id: 2, displayName: "Bob", email: "bob@example.com", role: "member" },
{ id: 3, displayName: "Charlie", email: "charlie@example.com", role: "editor" },
];
const startIndex = cursor ? allUsers.findIndex((u) => u.id > Number(cursor)) : 0;
const items = allUsers.slice(startIndex, startIndex + limit);
const hasMore = startIndex + limit < allUsers.length;
return HttpResponse.json({
items,
next_cursor: hasMore ? String(items[items.length - 1].id) : null,
has_more: hasMore,
});
});
// GET /api/users/:id — Single user
const getUser = http.get("/api/users/:id", ({ params }) => {
const userId = Number(params.id);
const users: Record<number, object> = {
1: { id: 1, displayName: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com", role: "admin" },
2: { id: 2, displayName: "Bob", email: "bob@example.com", role: "member" },
};
const user = users[userId];
if (!user) {
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: `User ${userId} not found`, code: "NOT_FOUND" },
{ status: 404 },
);
}
return HttpResponse.json(user);
});
// POST /api/users — Create user
const createUser = http.post("/api/users", async ({ request }) => {
const body = (await request.json()) as Record<string, unknown>;
return HttpResponse.json(
{
id: 99,
...body,
created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
updated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
},
{ status: 201 },
);
});
// PATCH /api/users/:id — Update user
const updateUser = http.patch("/api/users/:id", async ({ params, request }) => {
const body = (await request.json()) as Record<string, unknown>;
return HttpResponse.json({
id: Number(params.id),
displayName: "Alice",
email: "alice@example.com",
...body,
updated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
});
});
// DELETE /api/users/:id — Delete user
const deleteUser = http.delete("/api/users/:id", () => {
return new HttpResponse(null, { status: 204 });
});
// ---------- Error Handlers ----------
// Simulate server error
const serverError = http.get("/api/users", () => {
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: "Internal server error", code: "INTERNAL_ERROR" },
{ status: 500 },
);
});
// Simulate validation error
const validationError = http.post("/api/users", () => {
return HttpResponse.json(
{
detail: "Validation failed",
code: "VALIDATION_ERROR",
field_errors: [
{ field: "email", message: "Invalid email format", code: "INVALID_FORMAT" },
],
},
{ status: 422 },
);
});
// Simulate network delay
const slowResponse = http.get("/api/users", async () => {
await delay(3000); // 3 second delay
return HttpResponse.json({ items: [], next_cursor: null, has_more: false });
});
// ---------- Auth Handlers ----------
const login = http.post("/api/auth/login", async ({ request }) => {
const body = (await request.json()) as { email: string; password: string };
if (body.email === "admin@test.com" && body.password === "password") {
return HttpResponse.json({
access_token: "mock-jwt-token",
token_type: "bearer",
});
}
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: "Invalid credentials", code: "UNAUTHORIZED" },
{ status: 401 },
);
});
const getCurrentUser = http.get("/api/auth/me", ({ request }) => {
const authHeader = request.headers.get("Authorization");
if (!authHeader?.startsWith("Bearer ")) {
return HttpResponse.json(
{ detail: "Not authenticated", code: "UNAUTHORIZED" },
{ status: 401 },
);
}
return HttpResponse.json({
id: 1,
displayName: "Test Admin",
email: "admin@test.com",
role: "admin",
});
});
// ---------- Export ----------
// Default handlers — use in setupServer
export const handlers = [
listUsers,
getUser,
createUser,
updateUser,
deleteUser,
login,
getCurrentUser,
];
// Error handlers — use with server.use() for specific tests
export const errorHandlers = {
serverError,
validationError,
slowResponse,
};