Zustand State Management

Your Role

You are an expert in Zustand state management with TypeScript in Next.js projects. You understand Zustand's lightweight approach to state management, TypeScript integration patterns, middleware composition, and Next.js-specific considerations for Server and Client Components.

Overview

Zustand is a lightweight state management library for React that avoids reducers, context, and boilerplate. It provides a simple API based on hooks, making it ideal for managing global and local state in Next.js applications.

When to use Zustand:

• Global UI state (modals, sidebars, theme preferences)
• Shared application state across multiple components
• Complex state logic that doesn't belong in individual components
• State that needs to persist across navigation

When to use React state instead:

• Simple local component state
• Form state confined to a single component
• State that doesn't need to be shared

Quick Start

Create a type-safe store with TypeScript:

"use client";

import { create } from "zustand";

type BearState = {
  bears: number;
  increase: (by: number) => void;
};

const useBearStore = create<BearState>()((set) => ({
  bears: 0,
  increase: (by) => set((state) => ({ bears: state.bears + by }))
}));

Use in components:

function BearCounter() {
  const bears = useBearStore((state) => state.bears)
  return <h1>{bears} bears</h1>
}

function Controls() {
  const increase = useBearStore((state) => state.increase)
  return <button onClick={() => increase(1)}>Add bear</button>
}

Project Integration

Store Location

Place stores based on scope:

Shared across all apps (monorepo):

packages/shared/stores/
└── theme.ts

App-specific stores:

apps/web/stores/
└── user.ts

Single project:

src/stores/
└── user.ts

Client Component Requirement

Zustand hooks must be used in Client Components. Add "use client" directive:

"use client"

import { useUserStore } from "@/stores/user"

export function UserButton() {
  const name = useUserStore((state) => state.name)
  return <button>{name}</button>
}

Server Components

Do not use Zustand in Server Components. For server-side state:

• Use async/await to fetch data directly
• Pass data via props to Client Components
• Use URL search params for shareable state

Core Concepts

Store Creation with TypeScript

Always use explicit type annotation with the double-call pattern create<T>()((set) => ...). TypeScript cannot infer the type automatically because the state generic is invariant.

TypeScript Convention: Use type

Define state using type (not interface) per project conventions:

DO:

type UserState = {
  user: User | null;
  login: (user: User) => void;
  logout: () => void;
};

DON'T:

interface UserState {
  user: User | null;
  login: (user: User) => void;
  logout: () => void;
}

Exception: Module augmentation requires interface:

declare module "zustand" {
  interface StoreMutators {
    // Must use interface for module augmentation with Zustand
  }
}

Selectors

Select only what you need to minimize re-renders. Use useShallow when selecting multiple values to prevent unnecessary re-renders when objects are shallowly equal.

See ./references/BEGINNER_TYPESCRIPT.md for detailed selector patterns and useShallow usage.

State Updates

Zustand supports partial updates set({ key: value }), functional updates set((state) => ({ ... })), and full replacement set(state, true).

Common Patterns

Zustand excels at:

• Global UI state - Modals, sidebars, theme preferences
• Async actions - API calls with loading/error states
• Store reset - Return to initial state
• Multiple stores - Domain-specific state separation

See ./references/BEGINNER_TYPESCRIPT.md for complete pattern implementations with code examples.

Middleware

Zustand provides middleware for enhanced functionality:

• combine - Automatic type inference by separating state and actions
• devtools - Redux DevTools integration for debugging
• persist - localStorage/sessionStorage persistence

Middleware can be stacked together. Place devtools as the outermost middleware for best type inference.

See ./references/BEGINNER_TYPESCRIPT.md for detailed middleware usage, configuration options, and composition patterns.

Best Practices

DO

• Use explicit type annotation: create<State>()((set) => ...)
• Select only what you need: useStore((state) => state.value)
• Use useShallow for multiple values
• Keep stores focused on specific domains
• Use combine for automatic type inference
• Add "use client" directive in Client Components

DON'T

• Don't use Zustand in Server Components
• Don't select entire state: const state = useStore()
• Don't use interface for state types (use type instead)
• Don't mutate state directly (use immutable updates)
• Don't forget the double-call pattern: create<T>()()

Testing

For testing Zustand stores, consult ./references/TESTING.md for complete Vitest setup, automatic state reset configuration, and testing patterns.

React 19 Compatibility

Zustand is fully compatible with React 19. No special configuration needed for Next.js 15+ / React 19 setups.

Additional Resources

For detailed implementations and advanced patterns, consult the reference files:

./references/BEGINNER_TYPESCRIPT.md

• Complete pattern implementations with code examples
• Middleware configuration (combine, devtools, persist)
• Type extraction, selectors, async operations
• Multiple stores organization

./references/ADVANCED_TYPESCRIPT.md

• Type inference mechanics and why create<T>()() is required
• Slices pattern for large stores
• Custom middleware authoring
• Vanilla stores (non-React usage)
• Store mutators and advanced TypeScript patterns

./references/TESTING.md

• Testing Zustand stores with Vitest
• Automatic state reset setup
• Component and store testing patterns
• Best practices and troubleshooting

Quick Reference

Create store:

const useStore = create<State>()((set) => ({ ... }))

Use in component:

"use client";
const value = useStore((state) => state.value);

Update state:

set({ key: value })                    // Partial
set((state) => ({ ... }))              // Functional
set({ key: value }, true)              // Replace

Multiple values:

useShallow((state) => ({ a: state.a, b: state.b }));

With middleware:

create<State>()(devtools(persist((set) => ({ ... }))))