React Rendering & Performance Interview Questions 2026

📖 Introduction

This comprehensive guide focuses on React Rendering & Performance interview questions covering optimization techniques. Whether you're preparing for your first React.js interview or looking to refresh your knowledge, this resource provides detailed answers with code examples to help you succeed.

What you'll learn:

• Virtual DOM: Understanding React's rendering mechanism
• Memoization: Using React.memo, useMemo, and useCallback
• Code Splitting: Lazy loading and dynamic imports
• Performance Optimization: Identifying and fixing performance bottlenecks
• Reconciliation: How React updates the DOM efficiently
• Best Practices: Performance optimization patterns and techniques

Perfect for:

• Developers preparing for React.js interviews focusing on performance
• Frontend engineers looking to optimize React applications
• Teams conducting React technical assessments
• Anyone learning React and seeking comprehensive interview preparation

Keywords: React Rendering & Performance interview questions, React JS interview questions, React.js interview questions, interview questions on react js Key Features:

• 8+ React Rendering & Performance interview questions with detailed explanations
• Code examples for every concept
• Updated for 2026 with latest React features
• Covers all difficulty levels from beginner to advanced
• Practical answers you can use in real interviews

React Rendering & Performance

1. Can you explain what the Virtual DOM is and how React uses it?

   The Virtual DOM (VDOM) is a lightweight, in-memory representation of the real DOM in the browser. Instead of updating the actual DOM directly, which can be slow and costly, React first updates the Virtual DOM when a component's state or props change. React then compares the new Virtual DOM with the previous one using a process called diffing, identifies the minimum set of changes needed, and updates only those parts of the real DOM. This approach makes UI updates faster and more efficient by reducing unnecessary DOM manipulations.

   Key points:

   • Virtual DOM is a JavaScript object representing the real DOM.
   • React updates the VDOM first, not the real DOM.
   • Uses a diffing algorithm to detect changes efficiently.
   • Only the necessary parts of the real DOM are updated.
   • Improves performance and user experience in dynamic applications.

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2. What do you understand by reconciliation in React? Why is it important?

   Reconciliation in React is the process of comparing the new Virtual DOM with the previous one to determine what has changed. React then updates only the necessary parts of the real DOM, instead of re-rendering the entire UI. This approach improves performance, rendering speed, and efficiency, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience.

   Key points:

   • Reconciliation is React's process to update the DOM efficiently.
   • Compares new Virtual DOM with previous Virtual DOM using diffing.
   • Updates only the changed parts of the real DOM.
   • Improves performance, rendering speed, and efficiency.
   • Ensures a smooth and responsive UI.

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3. How does React.memo help improve performance?

   React.memo is a higher-order component that prevents unnecessary re-renders of functional components. It re-renders a component only if its props have changed, which helps improve performance in components that render frequently or are part of large lists.

   Example: If you have a large list of items and only one item changes, React.memo ensures that the other list items do not re-render, saving processing time and improving UI performance.

   const ExpensiveComponent = React.memo(function ({ value }) {
     console.log("Rendering ExpensiveComponent")
     return <div>{value}</div>
   })
   

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4. If I ask you to optimize a slow React application, what techniques would you use?

   To improve performance in a slow React application, you can use several optimization techniques:

   • Use React.memo, useMemo, and useCallback to avoid unnecessary re-renders.
   • Split code using React.lazy and Suspense for on-demand component loading.
   • Optimize large lists with react-window or react-virtualized.
   • Avoid anonymous functions in render; use useCallback instead.
   • Keep state localized as much as possible instead of placing everything in global state.
   • Use proper key props when rendering lists.
   • For server data, use libraries like React Query or SWR with caching to reduce unnecessary refetching.

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5. What do you mean by code splitting and lazy loading in React?

   Code splitting and lazy loading are techniques used to improve performance by reducing the initial load time of a React application.

   • Code Splitting: Breaks the app's bundle into smaller chunks so the browser loads only what's necessary.
   • Lazy Loading: Loads components only when they are needed, instead of loading everything upfront.

   In React, this is often implemented with React.lazy and <Suspense>:

   const MyComponent = React.lazy(() => import("./MyComponent"))
   
   function App() {
     return (
       <Suspense fallback={<div>Loading...</div>}>
         <MyComponent />
       </Suspense>
     )
   }
   

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6. What is the difference between React.PureComponent and React.Component?

   Both Component and PureComponent are used to create class components, but they handle re-rendering differently:

   • React.Component: Always re-renders when setState is called, regardless of whether the state or props have changed.
   • React.PureComponent: Implements a shallow comparison of props and state; it only re-renders if something has actually changed.

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7. How does React handle re-rendering when state or props change?

   Components automatically re-render when their state or props change, but React optimizes this process using the virtual DOM:

   • When state or props change, React creates a new Virtual DOM for the component.
   • It compares the new Virtual DOM with the previous one (diffing algorithm) to detect changes.
   • Only the necessary parts of the real DOM are updated.
   • This approach improves performance by avoiding full DOM updates and ensures the UI stays in sync with the data.

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8. How do useMemo and useCallback help improve performance in React?

   In React, re-renders can be expensive if functions or computed values are recreated unnecessarily. useMemo and useCallback help optimize rendering by caching values and functions:

   • useMemo: Memoizes the result of a computation so that it is recalculated only when its dependencies change.
   • useCallback: Memoizes a function so that it is not recreated on every render, preventing unnecessary re-renders in child components.
   • Both hooks help avoid expensive recalculations and unnecessary re-renders, improving performance in large or complex components.

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📚 Related React Interview Questions

Continue your React JS interview questions preparation with these related topics: