react-router-declarative-mode

React Router Declarative Mode

Declarative mode is React Router's simplest mode using <BrowserRouter>, <Routes>, and <Route> for basic client-side routing without data loading features like loaders or actions.

When to Apply

• Using <BrowserRouter> for routing
• Configuring routes with <Routes> and <Route>
• Navigating with <Link>, <NavLink>, or useNavigate
• Reading URL params with useParams
• Working with search params using useSearchParams
• Accessing location with useLocation

References

Load the relevant reference for detailed guidance on the specific API/concept:

Reference	Use When
references/routing.md	Configuring routes, nested routes, dynamic params
references/navigation.md	Links, NavLink active states, programmatic nav
references/url-values.md	Reading params, search params, location

Critical Patterns

These are the most important patterns to follow. Load the relevant reference for full details.

Basic Route Setup

Configure routes with JSX using <Routes> and <Route>:

import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route } from "react-router";

function App() {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <Routes>
        <Route path="/" element={<Home />} />
        <Route path="about" element={<About />} />
        <Route path="dashboard" element={<Dashboard />}>
          <Route index element={<DashboardHome />} />
          <Route path="settings" element={<Settings />} />
        </Route>
        <Route path="users/:userId" element={<User />} />
      </Routes>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
}

NavLink Active States

Use NavLink for navigation with active styling:

import { NavLink } from "react-router";

function Nav() {
  return (
    <nav>
      <NavLink
        to="/"
        end
        className={({ isActive }) => (isActive ? "active" : "")}
      >
        Home
      </NavLink>
      <NavLink
        to="/dashboard"
        className={({ isActive }) => (isActive ? "active" : "")}
      >
        Dashboard
      </NavLink>
    </nav>
  );
}