24th March, 2025•📖 6 min read

Stop Using Redux for Request-Response Management – It’s Making Your Life Harder

Israel MichaelIsrael Michael
female react developer

Let’s get straight to the point: if you’re still using Redux to handle API requests and responses, stop. Right now. I know, I know—Redux has been the industry darling for years, the default state management solution for React apps. But here’s the hard truth: Redux was never meant to manage server state.

Yet, so many developers are out here struggling, writing mountains of boilerplate, manually handling caching, and fighting race conditions—all because someone once told them Redux is the “best practice.” It’s not.

If you’ve ever felt like managing API calls in Redux is a battle you have to fight every day, guess what? You’re not crazy. It actually is that hard. And the worst part? It doesn’t have to be. There’s a better way, and it’s called React Query.

Redux Is the Wrong Tool for the Job

Using Redux for request-response management is like using a screwdriver to hammer in a nail. It technically works, but it’s painfully inefficient, and you’ll probably hurt yourself in the process.

Here’s why Redux struggles with server state:

1. Too Much Boilerplate – And You Know It

Let’s be honest. If you’re managing API requests in Redux, you’re doing way too much work:

  • You create action types for every request state: FETCH_USERS_REQUEST, FETCH_USERS_SUCCESS, FETCH_USERS_FAILURE—and that’s just for one API call!
  • You write action creators to dispatch those types.
  • You set up reducers to handle the new state.
  • You use middleware like redux-thunk or redux-saga to handle async logic.
  • You manually handle loading, caching, and error states in your UI.

All of this just to make an API call and store the response.

Why? Seriously, why? This isn’t just “doing things the hard way.” It’s self-sabotage.

2. Redux Is Bad at Synchronizing Server State

Server state isn’t like client state. It’s dynamic, ever-changing, and needs to be kept fresh. Redux doesn’t know when data is stale. It doesn’t fetch new data unless you tell it to.

This means you end up writing even more code to:
✅ Manually refresh stale data.
✅ Handle pagination and infinite scrolling.
✅ Refetch when a user revisits a page.
✅ Prevent unnecessary API calls.

And if you forget to handle one of these? Boom—stale or duplicate data in your app.

3. Not Everything Needs to Be in Global State

One of the biggest mistakes developers make is treating API responses as global state.

Think about it: does a list of users fetched from an API really need to be globally accessible at all times? Probably not. Yet Redux forces you to treat it that way, adding complexity and unnecessary state management overhead.

By shoving API data into Redux, you end up:
❌ Making debugging harder.
❌ Cluttering your Redux store with temporary data.
❌ Increasing the risk of out-of-sync state.

Not everything belongs in Redux. And API data? That’s at the top of the list.

React Query: The Tool You Should Be Using Instead

Now, let’s talk about the solution: React Query.

Unlike Redux, React Query was built specifically for managing server state. That means it does all the hard work for you.

1. Zero Boilerplate, Maximum Power

Let’s rewrite that Redux API call, but this time with React Query:

import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import axios from 'axios';

const fetchUsers = async () => {
  const { data } = await axios.get('/api/users');
  return data;
};

const Users = () => {
  const { data, isPending, error } = useQuery({
    queryKey: ['users'],
    queryFn: fetchUsers,
  });

  if (isPending) return <p>Loading...</p>;
  if (error) return <p>Error: {error.message}</p>;

  return (
    <ul>
      {data.map(user => (
        <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
};

No actions. No reducers. No middleware. Just a single hook.

Why write 100 lines of Redux code when you can do it in 10?

2. Built-in Caching and Background Fetching

React Query automatically caches API responses and refetches when:
✅ The user revisits the page.
✅ The browser regains focus.
✅ Data becomes stale.

No manual refreshing. No unnecessary API calls. Just fresh data, always.

3. Automatic Server State Synchronization

With React Query, your data stays in sync with the server without you lifting a finger.

  • Need to refetch when a mutation happens? It’s automatic.
  • Need pagination or infinite scrolling? It’s built-in.
  • Need to handle errors and retries? Already done.

Everything Redux struggles with? React Query does effortlessly.

4. Optimistic Updates and Mutations Without the Hassle

Ever tried handling optimistic updates in Redux? It’s a nightmare.

With React Query, it’s just this:

import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from '@tanstack/react-query';
import axios from 'axios';

const updateUser = async (user) => {
  const { data } = await axios.put(`/api/users/${user.id}`, user);
  return data;
};

const UserUpdateForm = ({ user }) => {
  const queryClient = useQueryClient();

  const mutation = useMutation({
    mutationFn: updateUser,
    onSuccess: () => {
      queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: ['users'] }); // Refresh data
    },
  });

  return (
    <button onClick={() => mutation.mutate({ id: user.id, name: 'New Name' })}>
      Update Name
    </button>
  );
};

That’s it. No need to manually update state or write reducers. It just works.

So, Should You Ever Use Redux?

I’m not saying Redux is useless. It’s still great for client state—things like:
✅ UI state (modals, dropdowns, themes).
✅ Authentication state.
✅ Complex global app state.

But for request-response management? Absolutely not.

There is no logical reason—none—to still be using Redux for API calls when React Query exists.

It’s Time to Move On

If you take one thing from this article, let it be this:

Redux is not for server state. Stop using it for API requests. Switch to React Query. Today.

React Query:
✅ Less code
✅ Better performance
✅ Automatic caching and synchronization
✅ Smarter updates

Redux for server state? Outdated, inefficient, and unnecessary.

If you’re still using Redux for API requests, ask yourself: why? Then do yourself a favor—rip out the boilerplate and embrace React Query.

Your future self will thank you.