Introduction — what react-loader-spinner gives you (and what it doesn’t)

react-loader-spinner is a lightweight React component library that provides a set of ready-made SVG/CSS spinners you can drop into a component to indicate loading states. It’s an easy path when you don’t want to design a loader from scratch or import huge UI bundles.

It’s not a magic performance booster — a spinner itself does not speed up network calls — but it does improve perceived performance by giving the user immediate feedback. Use it to communicate that work is happening, not to hide slow code.

Below you’ll find pragmatic, copy-pasteable examples: installation, basic use, integration with async operations and hooks, customization options (size, color), SSR notes, and a brief troubleshooting section.

Installation & getting started

Install the package with npm or yarn. Typical commands:

npm install react-loader-spinner
# or
yarn add react-loader-spinner

Then import the spinner you want. The package exposes named components such as TailSpin, Oval, and many others. Example:

import { TailSpin } from 'react-loader-spinner';

function Loading() {
  return <TailSpin height={50} width={50} color="#0b3d91" />;
}

Useful links (backlinks): official package page on npm and source repository are invaluable for API details:
react-loader-spinner npm,
react-loader-spinner GitHub,
and a helpful tutorial reference: dev.to tutorial.

Basic usage and an async example with hooks

Here’s a minimal functional-component example that shows a spinner while fetching data. This demonstrates common hooks usage (useState/useEffect) and how to conditionally render the loader.

import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { Oval } from 'react-loader-spinner';

function UserList() {
  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
  const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    fetch('/api/users')
      .then(res => res.json())
      .then(data => setUsers(data))
      .catch(() => {/* handle error */})
      .finally(() => setLoading(false));
  }, []);

  if (loading) {
    return <div aria-busy="true">
      <Oval height={60} width={60} color="#0b3d91" />
      <span className="muted">Loading users…</span>
    </div>
  }

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

Notes: use aria-busy or role attributes for accessibility. Conditionally render the spinner only while loading to keep DOM minimal. For better UX, consider skeletons for content-heavy UIs.

Customization: props, CSS wrappers and spinner types

Most components accept straightforward props such as height, width, color, and sometimes ariaLabel. Pass these props to change size and color. For example <TailSpin height={40} width={40} color="#e11d48" />.

Available spinner types depend on the library version. Common names include TailSpin, Oval, Puff, Bars, Grid, Circles, Rings, and ThreeDots. To present them for review you can map and render demos dynamically in a local playground.

If you need layout control, wrap the spinner in a flexbox container or absolute overlay. Example quick CSS (inline or module):

.spinnerOverlay{
  position:relative;
  min-height:120px;
}
.spinnerOverlay .center{
  position:absolute;
  top:50%;left:50%;
  transform:translate(-50%,-50%);
}

Small list: the most useful props (depends on version):

• height, width — control pixel dimensions
• color — hex/rgba color for the spinner
• ariaLabel — accessibility label

SSR considerations & best practices for React async loading

react-loader-spinner renders SVG / DOM nodes — that means if you render them on the server you’ll include the spinner markup in the initial HTML. That’s usually harmless, but if you conditionally show spinner based on client-side state you might get hydration mismatches. To avoid issues, only render the spinner on the client or use the same initial HTML across server and client.

Strategies:

• Prefer CSS-only loaders for SSR-heavy apps (no React-only markup).
• Wrap spinner rendering in a check that runs only on client (e.g., useEffect-set flag or process.browser check).
• Use Suspense + lazy for code-splitting, but note that server-side Suspense behaviour depends on your React version and SSR strategy.

In short: for universal apps, test hydration and opt for client-only spinner mounts when necessary.

Performance & accessibility tips (short)

Performance: spinners are cheap, but overusing animations can affect battery and CPU on low-end devices. Keep default sizes small and avoid multiple simultaneous heavy SVGs.

Accessibility: always provide ARIA attributes when appropriate (aria-busy, aria-label, or invisible text). Provide fallback content or user-friendly messages when loading fails.

Troubleshooting common issues

Hydration mismatch: ensure server and client markup match, or only render spinner client-side.

Spinner not showing: confirm correct import name and that props are valid for your library version. Check console for runtime errors.

Colors don’t change: some spinner variants use gradients or CSS; verify the prop is supported or wrap the spinner with CSS to override SVG styles.

When not to use react-loader-spinner

If you need highly customized animated loaders or animated skeletons for content-heavy page loads, consider CSS/SVG custom solutions or a UI framework that includes skeleton components. react-loader-spinner is for quick, consistent, ready-made loaders.

If you aim for minimal DOM at initial load in SSR-first apps, a pure CSS spinner may be more appropriate.

Otherwise, for client-side rendered apps and admin dashboards, it’s a solid trade-off between speed and customizability.