Tanstack Virtual

Overview

TanStack Virtual provides virtualization logic for rendering only visible items in large lists, grids, and tables. It calculates which items are in the viewport and positions them with absolute positioning, keeping DOM node count minimal regardless of dataset size.

Package: @tanstack/react-virtual Core: @tanstack/virtual-core (framework-agnostic)

Installation

npm install @tanstack/react-virtual

Core Pattern

import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual'

function VirtualList() {
  const parentRef = useRef(null)

  const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
    count: 10000,
    getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
    estimateSize: () => 35, // estimated row height in px
    overscan: 5,
  })

  return (
    
      
        {virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualItem) => (
          
            Row {virtualItem.index}
          
        ))}
      
    
  )
}

Virtualizer Options

Required

| Option | Type | Description | |--------|------|-------------| | count | number | Total number of items | | getScrollElement | () => Element \| null | Returns scroll container | | estimateSize | (index) => number | Estimated item size (overestimate recommended) |

Optional

| Option | Type | Default | Description | |--------|------|---------|-------------| | overscan | number | 1 | Extra items rendered beyond viewport | | horizontal | boolean | false | Horizontal virtualization | | gap | number | 0 | Gap between items (px) | | lanes | number | 1 | Number of lanes (masonry/grid) | | paddingStart | number | 0 | Padding before first item | | paddingEnd | number | 0 | Padding after last item | | scrollPaddingStart | number | 0 | Offset for scrollTo positioning | | scrollPaddingEnd | number | 0 | Offset for scrollTo positioning | | initialOffset | number | 0 | Starting scroll position | | initialRect | Rect | - | Initial dimensions (SSR) | | enabled | boolean | true | Enable/disable | | getItemKey | (index) => Key | (i) => i | Stable key for items | | rangeExtractor | (range) => number[] | default | Custom visible indices | | scrollToFn | (offset, options, instance) => void | default | Custom scroll behavior | | measureElement | (el, entry, instance) => number | default | Custom measurement | | onChange | (instance, sync) => void | - | State change callback | | isScrollingResetDelay | number | 150 | Delay before scroll complete |

Virtualizer API

// Get visible items
virtualizer.getVirtualItems(): VirtualItem[]

// Get total scrollable size
virtualizer.getTotalSize(): number

// Scroll to specific index
virtualizer.scrollToIndex(index, { align: 'start' | 'center' | 'end' | 'auto', behavior: 'auto' | 'smooth' })

// Scroll to offset
virtualizer.scrollToOffset(offset, options)

// Force recalculation
virtualizer.measure()

VirtualItem Properties

interface VirtualItem {
  key: Key           // Unique key
  index: number      // Index in source data
  start: number      // Pixel offset (use for transform)
  end: number        // End pixel offset
  size: number       // Item dimension
  lane: number       // Lane index (multi-column)
}

Dynamic/Variable Heights

Use measureElement ref for items with unknown heights:

const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
  count: items.length,
  getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
  estimateSize: () => 50, // overestimate
})

{virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualItem) => (
  
    {items[virtualItem.index].content}
  
))}

Horizontal Virtualization

const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
  count: columns.length,
  getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
  estimateSize: () => 100,
  horizontal: true,
})

// Use width for container, translateX for positioning

  {virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((item) => (
    
      Column {item.index}
    
  ))}

Grid Virtualization (Two Virtualizers)

function VirtualGrid() {
  const parentRef = useRef(null)

  const rowVirtualizer = useVirtualizer({
    count: 10000,
    getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
    estimateSize: () => 35,
    overscan: 5,
  })

  const columnVirtualizer = useVirtualizer({
    count: 10000,
    getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
    estimateSize: () => 100,
    horizontal: true,
    overscan: 5,
  })

  return (
    
      
        {rowVirtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualRow) => (
          
            {columnVirtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((virtualColumn) => (
              
                Cell {virtualRow.index},{virtualColumn.index}
              
            ))}
          
        ))}
      
    
  )
}

Window Scrolling

import { useWindowVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual'

function WindowList() {
  const listRef = useRef(null)

  const virtualizer = useWindowVirtualizer({
    count: 10000,
    estimateSize: () => 45,
    overscan: 5,
    scrollMargin: listRef.current?.offsetTop ?? 0,
  })

  return (
    
      
        {virtualizer.getVirtualItems().map((item) => (
          
            Row {item.index}
          
        ))}
      
    
  )
}

Infinite Scrolling

import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual'
import { useInfiniteQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query'

function InfiniteList() {
  const { data, fetchNextPage, hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage } = useInfiniteQuery({
    queryKey: ['items'],
    queryFn: ({ pageParam = 0 }) => fetchItems(pageParam),
    getNextPageParam: (lastPage) => lastPage.nextCursor,
  })

  const allItems = data?.pages.flatMap((page) => page.items) ?? []

  const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
    count: hasNextPage ? allItems.length + 1 : allItems.length,
    getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
    estimateSize: () => 50,
    overscan: 5,
  })

  useEffect(() => {
    const items = virtualizer.getVirtualItems()
    const lastItem = items[items.length - 1]
    if (lastItem && lastItem.index >= allItems.length - 1 && hasNextPage && !isFetchingNextPage) {
      fetchNextPage()
    }
  }, [virtualizer.getVirtualItems(), hasNextPage, isFetchingNextPage, allItems.length])

  // Render virtual items, show loader row for last item if loading
}

Sticky Items

import { defaultRangeExtractor, Range } from '@tanstack/react-virtual'

const stickyIndexes = [0, 10, 20, 30] // Header indices

const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
  count: 1000,
  getScrollElement: () => parentRef.current,
  estimateSize: () => 50,
  rangeExtractor: useCallback((range: Range) => {
    const next = new Set([...stickyIndexes, ...defaultRangeExtractor(range)])
    return [...next].sort((a, b) => a - b)
  }, [stickyIndexes]),
})

// Render sticky items with position: sticky; top: 0; zIndex: 1

Smooth Scrolling

const virtualizer = useVirtualizer({
  scrollToFn: (offset, { behavior }, instance) => {
    if (behavior === 'smooth') {
      // Custom easing animation
      instance.scrollElement?.scrollTo({ top: offset, behavior: 'smooth' })
    } else {
      instance.scrollElement?.scrollTo({ top: offset })
    }
  },
})

// Usage
virtualizer.scrollToIndex(500, { align: 'center', behavior: 'smooth' })

Best Practices

1. Overestimate estimateSize - prevents scroll jumps (items shrinking causes issues)
2. Increase overscan (3-5) to reduce blank flashing during fast scrolling
3. Use transform: translateY() over top for GPU-composited positioning
4. Add data-index attribute when using measureElement for dynamic sizing
5. Don't set fixed height on dynamically measured items
6. Use getItemKey for stable keys when items can reorder
7. Use gap option instead of margins (margins interfere with measurement)
8. Use paddingStart/End instead of CSS padding on the container
9. Use enabled: false to pause when the list is hidden
10. Memoize callbacks (estimateSize, getItemKey, rangeExtractor)
11. Use will-change: transform CSS on items for GPU acceleration

Common Pitfalls

• Setting fixed height on dynamically measured items
• Using CSS margins instead of the gap option
• Forgetting data-index with measureElement
• Not providing position: relative on the inner container
• Underestimating estimateSize (causes scroll jumps)
• Setting overscan too low for fast scrolling (blank items)
• Forgetting to subtract scrollMargin from translateY in window scrolling
• Not memoizing the estimateSize function (causes re-renders)

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: tanstack-skills
• Source: tanstack-skills/tanstack-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.