Presentations: A Guide to React Compiler Rendering

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500

I've spent years explaining the basics and nuances of React's rendering behavior. That post is by far the most widely read resource I've ever published, and it's helped thousands of React devs actually understand how React rendering actually works.

Now, we have the React Compiler, which promises to "automatically optimize your React apps". But how does it work? What is it doing to your components? and how does its behavior change our understanding of React's mental model?

This talk recaps the core fundamentals of React rendering, and then digs into the actual React Compiler rewritten component output to demystify how it works and how it optimizes React rendering performance. From there, we look at how this flips React's default rendering behavior upside down, and how that affects our own understanding of React.

React Miami 2026

A Guide to React Compiler Rendering: slides

Devoxx UK 2026

I gave an extended version of this talk with bonus material on React rendering:

Mark's Dev Blog

Presentations: A Guide to React Compiler Rendering

React Miami 2026

A Guide to React Compiler Rendering: slides

Devoxx UK 2026

A Guide to React Compiler Rendering (extended): slides