Convex with TanStack Start

Using React Query hooks for data from Convex

TanStack Start apps can use React Query (TanStack Query for React) hooks to take advantage of React Query's excellent Start integration. Convex queries are exposed through query options factories like convexQuery().

Instead of React Query's standard interval and activity-based polling and manual invalidation, updates are streamed down WebSocket to update the Query Cache directly for live, always-up-to-date results.

Open this page in another tab or on your phone and send a message or to see these updates pushed live.

7
User 71612/27/25, 4:06 PM

hey Jamie; how was your weekend?

8
User 84412/27/25, 4:06 PM

hello Jamie, how's the weather in SF?

5
User 52312/27/25, 4:06 PM

hello James, what's your favorite ice cream place?

9
User 9612/27/25, 4:06 PM

hello James- how was your weekend?

1
User 15912/27/25, 4:06 PM

hi Jamie! how was your weekend?

7
User 77812/27/25, 4:06 PM

Hi Jamie- I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

3
User 32012/27/25, 4:06 PM

Hi James; what's your favorite ice cream place?

2
User 26912/27/25, 4:06 PM

hello James- Could you let the customer know we've fixed their issue?

3
User 34612/27/25, 4:06 PM

hi Jamie- what's your favorite ice cream place?

9
User 93112/27/25, 4:06 PM

hi James, I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

9
User 96312/27/25, 4:05 PM

hi Emma; I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

1
User 13512/27/25, 4:05 PM

hi James- how's the weather in SF?

8
User 81812/27/25, 4:05 PM

hey James; I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

8
User 89812/27/25, 4:05 PM

Hi James- I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

9
User 98012/27/25, 4:05 PM

hello Jamie! Could you let the customer know we've fixed their issue?

1
User 11012/27/25, 4:05 PM

Hi Emma, what's your favorite ice cream place?

1
User 11112/27/25, 4:05 PM

hello James- how was your weekend?

5
User 58712/27/25, 4:05 PM

Hi James; I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

4
User 4312/27/25, 4:05 PM

hello Jamie, what's your favorite ice cream place?

7
User 70812/27/25, 4:05 PM

hello Jamie- I'll be late to make the meeting tomorrow morning

1import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
2import { convexQuery } from "@convex-dev/react-query";
3import { api } from "../convex/_generated/api";
4

5const messagesQuery = convexQuery(
6  api.messages.listMessages,
7  { channel: "chatty" }
8)
9

10// inside a React component
11const { data, isPending } = useQuery(messagesQuery);
12

13// in an event handler, useEffect, or loader
14queryClient.prefetchQuery(messagesQuery);
15

16// adding more query options to convexQuery()
17const { data } = useQuery({
18  ...convexQuery(api.messages.listMessages, {}),
19  initialData: [],
20  gcTime: 10000,
21});

Already used Convex React hooks?

If you've used Convex React hooks React Query hooks are going to familiar. Instead of returning the data directly, this useQuery() returns an object with a .data property along with other metadata. The hook accepts a single object, which you'll mostly populate with the return value of the convexQuery() hook.

The same React Query hooks can be used for fetch endpoints and Convex actions for standard interval or activity-based polling while Convex queries benefit from the live update behavior.

What does this give you? It's not just the often-asked-for isLoading and error properties or simple interop with other server endpoints or introspection from the TanStack Query devtools. It's React Query's Router integration with the TanStack Start providing things like server-side rendering and live updating queries in a single hook.

Learn More

TanStack Query (AKA React Query) docs

Using TanStack Query with Convex

The @convex-dev/react-query library links the TanStack Query Client with the Convex client