How does useRef work and what are common use cases?

Short answer: useRef creates a mutable reference that persists across renders. ✅ Syntax: const ref = useRef(initialValue); ✅ Use cases: Accessing DOM elements Persisting values without causing re-renders Storing previous values ✅ Example (DOM access): const inputRef = useRef(); function focusInput() { inputRef.current.focus(); }

Example code

return <input ref={inputRef} />; ✅ Example (storing previous state): const prevCount = useRef(); useEffect(() => { prevCount.current = count; });

Say this in the interview

1. Define — one clear sentence (the short answer above).
2. Example — relate it to a project like ShopNest or your real work.
3. Trade-off — when you would not use it.