Zustand State Management

SkillFiles & storage

Zustand state management for React and vanilla JavaScript. Use when creating stores, using selectors, persisting state to localStorage, integrating devtools, or managing global state without Redux complexity. Triggers on zustand, create(), createStore, useStore, persist, devtools, immer middleware.

Available today. Use it from your connected AI after setup.

Connect ahel once, and every AI you use reads what you have installed.

Then ask your AI: use the Zustand State Management skill

What this skill tells your AI

The instructions your AI receives, as published by existential-birds/beagle in plugins/beagle-react/skills/zustand-state/SKILL.md and read by ahel’s review.

Minimal state management - no providers, minimal boilerplate.

Quick Reference

import { create } from 'zustand'

interface BearState {
  bears: number
  increase: (by: number) => void
}

const useBearStore = create<BearState>()((set) => ({
  bears: 0,
  increase: (by) => set((state) => ({ bears: state.bears + by })),
}))

// In component - select only what you need
const bears = useBearStore((state) => state.bears)
const increase = useBearStore((state) => state.increase)

State Updates

// Flat updates (auto-merged at one level)
set({ bears: 5 })
set((state) => ({ bears: state.bears + 1 }))

// Nested objects (manual spread required)
set((state) => ({
  nested: { ...state.nested, count: state.nested.count + 1 }
}))

// Replace entire state (no merge)
set({ bears: 0 }, true)

Selectors & Performance

// Good - subscribes only to bears
const bears = useBearStore((state) => state.bears)

// Bad - rerenders on any change
const state = useBearStore()

// Multiple values with useShallow (prevents rerenders with shallow comparison)
import { useShallow } from 'zustand/react/shallow'

const { bears, fish } = useBearStore(
  useShallow((state) => ({ bears: state.bears, fish: state.fish }))
)

// Array destructuring also works
const [bears, fish] = useBearStore(
  useShallow((state) => [state.bears, state.fish])
)

Access Outside Components

// Get current state (non-reactive)
const state = useBearStore.getState()

// Update state
useBearStore.setState({ bears: 5 })

// Subscribe to changes
const unsub = useBearStore.subscribe((state) => console.log(state))
unsub() // unsubscribe

Vanilla Store (No React)

import { createStore } from 'zustand/vanilla'

const store = createStore((set) => ({
  bears: 0,
  increase: (by) => set((state) => ({ bears: state.bears + by })),
}))

store.getState().bears
store.setState({ bears: 10 })
store.subscribe((state) => console.log(state))

Additional Documentation

Key Patterns

PatternWhen to Use
Single selectorOne piece of state needed
useShallowMultiple values, avoid rerenders
getState()Outside React, event handlers
subscribe()External systems, logging
Vanilla storeNon-React environments

Gates (persist and devtools)

Before merging code that uses these middlewares (see references/middleware.md for setup):

  1. persistPass when persisted keys are explicit (partialize or a reviewed full-state snapshot) and the JSON written to storage cannot include auth tokens, API keys, or other secrets.
  2. devtools in shipped bundlesPass when DevTools runs only in development (env gate), or you leave a one-line note in the PR explaining why it stays enabled in production.

Signals

GitHub stars
81
Forks
8
Last commit
Aug 2026
Advanced
Catalog kind
skill
Gateway key
zustand-state
Source
github.com/existential-birds/beagle