WordPress powers over 40% of the websites on the internet. React powers some of the most modern, interactive user interfaces.
So what happens when you combine them?
You get a powerful stack :
✅ The flexibility and ease of content management from WordPress
✅ The dynamic, responsive UI capabilities from React
This guide will walk you through how to integrate React with WordPress , why it’s beneficial, and provide real-world examples so you can start building better user experiences today.
🎯 Why Integrate React with WordPress?
While WordPress is excellent for managing content, its default themes are often built using PHP templates that render server-side. This makes them fast for SEO but not ideal for interactivity or rich UI components.
React, on the other hand, excels at creating fast, component-driven, single-page applications (SPAs). By combining both technologies, you can:
- Keep your client happy with easy-to-use WordPress dashboards
- Deliver a smooth, app-like experience using React
- Improve performance and maintainability
- Future-proof your frontend architecture
🧩 Integration Approaches
There are three primary ways to integrate React with WordPress:
✅ 1. Embed React Components Inside Classic/Block Themes (Isolated Mode)
Ideal for adding small interactive elements like forms, sliders, or filters.
✅ 2. Build a Headless WordPress Frontend with React
Use WordPress as a backend CMS and build your entire frontend in React (with tools like Gatsby or Next.js).
✅ 3. Hybrid SSR + Client-Side Rendering (CSR)
Render React components server-side using tools like Vite + WordPress, then hydrate them on the client.
Let’s dive into each approach with practical code examples.
🔨 Approach 1: Embedding React Components in WordPress Themes
This method allows you to add React-powered UI elements directly inside WordPress pages or posts.
📁 Step-by-Step Example
1. Create a Basic React Component
Create a new file MyReactComponent.jsx inside your theme directory:
// wp-content/themes/your-theme/assets/react/MyReactComponent.jsx
import React from 'react';
import ReactDOM from 'react-dom';
const MyReactComponent = () => {
const [count, setCount] = React.useState(0);
return (
<div>
<h3>React Counter</h3>
<p>You clicked {count} times</p>
<button onClick={() => setCount(count + 1)}>Click Me</button>
</div>
);
};
export default MyReactComponent;
// Mount to DOM
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
const container = document.getElementById('react-component-root');
if (container) {
ReactDOM.render(<MyReactComponent />, container);
}
});
2. Enqueue the React Script in WordPress
Add this to your functions.php:
function enqueue_react_component() {
wp_enqueue_script(
'my-react-component',
get_template_directory_uri() . '/assets/react/MyReactComponent.js',
array(),
null,
true
);
// Also load React and ReactDOM from CDN
wp_enqueue_script('react', 'https://unpkg.com/react @18/umd/react.development.js', array(), null, true);
wp_enqueue_script('react-dom', 'https://unpkg.com/react-dom @18/umd/react-dom.development.js', array(), null, true);
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'enqueue_react_component');
3. Add the HTML Placeholder in Your Page Template
In your page template (e.g., page-home.php):
<div id="react-component-root"></div>
Now, when you load the page, your React counter should be working!
🌐 Approach 2: Headless WordPress with React (Gatsby / Next.js)
This approach decouples the frontend and backend completely.
🛠️ Tools You’ll Use:
- WordPress REST API or GraphQL
- Gatsby.js or Next.js
- WPGraphQL plugin (for advanced data querying)
💡 Use Case:
Perfect for SPAs, PWAs, mobile apps, or when you want full control over the frontend without relying on WordPress themes.
Example Using Gatsby:
Install the Gatsby source plugin:
npm install gatsby-source-wordpress
Configure in gatsby-config.js:
{
resolve: `gatsby-source-wordpress`,
options: {
url: `https://yourwordpresssite.com/graphql `, // Enable WPGraphQL plugin
},
},
Then query posts in a page:
import { graphql } from "gatsby"
export default function Blog({ data }) {
return (
<div>
{data.allWpPost.nodes.map(post => (
<article key={post.id}>
<h2>{post.title}</h2>
<div dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: post.content }} />
</article>
))}
</div>
)
}
export const query = graphql`
query {
allWpPost {
nodes {
id
title
content
}
}
}
`
You now have a blazing-fast React site powered by WordPress content!
⚙️ Approach 3: Hybrid Server-Side Rendering (SSR) with React
Using tools like Vite + WordPress , you can compile React files on the server and inject them into WordPress templates.
This offers the best of both worlds:
✅ SEO-friendly rendering
✅ Interactive React components
Example Setup with Vite:
- Install Vite:
npm create vite@latest react-wp-theme --template react
- Set up a custom script to output compiled assets into your WordPress theme folder.
- In WordPress, enqueue the generated CSS/JS files.
This setup requires more configuration but delivers top-tier performance and developer experience.
🎯 Benefits of React + WordPress Integration
🧪 Best Practices for a Smooth Integration
- ✅ Always separate concerns — don’t mix PHP logic with React
- ✅ Use Webpack/Vite for optimized builds
- ✅ Load React conditionally only where needed
- ✅ Use lazy loading for large components
- ✅ Cache static content via WordPress caching plugins
- ✅ Use environment variables for API endpoints
🚀 Final Thoughts
Integrating React with WordPress isn’t just about making things look pretty — it’s about enhancing the user experience , improving performance , and future-proofing your web projects.
Whether you’re embedding small React components in your existing theme or going fully headless, the combination of WordPress and React gives you a powerful toolkit to deliver something truly special.
💬 Have You Tried This?
If you’ve integrated React with WordPress before, I’d love to hear:
- What worked well?
- What were the biggest challenges?
- Did you go headless or embed components?
Drop your thoughts below 👇 or reach out on LinkedIn!
🧾 Additional Resources & Recommendations
Here are some extra resources to help you take your integration even further:
🧑💻 1. SEO Meta Description (for search engines)
Learn how to integrate React with WordPress to create faster, more interactive websites. Improve UX, boost performance, and future-proof your web projects with this powerful combo.
🧰 2. WordPress Plugin Recommendations
These plugins simplify integrating React with WordPress:
Plugin Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
WPGraphQL | Enables GraphQL API for WordPress |
REST API Blocks | Expose Gutenberg blocks via REST API |
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) | Build custom fields easily |
Custom Post Type UI | Create custom post types |
WP REST API Menus | Expose WordPress menus via REST |
React Plugin Boilerplate | Starter boilerplate for React-powered plugins |
🗂️ 3. GitHub Repo Structure Example
Here’s a sample project structure for a WordPress theme with embedded React components:
/wp-content/
└── themes/
└── react-wp-theme/
├── assets/
│ └── react/
│ ├── components/
│ │ ├── Counter.jsx
│ │ └── ContactForm.jsx
│ ├── index.jsx
│ └── bundle.js (compiled)
├── functions.php
├── style.css
├── index.php
└── header.php
🌟 4. Next.js Starter Template for WordPress (Headless)
Want a ready-made starter? Try these:
