Composable Tables (createTableHook) Guide

createTableHook creates an app-specific table factory. Use it to define shared features, row models, and default table options once, then create each React table with the columns and data that are unique to that table.

The same API can also register reusable table, cell, and header components, but component registration is optional. Start with shared options and features first; add reusable components only when your app needs standardized table UI pieces.

Examples

Basic useAppTable - Minimal createTableHook setup.
Composable Tables - Richer Users and Products tables sharing src/hooks/table.ts and reusable components.

Start With Shared Features and Options

Create one app table hook and put the feature set, row models, and shared defaults there. This example makes sorting available to every table created by useAppTable.

tsx

import {
  createSortedRowModel,
  createTableHook,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortFns,
  tableFeatures,
} from '@tanstack/react-table'

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(),
  sortFns,
})

const { useAppTable, createAppColumnHelper } = createTableHook({
  features,
  debugTable: true,
  enableSortingRemoval: false,
})

Options passed to createTableHook become defaults for every table created by useAppTable. The features option is also bound to the returned column helper, so column definitions know that sorting APIs are available.

Create App Columns

Create one column helper per row type. The helper is already bound to your app's feature set, so each table does not need to thread typeof features through its column definitions.

tsx

type Person = {
  firstName: string
  lastName: string
  age: number
  visits: number
}

const columnHelper = createAppColumnHelper<Person>()

const columns = columnHelper.columns([
  columnHelper.accessor('firstName', {
    cell: (info) => info.getValue(),
  }),
  columnHelper.accessor((row) => row.lastName, {
    id: 'lastName',
    header: () => <span>Last Name</span>,
    cell: (info) => <i>{info.getValue()}</i>,
  }),
  columnHelper.accessor('age', {
    header: 'Age',
  }),
  columnHelper.accessor('visits', {
    header: 'Visits',
  }),
])

Create A Table

Create each table with useAppTable. The call site provides table-specific inputs such as columns and data; shared features and defaults come from the hook.

tsx

function UsersTable({ data }: { data: Person[] }) {
  const table = useAppTable(
    {
      key: 'users-table',
      columns,
      data,
    },
    (state) => ({ sorting: state.sorting }),
  )

  // render with the table instance
}

Render With The Normal Table APIs

You can render the table with the same table instance APIs used by a standalone useTable table. This simple path does not require AppTable, AppCell, AppHeader, or registered components.

tsx

return (
  <table>
    <thead>
      {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
        <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
          {headerGroup.headers.map((header) => (
            <th
              key={header.id}
              onClick={header.column.getToggleSortingHandler()}
            >
              {header.isPlaceholder ? null : (
                <table.FlexRender header={header} />
              )}
            </th>
          ))}
        </tr>
      ))}
    </thead>
    <tbody>
      {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
        <tr key={row.id}>
          {row.getAllCells().map((cell) => (
            <td key={cell.id}>
              <table.FlexRender cell={cell} />
            </td>
          ))}
        </tr>
      ))}
    </tbody>
  </table>
)

Override Shared Defaults Per Table

Options passed to useAppTable override defaults from createTableHook. Use this for the few tables that need different behavior without creating a separate app hook.

tsx

const table = useAppTable(
  {
    key: 'sortable-users-table',
    columns,
    data,
    enableSortingRemoval: true,
  },
  (state) => ({ sorting: state.sorting }),
)

Optional: Reusable Components

The richer composable-tables example also uses createTableHook as a component registry. Use this when several tables should share the same toolbar controls, cell renderers, header renderers, or footer renderers.

Component Registry Setup

The composable tables example keeps the shared configuration in src/hooks/table.ts.

tsx

import {
  columnFilteringFeature,
  createFilteredRowModel,
  createPaginatedRowModel,
  createSortedRowModel,
  createTableHook,
  filterFns,
  rowPaginationFeature,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortFns,
  tableFeatures,
} from '@tanstack/react-table'

import {
  PaginationControls,
  RowCount,
  TableToolbar,
} from '../components/table-components'
import {
  CategoryCell,
  NumberCell,
  PriceCell,
  ProgressCell,
  RowActionsCell,
  StatusCell,
  TextCell,
} from '../components/cell-components'
import {
  ColumnFilter,
  FooterColumnId,
  FooterSum,
  SortIndicator,
} from '../components/header-components'

const features = tableFeatures({
  columnFilteringFeature,
  rowPaginationFeature,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(),
  filteredRowModel: createFilteredRowModel(),
  paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  sortFns,
  filterFns,
})

export const {
  createAppColumnHelper,
  useAppTable,
  useTableContext,
  useCellContext,
  useHeaderContext,
} = createTableHook({
  features,
  getRowId: (row) => row.id,
  tableComponents: {
    PaginationControls,
    RowCount,
    TableToolbar,
  },
  cellComponents: {
    TextCell,
    NumberCell,
    StatusCell,
    ProgressCell,
    RowActionsCell,
    PriceCell,
    CategoryCell,
  },
  headerComponents: {
    SortIndicator,
    ColumnFilter,
    FooterColumnId,
    FooterSum,
  },
})

Returned Helpers

Helper	Purpose
useAppTable	Creates a table with shared features (including row model factories), defaults, and registered components.
createAppColumnHelper	Creates column helpers with TFeatures and registered component types already bound.
useTableContext	Reads the current table inside registered table components.
useCellContext	Reads the current cell inside registered cell components.
useHeaderContext	Reads the current header/footer inside registered header components.

Component Columns

Create one column helper per row type. Since the helper is already bound to the app table setup, column definitions can reference registered cell and header components directly.

tsx

const personColumnHelper = createAppColumnHelper<Person>()

const columns = useMemo(
  () =>
    personColumnHelper.columns([
      personColumnHelper.accessor('firstName', {
        header: 'First Name',
        footer: (props) => props.column.id,
        cell: ({ cell }) => <cell.TextCell />,
      }),
      personColumnHelper.accessor('age', {
        header: 'Age',
        footer: (props) => props.column.id,
        cell: ({ cell }) => <cell.NumberCell />,
      }),
      personColumnHelper.display({
        id: 'actions',
        header: 'Actions',
        cell: ({ cell }) => <cell.RowActionsCell />,
      }),
    ]),
  [],
)

Registered cell components use useCellContext() internally, and registered header/footer components use useHeaderContext().

Component Table Rendering

Create each table with useAppTable. You pass table-specific options like key, columns, and data; the shared features, getRowId, and component registries come from the hook.

tsx

const table = useAppTable(
  {
    key: 'users-table',
    columns,
    data,
    debugTable: true,
  },
  (state) => state,
)

The returned table includes AppTable, AppHeader, AppCell, and AppFooter wrappers. The example uses AppTable with a selector so rendering can subscribe to the state slices used by that table.

tsx

<table.AppTable
  selector={(state) => ({
    pagination: state.pagination,
    sorting: state.sorting,
    columnFilters: state.columnFilters,
  })}
>
  {({ sorting, columnFilters }) => (
    <div className="table-container">
      <table.TableToolbar title="Users Table" onRefresh={refreshData} />

      <table>
        <thead>
          {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
            <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
              {headerGroup.headers.map((h) => (
                <table.AppHeader header={h} key={h.id}>
                  {(header) => (
                    <th onClick={header.column.getToggleSortingHandler()}>
                      <header.FlexRender />
                      <header.SortIndicator />
                      <header.ColumnFilter />
                    </th>
                  )}
                </table.AppHeader>
              ))}
            </tr>
          ))}
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
            <tr key={row.id}>
              {row.getAllCells().map((c) => (
                <table.AppCell cell={c} key={c.id}>
                  {(cell) => (
                    <td>
                      <cell.FlexRender />
                    </td>
                  )}
                </table.AppCell>
              ))}
            </tr>
          ))}
        </tbody>
      </table>

      <table.PaginationControls />
      <table.RowCount />
    </div>
  )}
</table.AppTable>

Reusing The Component Registry

The example creates both personColumnHelper and productColumnHelper from the same createAppColumnHelper, then renders Users and Products tables with the same useAppTable factory. Each table owns its data and columns, while the app hook owns table infrastructure and component conventions.

When To Use This Pattern

Use createTableHook when multiple tables should share features, row models, default options, or conventions. Use the standalone useTable API for a one-off table. Add the component registry only when the app wants standardized reusable table UI pieces.