Debounced Search with Caching (React Pattern Example)

A clean, production-ready implementation of debounced search with in-memory caching—a common pattern in scalable frontend applications.

⭐ What This Demo Shows

Debounced user input (prevents spammy API calls)

In-memory caching (returns instant results on repeated searches)

Race-condition protection

Clean loading-state management

Reusable React hooks (separation of concerns)

“Bad vs Good” comparison to highlight architectural thinking

Ideal for demonstrating senior-level front-end engineering concepts.

🚀 How It Works

User types → keystrokes are debounced (400ms).

Check cache:

If result exists → return instantly

Otherwise → perform API call

Handle async safely (ignore outdated requests).

Cache results for future use.

🧠 Why This Pattern Matters

Real-world search boxes (ecommerce, dashboards, admin panels) must handle:

Fast user input

Intermittent network delays

Repeated queries

Cancelling stale requests

Smooth UX without flickering

This example demonstrates a scalable, readable pattern you can adopt anywhere.

📦 Installation npm install npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173

🗂️ Project Structure

• src/
  • components/
    • SearchBox.jsx
  • hooks/
    • useDebounce.js
    • useCachedSearch.js
  • utils/
    • mockApi.js
  • App.jsx

🤓 Good vs Bad Comparison

❌ Bad version

Calls API on every keystroke No debounce No caching Race condition issues Messy side effects

✅ Good version

Debounce + caching Reusable hooks Race-condition safe Better UX Clean separation of logic

📝 License

MIT