Quick Start

TanStack Table is a headless table library. It manages your table's state and logic (sorting, filtering, pagination, selection, and more) while you keep 100% control over the markup and styles. This page gets you from install to a rendering Preact table, then shows how to layer on your first feature.

Installation

TanStack Table v9 is currently published under the beta tag:

npm install @tanstack/preact-table@beta

npm install @tanstack/preact-table@beta

Your First Table

The component below is complete. Paste it into a Preact app and you will see a working table.

tsx

import { tableFeatures, useTable } from '@tanstack/preact-table'
import type { ColumnDef } from '@tanstack/preact-table'

// 1. Define the shape of your data
type Person = {
  firstName: string
  lastName: string
  age: number
}

// 2. Give your data a stable reference (module scope, useState, a query cache, etc.)
const data: Array<Person> = [
  { firstName: 'tanner', lastName: 'linsley', age: 24 },
  { firstName: 'tandy', lastName: 'miller', age: 40 },
  { firstName: 'joe', lastName: 'dirte', age: 45 },
]

// 3. New in v9: declare which features this table uses (none yet)
const features = tableFeatures({})

// 4. Define your columns
const columns: Array<ColumnDef<typeof features, Person>> = [
  {
    accessorKey: 'firstName', // accessorKey shorthand
    header: 'First Name',
    cell: (info) => info.getValue(),
  },
  {
    accessorFn: (row) => row.lastName, // accessorFn alternative with a custom id
    id: 'lastName',
    header: () => <span>Last Name</span>,
    cell: (info) => <i>{info.getValue<string>()}</i>,
  },
  {
    accessorKey: 'age',
    header: () => 'Age',
  },
]

export function PersonTable() {
  // 5. Create the table instance
  const table = useTable({
    key: 'person-table', // registers this table with the devtools
    features,
    columns,
    data,
  })

  // 6. Render markup from the table instance APIs
  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
          <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map((header) => (
              <th key={header.id}>
                {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>
  )
}

import { tableFeatures, useTable } from '@tanstack/preact-table'
import type { ColumnDef } from '@tanstack/preact-table'

// 1. Define the shape of your data
type Person = {
  firstName: string
  lastName: string
  age: number
}

// 2. Give your data a stable reference (module scope, useState, a query cache, etc.)
const data: Array<Person> = [
  { firstName: 'tanner', lastName: 'linsley', age: 24 },
  { firstName: 'tandy', lastName: 'miller', age: 40 },
  { firstName: 'joe', lastName: 'dirte', age: 45 },
]

// 3. New in v9: declare which features this table uses (none yet)
const features = tableFeatures({})

// 4. Define your columns
const columns: Array<ColumnDef<typeof features, Person>> = [
  {
    accessorKey: 'firstName', // accessorKey shorthand
    header: 'First Name',
    cell: (info) => info.getValue(),
  },
  {
    accessorFn: (row) => row.lastName, // accessorFn alternative with a custom id
    id: 'lastName',
    header: () => <span>Last Name</span>,
    cell: (info) => <i>{info.getValue<string>()}</i>,
  },
  {
    accessorKey: 'age',
    header: () => 'Age',
  },
]

export function PersonTable() {
  // 5. Create the table instance
  const table = useTable({
    key: 'person-table', // registers this table with the devtools
    features,
    columns,
    data,
  })

  // 6. Render markup from the table instance APIs
  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
          <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map((header) => (
              <th key={header.id}>
                {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>
  )
}

A few things to note:

tableFeatures({}) declares which optional features the table uses. Registering only what you need keeps bundles small and gives TypeScript accurate types for the table instance.
The core row model is always included automatically. Feature row models (sorting, filtering, pagination) are registered as slots directly on the tableFeatures({...}) call when you need them.
table.FlexRender renders the header, cell, and footer definitions from your columns, whether they are plain values or Preact components.
The key option is optional unless you use the TanStack Table Devtools. The devtools identify tables by key, and you register a table by calling useTanStackTableDevtools(table) from @tanstack/preact-table-devtools.

See the full Basic useTable example for a runnable version with more columns, a footer, and the devtools wired up.

Add a Feature: Sorting

Features are opt-in in v9. To make columns sortable, register rowSortingFeature and the sorted row model in tableFeatures, then wire the header click handler.

tsx

import {
  createSortedRowModel,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortFns,
  tableFeatures,
  useTable,
} from '@tanstack/preact-table'

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowSortingFeature, // enables sorting APIs and state
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(), // client-side sorting
  sortFns, // built-in sort functions
})

export function PersonTable() {
  const table = useTable({
    key: 'person-table',
    features,
    columns,
    data,
  })

  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
          <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map((header) => (
              <th key={header.id}>
                {header.isPlaceholder ? null : (
                  <div
                    style={{
                      cursor: header.column.getCanSort() ? 'pointer' : undefined,
                    }}
                    onClick={header.column.getToggleSortingHandler()}
                  >
                    <table.FlexRender header={header} />
                    {{
                      asc: ' 🔼',
                      desc: ' 🔽',
                    }[header.column.getIsSorted() as string] ?? null}
                  </div>
                )}
              </th>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </thead>
      {/* tbody unchanged from above */}
    </table>
  )
}

import {
  createSortedRowModel,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortFns,
  tableFeatures,
  useTable,
} from '@tanstack/preact-table'

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowSortingFeature, // enables sorting APIs and state
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(), // client-side sorting
  sortFns, // built-in sort functions
})

export function PersonTable() {
  const table = useTable({
    key: 'person-table',
    features,
    columns,
    data,
  })

  return (
    <table>
      <thead>
        {table.getHeaderGroups().map((headerGroup) => (
          <tr key={headerGroup.id}>
            {headerGroup.headers.map((header) => (
              <th key={header.id}>
                {header.isPlaceholder ? null : (
                  <div
                    style={{
                      cursor: header.column.getCanSort() ? 'pointer' : undefined,
                    }}
                    onClick={header.column.getToggleSortingHandler()}
                  >
                    <table.FlexRender header={header} />
                    {{
                      asc: ' 🔼',
                      desc: ' 🔽',
                    }[header.column.getIsSorted() as string] ?? null}
                  </div>
                )}
              </th>
            ))}
          </tr>
        ))}
      </thead>
      {/* tbody unchanged from above */}
    </table>
  )
}

Clicking a header now toggles between ascending, descending, and unsorted. Every other feature follows this same pattern: register the feature and its row model factory in tableFeatures, then use the APIs those features add to the table, columns, and rows. See the Sorting Guide and the Sorting example for custom sort functions, multi-sorting, and per-column options.

Where to Go Next

Table state. In v9, table state is backed by TanStack Store atoms. You usually do not need to manage it yourself: set initialState for starting values and call feature APIs like table.setSorting(...) or table.nextPage(). When your app should own a state slice, or you want fine-grained subscriptions, read the Table State Guide. It is the foundational guide for everything else.

Feature guides. Each feature has its own guide, such as Column Filtering, Pagination, Row Selection, and Column Visibility.

Composable tables. When multiple tables in your app share features, row models, and component conventions, define them once with createTableHook:

tsx

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

const { useAppTable, createAppColumnHelper } = createTableHook({ features })

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

const { useAppTable, createAppColumnHelper } = createTableHook({ features })

See the Composable Tables Guide for the full pattern, including pre-bound cell and header components.

Examples. Browse the runnable Preact examples, from basic tables to feature demos, to see intended usage end to end.

Installation#

Your First Table#

Add a Feature: Sorting#

Where to Go Next#

Installation

Your First Table

Add a Feature: Sorting

Where to Go Next