Want to skip to the implementation? Check out these examples:
If you boil TanStack Table down to one sentence: TanStack Table is a large state-management coordinator for table states.
Understanding this guide is fundamental to understanding how TanStack Table works and how to interact with it for the best results.
You usually do NOT need to manage table state yourself. If you pass nothing to initialState, atoms, state, or any of the on[State]Change table options, TanStack Table will manage its own state internally.
There will be situations where you need to customize how you interact with the internal table state, or even hoist it up to your own scopes. TanStack Table lets you read, subscribe to, or own the state slices that matter to your app. This guide explains how table state works in Solid, how to read it, and when to use external atoms or external state.
TanStack Table v9 overhauled state management around TanStack Store. TanStack Store uses the alien-signals implementation and supports performant derived state. For Solid, the table adapter supplies custom reactivity so table state atoms are backed by Solid primitives.
A table instance has a few state surfaces:
The Solid adapter provides solidReactivity(owner) to the table's coreReativityFeature. Core readonly atoms are Solid createMemo values and core writable atoms are Solid createSignal values. Because atom .get() reads through Solid signals and memos, table APIs can be consumed inside Solid computations and update only the computations that read the relevant state.
State slices are only created for the features that are registered in features. This keeps TanStack Table tree-shakeable and gives TypeScript more accurate state inference.
const features = tableFeatures({
rowPaginationFeature,
rowSortingFeature,
})
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
})
table.atoms.pagination.get()
table.atoms.sorting.get()
// table.atoms.rowSelection // TypeScript error unless rowSelectionFeature is registeredconst features = tableFeatures({
rowPaginationFeature,
rowSortingFeature,
})
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
})
table.atoms.pagination.get()
table.atoms.sorting.get()
// table.atoms.rowSelection // TypeScript error unless rowSelectionFeature is registeredIf features does not include a feature, its state should not be available in table.atoms, table.store.get(), initialState, state, or atoms.
There are two different questions when reading table state:
Use direct atom reads for slice values. Use table.store.get() for the current flat state snapshot. Because Solid table atoms are backed by Solid signals and memos, atom reads participate in Solid dependency tracking when they happen inside JSX, createMemo(...), createEffect(...), or table.Subscribe.
The simplest and most performant way to read a current state value is to read the matching atom:
const pagination = table.atoms.pagination.get()
const sorting = table.atoms.sorting.get()const pagination = table.atoms.pagination.get()
const sorting = table.atoms.sorting.get()You can also read the current flat store snapshot:
const tableState = table.store.get()
const pagination = table.store.get().paginationconst tableState = table.store.get()
const pagination = table.store.get().paginationThese reads are current-value reads. They only participate in Solid dependency tracking when they are called inside a Solid reactive scope that tracks those reads. Prefer table.atoms.<slice>.get() for narrow reactive reads. Use table.store.get() for full-state debug output or when a computation intentionally depends on the whole table state.
Use Solid's native primitives to derive reactive values from table atoms or the flat store snapshot.
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
})
const pagination = createMemo(() => table.atoms.pagination.get())
const pageIndex = createMemo(() => pagination().pageIndex)
const tableStateJson = createMemo(() =>
JSON.stringify(table.store.get(), null, 2),
)const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
})
const pagination = createMemo(() => table.atoms.pagination.get())
const pageIndex = createMemo(() => pagination().pageIndex)
const tableStateJson = createMemo(() =>
JSON.stringify(table.store.get(), null, 2),
)You can use atom reads directly in JSX too:
<span>
Page {table.atoms.pagination.get().pageIndex + 1} of {table.getPageCount()}
</span><span>
Page {table.atoms.pagination.get().pageIndex + 1} of {table.getPageCount()}
</span>Use table.Subscribe when you want a specific part of the Solid tree to create a reactive render boundary. Its child function receives table.atoms, and Solid tracks only the atom reads used inside that child.
<table.Subscribe>
{(atoms) => {
void atoms.columnFilters.get()
void atoms.globalFilter.get()
void atoms.pagination.get()
return (
<tbody>
<For each={table.getRowModel().rows}>
{(row) => <tr>{/* ... */}</tr>}
</For>
</tbody>
)
}}
</table.Subscribe><table.Subscribe>
{(atoms) => {
void atoms.columnFilters.get()
void atoms.globalFilter.get()
void atoms.pagination.get()
return (
<tbody>
<For each={table.getRowModel().rows}>
{(row) => <tr>{/* ... */}</tr>}
</For>
</tbody>
)
}}
</table.Subscribe><table.Subscribe>
{(atoms) => (
<tbody>
<For each={table.getRowModel().rows}>
{(row) => {
const isSelected = () => atoms.rowSelection.get()[row.id]
return (
<tr>
<td>
<input
type="checkbox"
checked={!!isSelected()}
onChange={row.getToggleSelectedHandler()}
/>
</td>
</tr>
)
}}
</For>
</tbody>
)}
</table.Subscribe><table.Subscribe>
{(atoms) => (
<tbody>
<For each={table.getRowModel().rows}>
{(row) => {
const isSelected = () => atoms.rowSelection.get()[row.id]
return (
<tr>
<td>
<input
type="checkbox"
checked={!!isSelected()}
onChange={row.getToggleSelectedHandler()}
/>
</td>
</tr>
)
}}
</For>
</tbody>
)}
</table.Subscribe>You should almost never need to set table state directly. TanStack Table features expose dedicated APIs for interacting with their state, and those APIs are the safest way to make changes.
table.nextPage()
table.previousPage()
table.setPageIndex(0)
table.setPageSize(25)table.nextPage()
table.previousPage()
table.setPageIndex(0)
table.setPageSize(25)Use APIs like table.setSorting(...), table.setColumnFilters(...), column.toggleVisibility(), or row.toggleSelected() instead of manually editing the underlying state object.
If you only care about setting starting values, use initialState. If you want to reset a state slice back to its initial value, use that feature's reset API.
If you really do need to write a state slice directly, the low-level write surface for internally owned state is the matching base atom:
table.baseAtoms.pagination.set((old) => ({
...old,
pageIndex: 0,
}))table.baseAtoms.pagination.set((old) => ({
...old,
pageIndex: 0,
}))Direct base atom writes should be rare. If a slice is owned by an external atom passed through atoms, write to that external atom instead; table.atoms.pagination will read from the external atom, not the internal base atom.
If you only need to customize the starting value for some table state, use initialState. You still do not need to manage that state yourself.
initialState only applies to registered state slices. It is used to create the table's initial state and is also used by reset APIs such as table.resetSorting() or table.resetPagination(). Changing the initialState object later does not reset table state.
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
initialState: {
sorting: [
{
id: 'age',
desc: true,
},
],
pagination: {
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 25,
},
},
})const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
initialState: {
sorting: [
{
id: 'age',
desc: true,
},
],
pagination: {
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 25,
},
},
})Note: Do not provide the same state slice in multiple ownership places unless you intentionally want one to win. For a slice like pagination, prefer exactly one of initialState.pagination, atoms.pagination, or state.pagination as the source of truth. External atoms take precedence over external state; external state syncs into the table's internal base atom.
Feature reset APIs reset to table.initialState by default. Many reset APIs also accept true to reset to that feature's blank/default state instead:
table.resetSorting()
table.resetPagination()
table.resetPagination(true)table.resetSorting()
table.resetPagination()
table.resetPagination(true)Slice reset APIs like resetPagination() update through that feature's state updater and can update an externally owned atom. The core table.reset() API resets the internal base atoms, so do not use it as the primary way to reset state that is owned by external atoms.
If you need easy access to table state in other parts of your application, you can control individual state slices. In Solid, use native signals with state plus on[State]Change when you want Solid to own the slice. Use external TanStack Store atoms when you already want app-level atom sharing or direct atom subscriptions outside the table.
Use external atoms when the app should own one or more table state slices as TanStack Store atoms. Create stable writable atoms with createAtom, pass them to atoms, and subscribe to them with useSelector anywhere else in your app. @tanstack/solid-store is only needed by your app if you choose this pattern; the Solid table adapter itself uses Solid-native reactivity.
import { createAtom, useSelector } from '@tanstack/solid-store'
import {
createTable,
rowPaginationFeature,
tableFeatures,
type PaginationState,
} from '@tanstack/solid-table'
const features = tableFeatures({
rowPaginationFeature,
})
const paginationAtom = createAtom<PaginationState>({
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 10,
})
const pagination = useSelector(paginationAtom)
const dataQuery = useQuery(() => ({
queryKey: ['data', pagination()],
queryFn: () => fetchData(pagination()),
}))
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {},
columns,
get data() {
return dataQuery.data?.rows ?? []
},
get rowCount() {
return dataQuery.data?.rowCount
},
atoms: {
pagination: paginationAtom,
},
manualPagination: true,
})import { createAtom, useSelector } from '@tanstack/solid-store'
import {
createTable,
rowPaginationFeature,
tableFeatures,
type PaginationState,
} from '@tanstack/solid-table'
const features = tableFeatures({
rowPaginationFeature,
})
const paginationAtom = createAtom<PaginationState>({
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 10,
})
const pagination = useSelector(paginationAtom)
const dataQuery = useQuery(() => ({
queryKey: ['data', pagination()],
queryFn: () => fetchData(pagination()),
}))
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {},
columns,
get data() {
return dataQuery.data?.rows ?? []
},
get rowCount() {
return dataQuery.data?.rowCount
},
atoms: {
pagination: paginationAtom,
},
manualPagination: true,
})When using the atoms option for a slice, you do not need to add the matching on[State]Change option.
Use state plus on[State]Change when Solid signals should own a table state slice.
const [sorting, setSorting] = createSignal<SortingState>([])
const [pagination, setPagination] = createSignal<PaginationState>({
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 10,
})
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
state: {
get sorting() {
return sorting()
},
get pagination() {
return pagination()
},
},
onSortingChange: setSorting,
onPaginationChange: setPagination,
})const [sorting, setSorting] = createSignal<SortingState>([])
const [pagination, setPagination] = createSignal<PaginationState>({
pageIndex: 0,
pageSize: 10,
})
const table = createTable({
features,
rowModels: {
sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
},
columns,
get data() {
return data()
},
state: {
get sorting() {
return sorting()
},
get pagination() {
return pagination()
},
},
onSortingChange: setSorting,
onPaginationChange: setPagination,
})Use the per-slice on[State]Change callbacks to keep controlled table state slices atomic and separated.
The on[State]Change callbacks are useful when you are controlling a matching slice through the state option. They work like setters: an updater can be a raw value or a function that receives the previous value and returns the next value.
If you provide an on[State]Change callback, also provide the corresponding value in state. For example, onSortingChange should be paired with state.sorting.
onPaginationChange: (updater) => {
setPagination((old) => {
const next = updater instanceof Function ? updater(old) : updater
// side effects or validation can happen here
return next
})
}onPaginationChange: (updater) => {
setPagination((old) => {
const next = updater instanceof Function ? updater(old) : updater
// side effects or validation can happen here
return next
})
}Most complex states in TanStack Table have their own TypeScript types that you can import and use.
import {
createTable,
type PaginationState,
type RowSelectionState,
type SortingState,
type TableState,
} from '@tanstack/solid-table'
const [sorting, setSorting] = createSignal<SortingState>([
{
id: 'age',
desc: true,
},
])import {
createTable,
type PaginationState,
type RowSelectionState,
type SortingState,
type TableState,
} from '@tanstack/solid-table'
const [sorting, setSorting] = createSignal<SortingState>([
{
id: 'age',
desc: true,
},
])TableState<typeof features> is inferred from the features registered on that table:
type MyTableState = TableState<typeof features>type MyTableState = TableState<typeof features>