Table State (Vue) Guide

Examples

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.

Do you need to Manage External State?

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 Vue, how to read it, and when to use external atoms or external state.

State in v9

TanStack Table v9 overhauled state management around TanStack Store. TanStack Store uses the alien-signals implementation and supports performant derived state. For Vue, the table adapter supplies custom reactivity so table state atoms are backed by Vue refs and computed values.

A table instance has a few state surfaces:

table.baseAtoms are the internal writable atoms created from the resolved initial state.
table.atoms are readonly derived atoms exposed per registered state slice.
table.store is a readonly flat TanStack Store derived by putting all of the registered table.atoms together.

The Vue adapter provides vueReactivity() to the table's coreReativityFeature. Core readonly atoms are Vue computed values, writable atoms are shallowRef values, and subscriptions are backed by watch(..., { flush: 'sync' }). useTable also watches reactive option dependencies and controlled state values so it can call table.setOptions when Vue state changes.

Feature-based 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 = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
  },
  columns,
  data,
})

table.atoms.pagination.get()
table.atoms.sorting.get()

// table.atoms.rowSelection // TypeScript error unless rowSelectionFeature is registered

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowPaginationFeature,
  rowSortingFeature,
})

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
  },
  columns,
  data,
})

table.atoms.pagination.get()
table.atoms.sorting.get()

// table.atoms.rowSelection // TypeScript error unless rowSelectionFeature is registered

If features does not include a feature, its state should not be available in table.atoms, table.store.get(), initialState, state, or atoms.

Accessing Table State

There are two different questions when reading table state:

Do you only need the current value?
Or should Vue render or computed work update when that value changes?

Use direct atom reads for slice values. Use table.store.get() for the current flat state snapshot. Because Vue table atoms are backed by Vue refs and computed values, atom reads participate in Vue dependency tracking when they happen inside templates, computed(...), watch(...), or table.Subscribe.

Reading State

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().pagination

const tableState = table.store.get()
const pagination = table.store.get().pagination

These reads are current-value reads. They only participate in Vue dependency tracking when they are called inside a Vue reactive context 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.

Reading Reactive State with Vue

Use Vue's native primitives to derive reactive values from table atoms or the flat store snapshot.

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  data,
})

const pagination = computed(() => table.atoms.pagination.get())
const pageIndex = computed(() => pagination.value.pageIndex)

const tableStateJson = computed(() =>
  JSON.stringify(table.store.get(), null, 2),
)

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  data,
})

const pagination = computed(() => table.atoms.pagination.get())
const pageIndex = computed(() => pagination.value.pageIndex)

const tableStateJson = computed(() =>
  JSON.stringify(table.store.get(), null, 2),
)

Vue's data option can also be a ref or computed. The adapter unwraps reactive option values and syncs the table when those values change.

const data = ref(makeData(100))

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {},
  columns,
  data,
})

data.value = makeData(200)

const data = ref(makeData(100))

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {},
  columns,
  data,
})

data.value = makeData(200)

Fine-grained Updates with table.Subscribe

Use table.Subscribe in render functions or JSX when you want a specific part of the Vue tree to create a reactive render boundary. Its child function receives table.atoms, and Vue tracks only the atom reads used inside that child.

tsx

<table.Subscribe>
  {(atoms) => {
    void atoms.columnFilters.get()
    void atoms.globalFilter.get()
    void atoms.pagination.get()

    return (
      <tbody>
        {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
          <tr key={row.id}>...</tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    )
  }}
</table.Subscribe>

<table.Subscribe>
  {(atoms) => {
    void atoms.columnFilters.get()
    void atoms.globalFilter.get()
    void atoms.pagination.get()

    return (
      <tbody>
        {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
          <tr key={row.id}>...</tr>
        ))}
      </tbody>
    )
  }}
</table.Subscribe>

tsx

<table.Subscribe>
  {(atoms) => (
    <tbody>
      {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
        <tr key={row.id}>
          <td>
            <input
              type="checkbox"
              checked={!!atoms.rowSelection.get()[row.id]}
              onChange={row.getToggleSelectedHandler()}
            />
          </td>
        </tr>
      ))}
    </tbody>
  )}
</table.Subscribe>

<table.Subscribe>
  {(atoms) => (
    <tbody>
      {table.getRowModel().rows.map((row) => (
        <tr key={row.id}>
          <td>
            <input
              type="checkbox"
              checked={!!atoms.rowSelection.get()[row.id]}
              onChange={row.getToggleSelectedHandler()}
            />
          </td>
        </tr>
      ))}
    </tbody>
  )}
</table.Subscribe>

Setting Table State

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.

Custom Initial State

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 = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  data,
  initialState: {
    sorting: [
      {
        id: 'age',
        desc: true,
      },
    ],
    pagination: {
      pageIndex: 0,
      pageSize: 25,
    },
  },
})

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  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.

Resetting to Initial State

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.

Controlled State

If you need easy access to table state in other parts of your application, you can control individual state slices. In Vue, use refs or computed values with state plus on[State]Change when you want Vue to own the slice. Use external TanStack Store atoms when you already want app-level atom sharing or direct atom subscriptions outside the table.

External Atoms

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. @tanstack/vue-store is only needed by your app if you choose this pattern; the Vue table adapter itself uses Vue-native reactivity.

import { createAtom, useSelector } from '@tanstack/vue-store'
import {
  rowPaginationFeature,
  tableFeatures,
  useTable,
  type PaginationState,
} from '@tanstack/vue-table'

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowPaginationFeature,
})

const paginationAtom = createAtom<PaginationState>({
  pageIndex: 0,
  pageSize: 10,
})

const pagination = useSelector(paginationAtom)

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {},
  columns,
  data: tableData,
  rowCount,
  atoms: {
    pagination: paginationAtom,
  },
  manualPagination: true,
})

// pagination.value is reactive, and table pagination APIs update paginationAtom

import { createAtom, useSelector } from '@tanstack/vue-store'
import {
  rowPaginationFeature,
  tableFeatures,
  useTable,
  type PaginationState,
} from '@tanstack/vue-table'

const features = tableFeatures({
  rowPaginationFeature,
})

const paginationAtom = createAtom<PaginationState>({
  pageIndex: 0,
  pageSize: 10,
})

const pagination = useSelector(paginationAtom)

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {},
  columns,
  data: tableData,
  rowCount,
  atoms: {
    pagination: paginationAtom,
  },
  manualPagination: true,
})

// pagination.value is reactive, and table pagination APIs update paginationAtom

When using the atoms option for a slice, you do not need to add the matching on[State]Change option.

External State

Use state plus on[State]Change when Vue refs or computed values should own a table state slice.

const sorting = ref<SortingState>([])
const pagination = ref<PaginationState>({
  pageIndex: 0,
  pageSize: 10,
})

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  data,
  state: {
    get sorting() {
      return sorting.value
    },
    get pagination() {
      return pagination.value
    },
  },
  onSortingChange: (updater) => {
    sorting.value = updater instanceof Function ? updater(sorting.value) : updater
  },
  onPaginationChange: (updater) => {
    pagination.value =
      updater instanceof Function ? updater(pagination.value) : updater
  },
})

const sorting = ref<SortingState>([])
const pagination = ref<PaginationState>({
  pageIndex: 0,
  pageSize: 10,
})

const table = useTable({
  features,
  rowModels: {
    sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
    paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  },
  columns,
  data,
  state: {
    get sorting() {
      return sorting.value
    },
    get pagination() {
      return pagination.value
    },
  },
  onSortingChange: (updater) => {
    sorting.value = updater instanceof Function ? updater(sorting.value) : updater
  },
  onPaginationChange: (updater) => {
    pagination.value =
      updater instanceof Function ? updater(pagination.value) : updater
  },
})

Use the per-slice on[State]Change callbacks to keep controlled table state slices atomic and separated.

On State Change Callbacks

The on[State]Change callbacks are useful when you are controlling a matching slice through the state option. They receive either a raw value or an updater function.

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) => {
  pagination.value =
    updater instanceof Function ? updater(pagination.value) : updater
}

onPaginationChange: (updater) => {
  pagination.value =
    updater instanceof Function ? updater(pagination.value) : updater
}

State Types

Most complex states in TanStack Table have their own TypeScript types that you can import and use.

import {
  useTable,
  type PaginationState,
  type RowSelectionState,
  type SortingState,
  type TableState,
} from '@tanstack/vue-table'

const sorting = ref<SortingState>([
  {
    id: 'age',
    desc: true,
  },
])

import {
  useTable,
  type PaginationState,
  type RowSelectionState,
  type SortingState,
  type TableState,
} from '@tanstack/vue-table'

const sorting = ref<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>

Table State (Vue) Guide

Examples#