React Portals allow you to render components outside the main DOM hierarchy, offering a powerful way to manage UI elements that need to exist outside the bounds of their parent components. In this article, we'll dive into how to use React Portals for out-of-DOM animations, enabling smooth transitions and complex animations without the limitations of parent boundaries.

Why Use React Portals for Animations?

Typical use cases for portals include:

  • Modals
  • Tooltips
  • Popovers
  • Complex animated elements that should not be confined to the parent’s layout

Step 1: Create a Portal Component

Start by defining a basic React Portal that renders children outside the normal DOM hierarchy:

// PortalComponent.js
import React from "react";
import ReactDOM from "react-dom";

const PortalComponent = ({ children, containerId }) => {
  const container = document.getElementById(containerId);

  if (!container) {
    return null; // Make sure the target container exists
  }

  return ReactDOM.createPortal(children, container);
};

export default PortalComponent;

Step 2: Implement a Simple Animation Using React Transition Group

Now let’s use React’s Transition component (from react-transition-group) to animate elements entering and exiting the DOM through the portal:

// AnimatedPortal.js
import React, { useState } from "react";
import { Transition } from "react-transition-group";
import PortalComponent from "./PortalComponent";

const AnimatedPortal = ({ children, containerId }) => {
  const [inProp, setInProp] = useState(false);

  const duration = 300; // Duration of the transition in ms

  return (
    <>
       setInProp(!inProp)}>Toggle Portal
      
        
          {(state) => (
            
              {children}
            
          )}
        
      
    >
  );
};

export default AnimatedPortal;

Step 3: Add a Container in Your HTML

Make sure to add a target element in your HTML where the portal can render its content:

// index.html

Step 4: Put It All Together

Now, integrate the animated portal into your React application:

// App.js
import React from "react";
import AnimatedPortal from "./AnimatedPortal";

function App() {
  return (
    
      
React Portals for Animations

      
        
          
Portal with Smooth Animation!

          
This modal appears/disappears with a fade effect.

        
      
    
  );
}

export default App;

Pros and Cons

✅ Pros

  • Enables animations that can break free from the layout constraints of parent elements
  • Portals allow for seamless transitions in modals, popups, or any floating UI components
  • Can be used to create complex, layer-based animation systems

⚠️ Cons

  • Requires careful management of DOM elements to ensure accessibility (e.g., focus management)
  • Animations might feel less smooth in certain environments or for larger UI elements

🚀 Alternatives

  • React Spring: For more physics-based animation
  • Framer Motion: Provides powerful animation hooks that are easier to use but don’t have as low-level control

Summary

Using React Portals for animations opens up a new world of possibilities for complex UI transitions, providing flexibility while maintaining good performance. With minimal effort, you can make elements move in and out of view smoothly, without worrying about being constrained by their parent containers.

For a much more extensive guide on getting the most out of React portals, check out my full 24-page PDF file on Gumroad. It's available for just $10:

Using React Portals Like a Pro.

For a much more extensive guide on getting the most out of React portals, check out my full 24-page PDF file on Gumroad. It's available for just $10:

Using React Portals Like a Pro.

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