Questions
2 of 22
1What is RTK Query and why was it introduced?
2How is RTK Query different from createAsyncThunk?
3What problem does RTK Query solve compared to traditional data fetching with Redux?
4What are the two main APIs in RTK Query? (createApi and fetchBaseQuery)
5How do you define an API slice using createApi()?
6What’s the purpose of reducerPath in createApi()?
7What are endpoints in RTK Query?
8What’s the difference between query and mutation endpoints in RTK Query?
9How do you use auto-generated hooks from RTK Query (e.g., useGetPostsQuery)?
10How do you refetch data manually in RTK Query?
11How do you handle caching and invalidation in RTK Query?
12What are tags and how do they help in cache invalidation?
13How can you invalidate cache for specific queries?
14How do you customize request headers or authentication tokens in RTK Query?
15How do you handle request errors or loading states?
16How can RTK Query work with GraphQL or custom fetch logic?
17How does RTK Query handle deduplication of requests?
18How can you integrate RTK Query with server-side rendering (SSR)?
19How do you perform optimistic updates in RTK Query?
20How can you manually update the cache using updateQueryData?
21How do you reset or clear RTK Query cache programmatically?
22What are best practices for structuring RTK Query API slices in large apps?
RTKRTK
Basics
Slice
Actions
Reducers
RTK Query
Store
Thunk
Scenario Based
02 / 22

How is RTK Query different from createAsyncThunk?

Both RTK Query and createAsyncThunk handle asynchronous operations in Redux Toolkit, but they serve different purposes. While createAsyncThunk is a low-level utility for managing async logic manually within slices, RTK Query provides a complete abstraction layer for data fetching, caching, and synchronization.

Key Differences Between RTK Query and createAsyncThunk
  1. 1

    RTK Query automatically handles caching, invalidation, and background refetching; createAsyncThunk does not.

  2. 2

    createAsyncThunk requires manual handling of loading, success, and error states in reducers.

  3. 3

    RTK Query integrates directly with React through auto-generated hooks like useGetPostsQuery.

  4. 4

    RTK Query reduces boilerplate by managing API calls and normalization automatically.

  5. 5

    createAsyncThunk is more flexible for custom async logic outside typical API requests.

Example Comparison

In short, createAsyncThunk gives fine-grained control over async flows, while RTK Query offers a high-level, declarative way to manage server-state with minimal effort.