What are layout routes and index routes?

Q: What are layout routes and index routes?

}> } /> } /> } /> }> } /> } /> }> {/* renders into the outlet in at "/" */} } /> }> {/* renders into the outlet in at "/dashboard" */} } /> } />

Difficulty: 6/10

nested routing, react router, state management

Layout Routes: Routes without a path property create new nesting layout for their children, without adding any segments to the URL.

Index Routes: Index routes render into their parent's <Outlet/> at their parent's URL (like a default child route). They are configured with the index prop:

Scenario Questions

0-2 years experience

1Imagine you're building a dashboard with a persistent sidebar and header. How would you set up your React Router configuration so that the sidebar doesn't re-render or unmount when the user clicks between the 'Analytics' and 'Settings' tabs?
2You've set up a parent `/dashboard` route and a child `/dashboard/settings` route. But when you navigate to `/dashboard`, the screen is completely blank under the header. What component are you likely missing in your parent route, and how would you configure an index route to show a 'Welcome' screen by default?

Follow-up Questions

How does `useOutletContext` compare to standard React Context for sharing state down to nested routes?
What happens to the component lifecycle of a layout route when navigating between two of its child routes?
How do you handle error boundaries at the layout level versus the index route level?