contenteditable Elements Losing Focus on State Update – Detailed Explanation

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Step 1: Understanding contenteditable in HTML

The contenteditable attribute allows an element to become editable directly in the browser.

Basic Example

<div contenteditable="true">Edit this text</div>

✅ You can click inside the <div> and type directly.

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Step 2: The Problem – Losing Focus on State Updates

When using React, Vue, or another framework that updates the state frequently, contenteditable elements may lose focus when the component re-renders.

Example: Losing Focus in React

import { useState } from "react";

function App() {
    const [text, setText] = useState("Edit this text");

    return (
        <div
            contentEditable
            onInput={(e) => setText(e.currentTarget.innerText)}
        >
            {text}
        </div>
    );
}

export default App;

🚨 Issue:

1. When you type in the <div>, the onInput event updates text in state.
2. React re-renders the component with the new state.
3. The entire <div> gets replaced with the updated state.
4. The cursor loses focus, and you must click inside again.

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Step 3: Why Does This Happen?

React follows a virtual DOM approach:

1. It compares the previous and new virtual DOM.
2. If there’s a change, it updates the real DOM.
3. Since React replaces the <div>, focus is lost.

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Step 4: How to Fix the Focus Loss Issue

✅ Solution 1: Use useRef to Preserve Focus

Instead of updating the contenteditable element directly, use useRef to prevent React from resetting it.

Example: Using useRef

import { useState, useRef } from "react";

function App() {
    const [text, setText] = useState("Edit this text");
    const contentRef = useRef(null);

    return (
        <div
            ref={contentRef}
            contentEditable
            onInput={(e) => setText(e.currentTarget.innerText)}
            suppressContentEditableWarning={true} // Prevents React warning
        >
            {text}
        </div>
    );
}

export default App;

Why This Works

✅ React does not replace the <div> anymore.
✅ The focus remains intact because the same element is used.

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✅ Solution 2: Manually Restore Focus After Re-render

If you need full control over focus behavior, store and restore the cursor position manually.

Example: Saving Cursor Position

import { useState, useRef } from "react";

function App() {
    const [text, setText] = useState("Edit this text");
    const contentRef = useRef(null);

    const handleInput = (e) => {
        const selection = window.getSelection();
        const range = selection.getRangeAt(0);
        setText(e.currentTarget.innerText);

        setTimeout(() => {
            contentRef.current.focus();
            selection.removeAllRanges();
            selection.addRange(range);
        }, 0);
    };

    return (
        <div
            ref={contentRef}
            contentEditable
            onInput={handleInput}
            suppressContentEditableWarning={true}
        >
            {text}
        </div>
    );
}

export default App;

Why This Works

✅ The cursor position is saved before state updates.
✅ After React re-renders, the focus is restored manually.

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✅ Solution 3: Use dangerouslySetInnerHTML (Not Recommended)

Another method is to prevent React from re-rendering the content using dangerouslySetInnerHTML.

Example

<div
    contentEditable
    dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: text }}
    onInput={(e) => setText(e.currentTarget.innerText)}
></div>

🚨 Why This is Risky ❌ React loses control over the content (XSS security risk).
❌ Event listeners may not work properly.

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Step 5: Which Solution Should You Use?

Solution	Pros	Cons
useRef (Best Practice)	Keeps focus intact, React-controlled	Requires suppressContentEditableWarning
Restore Cursor Position	Works with full re-renders	More complex
dangerouslySetInnerHTML	Prevents re-render issues	Security risk, not recommended

🚀 Best Practice: Use useRef to keep focus stable in React.

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Final Thoughts

• Why does focus get lost? React re-renders the contenteditable element.
• How to fix it? Use useRef or manually restore the cursor position.
• Avoid dangerouslySetInnerHTML due to security risks.

By following these best practices, you can create smooth, editable content in React without frustrating focus issues!