Here are five lessons that completely changed how I structure React projects

1. Organize by Feature, Not by Type

A common mistake many developers make (including my past self) is splitting everything by type:

src/
  components/
  hooks/
  pages/
  utils/

That seems neat at first — until your app grows. Suddenly, you’re jumping across files and folders just to make one change.

A better way: group by feature. Keep everything related to a feature together — components, hooks, and API calls included.

src/
  features/
    auth/
      components/
      hooks/
      api/
    dashboard/
      components/
      hooks/
      api/

2. Create a shared/ Folder for Reusable Code

Some elements — buttons, modals, utility functions — are used everywhere. Put these in a shared/ folder to avoid duplication and keep your code DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself).

src/
  shared/
    components/
    hooks/
    utils/

This helps maintain consistency across your app and reduces future headaches.

3. Naming Conventions Matter

Clear naming = clear thinking. Here’s what works well:

• Components → PascalCase → UserProfile.jsx
• Hooks & Utils → camelCase → useAuth.js, formatDate.js
• index.js → use only for re-exports

Small details like this make your project easier to navigate — especially for new contributors.

4. Think in Layers

Just like in backend development, frontend apps have layers too. Understanding them helps you keep your architecture clean and modular.

• UI Layer → Components
• State Layer → Context, Redux, or Zustand
• Data Layer → API calls (Axios, fetch, React Query)
• Utilities Layer → Helper functions

👉 Rule: Keep these layers decoupled.

5. A Scalable Project Structure Example

src/
│
├── app/                         # 🧠 App-level setup (root config)
│   ├── App.jsx                  # Main app component
│   ├── index.jsx                # ReactDOM.createRoot entry point
│   ├── routes/                  # Route definitions (React Router / Next)
│   │   └── AppRoutes.jsx
│   ├── providers/               # Global providers (Redux, Theme, QueryClient)
│   │   ├── ReduxProvider.jsx
│   │   ├── ThemeProvider.jsx
│   │   └── QueryProvider.jsx
│   └── store/                   # Redux store or Zustand setup
│       └── store.js
│
├── features/                    # 🚀 Each feature is self-contained
│   ├── auth/
│   │   ├── components/          # Auth-specific UI (LoginForm, RegisterForm)
│   │   ├── hooks/               # Custom hooks (useAuth, useLogin)
│   │   ├── api/                 # API calls (login, logout, refreshToken)
│   │   ├── slices/              # Redux slices or Zustand store
│   │   ├── utils/               # Helper functions only for auth
│   │   ├── pages/               # Feature pages (LoginPage, RegisterPage)
│   │   └── index.js             # Optional re-export
│   │
│   ├── dashboard/
│   │   ├── components/          # Cards, charts, etc.
│   │   ├── hooks/
│   │   ├── api/
│   │   ├── slices/
│   │   ├── utils/
│   │   ├── pages/
│   │   └── index.js
│   │
│   └── ...other-features/
│
├── shared/                      # 🌍 Reusable across features
│   ├── components/              # Common UI (Button, Modal, Table)
│   ├── hooks/                   # Generic hooks (useToggle, useDebounce)
│   ├── utils/                   # Global helpers (formatDate, storage)
│   ├── api/                     # Common API config (axiosClient, endpoints)
│   ├── constants/               # App-wide constants (roles, routes)
│   ├── context/                 # Global contexts if not using Redux
│   ├── types/                   # TypeScript types or propTypes (if TS)
│   └── layouts/                 # Reusable layouts (MainLayout, AuthLayout)
│
├── assets/                      # 🎨 Static files
│   ├── images/
│   ├── icons/
│   └── fonts/
│
├── styles/                      # 💅 Global styling
│   ├── globals.css
│   ├── variables.css
│   └── tailwind.css
│
├── tests/                       # 🧪 Integration and e2e tests
│   └── setupTests.js
│
├── index.html                   # Entry HTML (if using Vite or CRA)
└── main.jsx                     # App bootstrap (for Vite)

Simple, predictable, and scalable.

Example Aliases (Vite or Webpack)

// vite.config.js
resolve: {
  alias: {
    '@app': '/src/app',
    '@features': '/src/features',
    '@shared': '/src/shared',
    '@assets': '/src/assets',
  }
}