`react-doctor/no-unbounded-animation-frame-loop`

Animation frame loop has no stop path

Category: Performance
Severity: warn
Source: oxlint-plugin-react-doctor
Framework: global
Enabled when: react
Default: Disabled until configured

Validate the diagnostic

Confirm the reported code matches this rule before you edit it.

Confirm the reported code matches react-doctor/no-unbounded-animation-frame-loop. Compare it with the Before example and verify the same API, framework, and execution context. Treat it as a false positive only when one of those conditions differs.

Compare the code

The corrected pattern shows a focused way to address the diagnostic.

Reported pattern

import { useEffect } from "react";

const Animation = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    const tick = () => {
      update();
      requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    };
    requestAnimationFrame(tick);
  }, []);
  return null;
};

Corrected pattern

import { useEffect } from "react";

const Animation = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    let isRunning = true;
    let frameId = 0;
    const tick = () => {
      if (!isRunning) return;
      update();
      frameId = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    };
    frameId = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    return () => {
      isRunning = false;
      cancelAnimationFrame(frameId);
    };
  }, []);
  return null;
};

How to fix

Use the corrected pattern as a reference. Preserve behavior that the rule does not require you to change.

Copyable fix prompt

Copy this self-contained prompt into your coding agent after you confirm the diagnostic.

Fix every confirmed react-doctor/no-unbounded-animation-frame-loop diagnostic in the current repository. Required change: - Add a stop condition and retain each request ID. Cancel the active frame when the animation or component stops.

Reference transformation:Before:

import { useEffect } from "react";

const Animation = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    const tick = () => {
      update();
      requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    };
    requestAnimationFrame(tick);
  }, []);
  return null;
};

After:

import { useEffect } from "react";

const Animation = () => {
  useEffect(() => {
    let isRunning = true;
    let frameId = 0;
    const tick = () => {
      if (!isRunning) return;
      update();
      frameId = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    };
    frameId = requestAnimationFrame(tick);
    return () => {
      isRunning = false;
      cancelAnimationFrame(frameId);
    };
  }, []);
  return null;
};

Constraints: - Confirm the reported code matches the Before pattern. - Make the smallest change that fixes the root cause. - Preserve behavior and interfaces unrelated to this diagnostic. - Reuse existing project components, utilities, and conventions. - Do not introduce render-phase side effects, render-phase state updates, or Hooks rule violations. - Preserve resource ownership and cleanup. Do not move work into a hotter render or frame path. - Adapt identifiers and framework details instead of copying blindly. - Do not disable the rule or suppress matching code. - Confirm this rule is enabled for the project: react. Verification: - Run focused tests for the changed behavior. - Run React Doctor and confirm this diagnostic no longer appears. - Report the files changed and any checks you could not run.

More Performance rules from the rules reference:

react-doctor/no-undeferred-third-party: Use `next/script` with `strategy="lazyOnload"` or add the `defer` attribute
react-doctor/no-unstable-nested-components: Hoist nested components to module scope or memoize them — never define one inside another.
react-doctor/no-unthrottled-scroll-mutation: Scroll handler drives animation every event
react-doctor/no-usememo-simple-expression: Remove useMemo — property access, math, and ternaries are already cheap without memoization
react-doctor/prefer-dynamic-import: Use `const Component = dynamic(() => import('library'), { ssr: false })` from next/dynamic or React.lazy()

react-doctor/no-unbounded-animation-frame-loop