# `react-doctor/forward-ref-uses-ref`

Either accept a `ref` parameter in the forwardRef render function, or drop the forwardRef wrapper entirely.

- **Status:** Active
- **Category:** Architecture
- **Assessment:** Evidence-required risk
- **Required evidence:** source code, repository context
- **Default configuration:** Enabled
- **Default severity:** warn
- **Scope:** All supported frameworks
- **Active when:** always
- **Requirements:** react
- **Priority:** 32 (P3)
- **Source:** oxlint-plugin-react-doctor
- **Rule set:** oxlint-plugin-react-doctor 0.9.3 (prompt schema 2)
- **Documentation:** [Official documentation](https://oxc.rs/docs/guide/usage/linter/rules/react/forward-ref-uses-ref)

## Validation prompt

Confirm the detector match and collect the required evidence before deciding whether an edit is warranted.

Fires on a forwardRef(...) or React.forwardRef(...) call whose first argument is an arrow or function expression with exactly one parameter: i.e. a render function that takes props but never the ref, making the forwardRef wrapper a no-op. Arity-0 functions, two-parameter (props, ref) functions, and a sole rest parameter (...args) are all deliberately exempt and won't fire.

Suppress when: the callee is matched by name only, so a locally defined helper unrelated to React that happens to be named forwardRef can be flagged even though no actual ref forwarding is intended.

## Evidence boundary

The diagnostic proves only that the detector's modeled source pattern matched. It does not prove runtime impact, product intent, rendered failure, or that one remediation is correct.

Establish the environment, explicit repository policy, relevant exceptions, and required rendered or runtime evidence before deciding the occurrence. This page’s Assessment and Required evidence fields define the review contract.

Default severity is registry metadata. Use the occurrence's JSON severity after repository configuration when ordering real findings.

Record one outcome:

- **Confirmed failure:** The required evidence establishes the violation.
- **Rejected:** A documented exception or false-positive predicate applies.
- **Needs evidence:** Named evidence can still be collected.
- **Unavailable:** Required evidence cannot be collected in this run.
- **Waived with evidence:** An authorized, scoped exception applies to an established failure.
- **Observation:** The review records an optional tradeoff without claiming a defect.

A waiver records its scope, authority, evidence, and review or expiry condition. It is not a pass or false positive.

## Fix prompt

Apply this candidate correction only after the required evidence confirms the risk.

If the component genuinely needs to forward a ref, add the second parameter so the wrapper does something: forwardRef((props, ref) => <input ref={ref} {...props} />). If it never uses a ref, delete the forwardRef wrapper and export the plain component: function MyInput(props) { ... }. Note that in React 19+ ref is a regular prop, so forwardRef is no longer needed for new components. See https://oxc.rs/docs/guide/usage/linter/rules/react/forward-ref-uses-ref

## Repository-wide copy prompt

Use this only for a repository-wide pass after validating each occurrence. For one occurrence, use the occurrence-level guidance above.

````text
Fix every confirmed `react-doctor/forward-ref-uses-ref` diagnostic in the current repository.

Required change:
- If the component genuinely needs to forward a ref, add the second parameter so the wrapper does something: forwardRef((props, ref) => <input ref={ref} {...props} />). If it never uses a ref, delete the forwardRef wrapper and export the plain component: function MyInput(props) { ... }. Note that in React 19+ ref is a regular prop, so forwardRef is no longer needed for new components. See https://oxc.rs/docs/guide/usage/linter/rules/react/forward-ref-uses-ref.

Validation before editing:
Fires on a forwardRef(...) or React.forwardRef(...) call whose first argument is an arrow or function expression with exactly one parameter: i.e. a render function that takes props but never the ref, making the forwardRef wrapper a no-op. Arity-0 functions, two-parameter (props, ref) functions, and a sole rest parameter (...args) are all deliberately exempt and won't fire.

Suppress when: the callee is matched by name only, so a locally defined helper unrelated to React that happens to be named forwardRef can be flagged even though no actual ref forwarding is intended.

Constraints:
- 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.
- Adapt identifiers and framework details instead of copying blindly.
- Do not disable the rule or suppress matching code.

Assessment:
- Record detector evidence, applicability facts, assumptions, missing evidence, and the rule class for this occurrence.
- Return one outcome: Confirmed failure, Rejected, Needs evidence, Unavailable, Waived with evidence, or Observation.
- A waiver records the established failure, scope, authority, evidence, and review or expiry condition. It is not a pass or false positive.

Verification:
- Run focused tests for the changed behavior.
- Run React Doctor and confirm this diagnostic no longer appears from changed code.
- Run an unfiltered scan of the affected scope before claiming no cross-category regression.
- Report the files changed and any checks you could not run.
````