Using Adobe Target with React Sites
Written with some assistance of Copilot and Gemini
React applications manage UI updates through a virtual DOM (vDOM) a lightweight, in-memory representation of the real DOM. When a component's state or props change, React re-renders the vDOM, compares it to the previous version, and applies only the necessary updates to the actual DOM. This process, called reconciliation, makes React efficient and predictable.
Adobe Target's Visual Experience Composer (VEC), by contrast, modifies the real DOM directly, which can conflict with React's rendering model.
When the VEC Can Safely Modify a React Page
If a React component renders once and remains static, and React is not expected to re-render that part of the DOM (e.g., a static header or footer), then VEC-based modifications should work without issue.
When to Use Custom Code Instead
For dynamic React components - like forms that update based on user input - VEC modifications are not reliable. React may overwrite Target's changes during re-renders. In these cases, use custom code to more reliably integrate Target with React.
Modify Before React Renders
If you can, influence the React app's behavior before it renders:
- Use a global configuration object (e.g., window.__app_config__) that React reads during initial render.
- Adobe Target can modify this object to change labels, field names, or visibility before React mounts the component.
Modify After React Renders
- If the React app supports reactivity via hooks:
- Use useEffect to watch for changes in a global config object.
- Adobe Target can update the object, and React will respond accordingly.
- Expose a Function for Target to Call
- This can be a more robust solution than relying on hooks.
- Expose a function from the React app that Target can call to trigger a state update.
- This methods keeps React in control and ensures changes are handled through its lifecycle.
Hacky Alternative: DOM Manipulation
If none of the above are possible, you can in some cases manipulate the DOM directly and use a mutationObserver to reapply the manual DOM manipulation when necessary. To do so you should consider these steps:
- Use polling to wait for React to render the element.
- Modify the DOM directly.
- Use a MutationObserver to detect and revert React overwrites.
Note: This approach is fragile and should be used only as a last resort.
Consider SSR and Hydration Timing
If your React app uses Server-Side Rendering (SSR) or static site generation (SSG), React will render the initial HTML on the server and then hydrate it on the client. During hydration, React attaches event listeners and reconciles the server-rendered HTML with the virtual DOM.
This has two key implications for Adobe Target:
- Timing is critical: If Adobe Target modifies the DOM before hydration completes, React may detect a mismatch and:
- Throw a warning or error in the console.
- Re-render the component, overwriting Target's changes.
- Break interactivity or cause layout shifts.
- Safe integration strategies:
- Prefer pre-hydration configuration: Use global variables or feature flags that React reads during its initial render.
- Avoid DOM manipulation before hydration unless you're certain the component won't be hydrated.
- If you must modify the DOM, wait until hydration is complete---typically by using requestIdleCallback, setTimeout, or a MutationObserver.
Other ways Target can work with React
Existing attribute tags
For some changes you can use VEC modifications or custom modifications if the change is applied similar to how React will update the DOM (e.g., SPA's [single page application] on a route change). For example, if from one route/view to another you expect React to update the IMG source attribute of a particular IMG tag, it is likely safe to change that image source attribute via Target VEC on a particular view. If you are only modifying the portion that React will be updating those changes should work fine without breaking later React changes.
New attribute tags
Also, you can add attributes (e.g., styles) to elements controlled by React. If you want a change to only apply to one view and not other views of the SPA, you can create a second Target activity to revert or reset the style change on the other views (using a page delivery rule within your activity to accommodate those views).
Inserting HTML
Additionally, you can potentially insert a new html block (i.e., DIV) within areas controlled by React. While this is possible to do you should use it with caution, and make sure it behaves as expected in your React setup. When you insert a new DIV within a React-controlled part of the DOM, if the next view of the SPA overwrites that area entirely (like a different page layout), the change will organically be removed. However, if the subsequent view of the SPA doesn't overwrite the parent element where you inserted your DIV, you would need to explicitly remove the inserted DIV if it doesn't belong there anymore. You could do so with a complementary Target activity (or additional pages on your activity experience) that deletes the inserted DIV. A custom modification added to the body like so would work:
<script>
(function () {
let el = document.querySelector("#ELEMENT_ID");
if (el) {
el.remove();
}
})();
</script>
Note: the ELEMENT_ID portion should be updated with the id value of the DIV you inserted.
Final Thoughts
React and Adobe Target can work together effectively---but you should respect React's rendering model. The safest and most scalable approach is to pass configuration through props or global variables, or to expose functions that Target can call. Avoid direct DOM manipulation unless your aware how to make changes in a way that will not interfere with later React updates. And be cautious with SSR and hydration timing.