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Using dangerouslySetInnerHTML in a React application

Blog post from LogRocket

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Doğacan Bilgili
Word Count
2,165
Language
-
Hacker News Points
-
Summary

The use of the `dangerouslySetInnerHTML` property in React applications, which serves as a replacement for the DOM's `innerHTML` attribute, allows developers to programmatically set HTML content within elements, but poses significant security risks, notably cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. While this method can be beneficial for rendering HTML from sources like rich text editors, it requires careful handling, such as sanitizing content with libraries like DOMPurify to prevent malicious scripts. React 18's introduction of Server Components and concurrent rendering brings additional considerations, as improperly handled `dangerouslySetInnerHTML` can lead to hydration errors and negate performance benefits. To mitigate these risks, developers are encouraged to use alternatives like `react-html-parser` for converting HTML strings into React components, ensuring proper sanitization to enhance security, performance, and SEO outcomes.