How to Fix Infinite Loop in React useEffect Caused by Objects and Arrays

In React, useEffect compares dependencies using strict reference equality, which means new object or array literals are always treated as changed even if their contents are identical. This causes an infinite loop when a state setter inside useEffect creates a new reference, triggering the effect again repeatedly. Developers can prevent this by limiting effect execution with an empty dependency array, using JSON.stringify for simple content comparison, or adopting useReducer for more complex state logic. Another recommended approach is to add a conditional check before calling the setter, ensuring state is only updated when a real change is needed. For deep comparison of complex objects, third-party hooks like useDeepCompareEffect offer a cleaner alternative to manual workarounds.