emaui/node_modules/@reduxjs/toolkit/skills/manage-server-data/adopt-rtk-query/references/endpoint-lifecycle.md

Endpoint Lifecycle

Invalidation rule

When a mutation invalidates tags:

• active subscribers refetch
• inactive cache entries are removed
• removed entries fetch again only when something subscribes later

That behavior is deliberate; invalidation is not a background "refresh everything" switch.

Document cache tradeoff

RTK Query is a document cache, not a normalized entity graph cache.

Use RTK Query by default when:

• the data comes from request/response APIs
• document caching is acceptable
• tag invalidation and endpoint lifecycles solve the problem

Reach for a different tool when:

• the real requirement is a normalized graph cache
• the stack already has a domain-specific normalized client that fits better

If normalized caching is mandatory and no better library is already in the stack, a slice plus thunk flow may be the fallback.

Useful endpoint options

• providesTags: tell RTK Query what cache entries this query represents
• invalidatesTags: tell RTK Query what a mutation dirties
• onQueryStarted: optimistic and pessimistic updates tied to a request
• onCacheEntryAdded: long-lived subscriptions such as streaming data
• keepUnusedDataFor: how long inactive cache entries stay around