like-gold•3w ago

upgrade from v4 to v5

do I need to upgrade from v4 to v5? Is v4 still supported by dev team?

47 Replies

Hi @Lyra. I'm kapa.ai, your friendly support bot. I will try to answer your question by searching through the knowledge base. :wave: ---------------------- Based on the available knowledge sources, Refine v4 is still supported and maintained by the development team. The team has focused on ensuring stability and backward compatibility for v4, and there is no indication that v4 is deprecated or unsupported at this time. In fact, the team has been cautious about introducing breaking changes and is planning the v5 upgrade (which will include TanStack Query v5 and React 19 support) carefully to ensure a smooth transition for users. They have also provided migration tools and codemods to make upgrades between major versions as seamless as possible, allowing users to upgrade at their own pace when they are ready for new features or compatibility requirements React-admin vs Refine - Backward Compatibility. You do not need to upgrade to v5 immediately unless you require features or compatibility (such as React 19 or TanStack Query v5) that will only be available in v5. The dev team continues to support v4, and you can expect migration guides and tools to be available when you decide to upgrade in the future. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai any place to get refine template or boilerplate for quick start?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, there are several ways to get Refine templates or boilerplates for a quick start: 1. Official Scaffolding Tools
- Browser-based Scaffolder: You can use the Refine browser-based scaffolder to create a new project by selecting your preferred platform, UI framework, backend, and authentication options. After making your selections, you can download the complete project code and use it as a starting point Quick Start Guide, Development Guide. - CLI-based Scaffolder: Run the following command in your terminal to quickly bootstrap a new Refine project:

     npm create refine-app@latest

     npm create refine-app@latest

This will guide you through options and generate a ready-to-use project Quick Start Guide. 2. Example Templates
You can also start with ready-made templates and examples by running:

   npm create refine-app@latest -- --example <template-name>

   npm create refine-app@latest -- --example <template-name>

For example: - Ant Design template:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-antd

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-antd

- Chakra UI template:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-chakra-ui

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-chakra-ui

- Mantine template:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-mantine

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-mantine

- Headless template:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-headless

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example template-headless

- Minimal CRM app:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example app-crm-minimal

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example app-crm-minimal

- Starter Vite template:

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example starter-vite

     npm create refine-app@latest -- --example starter-vite

These templates are available in the Refine examples repository and can be tried locally or on CodeSandbox template-antd example, template-chakra-ui example, template-mantine example, template-headless example, app-crm-minimal example, starter-vite example. These options make it easy to get started with Refine using a template or boilerplate that fits your needs. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.aiI want to install template in different folder

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, you can install a Refine template in a different folder by specifying the target directory name at the end of the npm create refine-app@latest command. For example, to install the app-crm-minimal template in a folder named my-crm-app, use:

npm create refine-app@latest my-crm-app -- --example app-crm-minimal

npm create refine-app@latest my-crm-app -- --example app-crm-minimal

This command will create the project using the selected template inside the my-crm-app directory. After the setup, navigate into the folder and start your project as usual:

cd my-crm-app
npm run dev

cd my-crm-app
npm run dev

This approach works for any template—just replace my-crm-app with your desired folder name and app-crm-minimal with the template you want to use app-crm-minimal example. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai there's no material ui template?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, there are several Material UI templates and examples available for Refine. You can quickly start a project with Material UI integration using the following templates: - Base Material UI template:

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-material-ui

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-material-ui

base-material-ui example - With Material UI and Vite:

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example with-material-ui-vite

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example with-material-ui-vite

with-material-ui-vite example - Remix with Material UI:

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example with-remix-material-ui

  npm create refine-app@latest -- --example with-remix-material-ui

with-remix-material-ui example - Other Material UI examples:
There are also templates for authentication, theming, inferencer, and more, such as: - auth-material-ui - theme-material-ui-demo - inferencer-material-ui - customization-theme-material-ui - finefoods-material-ui - tutorial-material-ui You can find these templates and their usage instructions in the Refine examples repository and use them for a quick start with Material UI. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai any minimal template using material UI?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, there is a minimal template using Material UI for Refine. You can use the base-material-ui example, which provides a simple starting point with Material UI integration. To create a project with this minimal template, run:

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-material-ui

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-material-ui

This will scaffold a minimal Refine project with Material UI in the specified folder. You can find more details and try it out in the base-material-ui example. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai can you process picture?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- I'm sorry, but there's no information in the provided knowledge sources about Refine's ability to directly process pictures (such as image manipulation, analysis, or editing). Refine does provide examples and documentation for uploading and displaying images in CRUD applications, but image processing capabilities are not mentioned in the sources above. If you need to upload or display images, Refine supports that through various UI integrations and upload methods, but for actual image processing, you would need to use additional libraries or services outside of Refine. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai no I mean this chat itself

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- I'm sorry, but the knowledge sources do not contain any information about this chat's ability to process pictures or images. My responses are based solely on the provided Refine documentation and related sources, and there is no mention of image processing capabilities within this chat interface. If you have questions about Refine's features or usage, feel free to ask! ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai add a login page

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- To add a login page in a Refine application using Material UI, you can use the <AuthPage type="login" /> component provided by Refine. Here’s a minimal example of how to set it up in your App.tsx:

import { Refine, Authenticated } from "@refinedev/core";
import dataProvider from "@refinedev/simple-rest";
import routerProvider, { CatchAllNavigate, NavigateToResource } from "@refinedev/react-router";
import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route, Outlet } from "react-router";
import { AuthPage, ThemedLayoutV2, RefineThemes, RefineSnackbarProvider } from "@refinedev/mui";
import { CssBaseline, GlobalStyles } from "@mui/material";
import { ThemeProvider } from "@mui/material/styles";
import { authProvider } from "./authProvider";
import { DashboardPage } from "./pages/dashboard";
const App = () => {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <ThemeProvider theme={RefineThemes.Blue}>
        <CssBaseline />
        <GlobalStyles styles={{ html: { WebkitFontSmoothing: "auto" } }} />
        <RefineSnackbarProvider>
          <Refine
            dataProvider={dataProvider("<https://api.fake-rest.refine.dev">)}
            routerProvider={routerProvider}
            authProvider={authProvider}
          >
            <Routes>
              <Route
                element={
                  <Authenticated fallback={<CatchAllNavigate to="/login" />}>
                    <ThemedLayoutV2>
                      <Outlet />
                    </ThemedLayoutV2>
                  </Authenticated>
                }
              >
                <Route index element={<DashboardPage />} />
              </Route>
              <Route
                element={
                  <Authenticated fallback={<Outlet />}>
                    <NavigateToResource />
                  </Authenticated>
                }
              >
                <Route path="/login" element={<AuthPage type="login" />} />
              </Route>
            </Routes>
          </Refine>
        </RefineSnackbarProvider>
      </ThemeProvider>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
};

import { Refine, Authenticated } from "@refinedev/core";
import dataProvider from "@refinedev/simple-rest";
import routerProvider, { CatchAllNavigate, NavigateToResource } from "@refinedev/react-router";
import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route, Outlet } from "react-router";
import { AuthPage, ThemedLayoutV2, RefineThemes, RefineSnackbarProvider } from "@refinedev/mui";
import { CssBaseline, GlobalStyles } from "@mui/material";
import { ThemeProvider } from "@mui/material/styles";
import { authProvider } from "./authProvider";
import { DashboardPage } from "./pages/dashboard";
const App = () => {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <ThemeProvider theme={RefineThemes.Blue}>
        <CssBaseline />
        <GlobalStyles styles={{ html: { WebkitFontSmoothing: "auto" } }} />
        <RefineSnackbarProvider>
          <Refine
            dataProvider={dataProvider("<https://api.fake-rest.refine.dev">)}
            routerProvider={routerProvider}
            authProvider={authProvider}
          >
            <Routes>
              <Route
                element={
                  <Authenticated fallback={<CatchAllNavigate to="/login" />}>
                    <ThemedLayoutV2>
                      <Outlet />
                    </ThemedLayoutV2>
                  </Authenticated>
                }
              >
                <Route index element={<DashboardPage />} />
              </Route>
              <Route
                element={
                  <Authenticated fallback={<Outlet />}>
                    <NavigateToResource />
                  </Authenticated>
                }
              >
                <Route path="/login" element={<AuthPage type="login" />} />
              </Route>
            </Routes>
          </Refine>
        </RefineSnackbarProvider>
      </ThemeProvider>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
};

This will add a login page at the /login route using Material UI components. Make sure you have an authProvider implemented to handle the authentication logic.
For more details and customization options, see the official documentation: Material UI AuthPage ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai where can I place env validation?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- I'm sorry, but the provided knowledge sources do not explicitly mention where to place environment variable validation in a Refine project. The sources cover how to define and use environment variables in different environments (such as .env, .env.local, etc.) and best practices for managing them in Next.js and Docker, but they do not address validation strategies or recommended locations for validation logic within a Refine application or its supported frameworks Next.js environment variables, Docker Build Args and Env Vars. If you need to validate environment variables, you may need to refer to the documentation of the specific framework you are using with Refine (e.g., Next.js, Create React App, etc.), as this topic is not covered in the Refine documentation or related sources provided. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai what is the first file that runs when I run yarn dev

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- When you run yarn dev (or npm run dev) in a Refine project, the first file that runs depends on the underlying framework or bundler you selected during project setup (such as Vite, Next.js, or Remix). For most Refine projects scaffolded with Vite or Create React App, the entry point is typically the src/index.tsx file, which renders the main App component to the DOM. The App.tsx file is where the main logic of the app lives and where the <Refine /> component is configured and used refine vs RedwoodJS - Internal build. Here’s a typical structure for a Vite or CRA-based Refine app: - src/index.tsx – The entry point that renders the app. - src/App.tsx – The main application component where Refine is configured. If you are using Next.js or Remix, the entry point will be different (e.g., pages/_app.tsx for Next.js). Summary:
For most Vite or CRA-based Refine projects, the first file that runs is src/index.tsx, which then loads src/App.tsx refine vs RedwoodJS - Internal build. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai in project with nextjs, I dont see src/index.tsx

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- In a Refine project using Next.js, you will not find a src/index.tsx file. This is because Next.js uses a different entry point system compared to Vite or Create React App. For Next.js projects, the entry point is typically the pages/_app.tsx file (for the Pages Router) or app/layout.tsx (for the App Router). These files are responsible for initializing your application and wrapping your pages with providers such as Refine. When you run yarn dev, Next.js starts its own server and uses these files to bootstrap your app, not src/index.tsx Next.js Pages Example, Next.js App Example. So, in a Next.js-based Refine project, the first file that runs is usually pages/_app.tsx or app/layout.tsx, not src/index.tsx. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai how refine handle context? for example, I have loggedin user data that I want to pass around

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Refine leverages React’s Context API to manage and share data—such as logged-in user information—across your application. This is a common pattern in React and is well-supported in Refine projects. How Refine Handles Context - Authentication Context:
Refine provides an authProvider interface and related hooks like useGetIdentity and useGetPermissions to access the current user's data throughout your app. When you implement and provide an authProvider, Refine makes user identity and authentication state available via these hooks, which internally use context to propagate the data. For example, you can access the logged-in user's data in any component using:

  import { useGetIdentity } from "@refinedev/core";

  const { data: user } = useGetIdentity();

  import { useGetIdentity } from "@refinedev/core";

  const { data: user } = useGetIdentity();

This approach ensures that user data is accessible anywhere in your component tree without prop drilling Authentication Provider. - Custom Contexts:
If you have additional data to share (beyond what Refine provides), you can create your own React context. The recommended approach is to: 1. Create a context with createContext. 2. Wrap your app (or part of it) with a provider component. 3. Use a custom hook to access the context in child components. Example:

  import React, { createContext, useContext } from "react";

  const UserContext = createContext({ username: "Guest" });

  export const UserProvider: React.FC = ({ children }) => (
    <UserContext.Provider value={{ username: "Alice" }}>
      {children}
    </UserContext.Provider>
  );
export const useUser = () => useContext(UserContext);

  import React, { createContext, useContext } from "react";

  const UserContext = createContext({ username: "Guest" });

  export const UserProvider: React.FC = ({ children }) => (
    <UserContext.Provider value={{ username: "Alice" }}>
      {children}
    </UserContext.Provider>
  );
export const useUser = () => useContext(UserContext);

Then, wrap your app with UserProvider and use useUser() in any component to access the user data How to use the React context API with functional components. - Best Practices:
Refine encourages using custom hooks for context access to keep your codebase clean and maintainable. This pattern is also used internally for authentication and other providers Custom Hooks and Optimizations. In summary:
Refine handles context for user data through its authentication provider and related hooks, and you can extend this with your own contexts using standard React patterns. This allows you to pass logged-in user data (and any other shared state) throughout your app efficiently and cleanly. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•3w ago

@kapa.ai how data from auth provider can be used for data provider?

kapa.ai•3w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Data from the authProvider—such as authentication tokens or user identity—can be used by the dataProvider to authenticate API requests. The typical pattern is: 1. Obtain the token during login:
When a user logs in, the authProvider.login method retrieves the authentication token (e.g., JWT) and stores it (commonly in localStorage). 2. Inject the token into requests:
The dataProvider is configured to include the token in the headers of every API request. This is usually done by: - Creating a custom Axios instance or fetch function that reads the token from storage and sets it in the Authorization header. - Passing this instance to the dataProvider. Example with Axios and REST:

import dataProvider, { axiosInstance } from "@refinedev/nestjsx-crud";

const authProvider = {
  login: async () => {
    // ... obtain token
    axiosInstance.defaults.headers.common["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${localStorage.getItem("token")}`;
  },
  logout: async () => {
    axiosInstance.defaults.headers.common["Authorization"] = undefined;
  },
  // ...
};

<Refine
  dataProvider={dataProvider("<API_URL>", axiosInstance)}
  authProvider={authProvider}
/>

import dataProvider, { axiosInstance } from "@refinedev/nestjsx-crud";

const authProvider = {
  login: async () => {
    // ... obtain token
    axiosInstance.defaults.headers.common["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${localStorage.getItem("token")}`;
  },
  logout: async () => {
    axiosInstance.defaults.headers.common["Authorization"] = undefined;
  },
  // ...
};

<Refine
  dataProvider={dataProvider("<API_URL>", axiosInstance)}
  authProvider={authProvider}
/>

This ensures that every request made by the dataProvider includes the authentication token set by the authProvider NestJS CRUD Data Provider. Example with GraphQL:

const client = new Client({
  url: API_URL,
  fetchOptions: () => ({
    headers: {
      Authorization: `Bearer ${localStorage.getItem("token")}`,
    },
  }),
});
const dataProvider = graphqlDataProvider(client);

const client = new Client({
  url: API_URL,
  fetchOptions: () => ({
    headers: {
      Authorization: `Bearer ${localStorage.getItem("token")}`,
    },
  }),
});
const dataProvider = graphqlDataProvider(client);

Here, the token managed by the authProvider is read from storage and injected into the GraphQL client’s headers GraphQL Data Provider Authentication. Summary:
The authProvider manages authentication state and tokens, and the dataProvider uses this data (usually by reading from storage or a shared Axios instance) to authenticate API requests. This pattern is consistent across REST, GraphQL, and other data providers in Refine. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•3w ago

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like-goldOP•2w ago

@kapa.ai does refine support shadcn out of the box

kapa.ai•2w ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- As of June 2025, Refine has officially announced support for Shadcn UI. The Refine team has fully embraced Shadcn UI, and there is now an official integration, making it possible to use Shadcn UI components seamlessly within Refine applications. This integration leverages Refine's headless architecture, allowing you to build with Shadcn UI out of the box, especially when using Vite as your tooling system. You can find more details and try it out live at ai.refine.dev and see the official announcement in the Refine blog. So, yes—Refine now supports Shadcn UI out of the box. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•2w ago

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like-goldOP•4d ago

@kapa.ai is there a refine mantine template?

kapa.ai•4d ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, there is a Refine Mantine template available. You can quickly start a new project using the Mantine UI framework with Refine by running:

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-mantine

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example base-mantine

This will scaffold a minimal Refine project with Mantine integration. You can find more details and try the template locally or on CodeSandbox as shown in the base-mantine example. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•4d ago

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like-goldOP•4d ago

@kapa.ai is there a similar command with shadcn?

kapa.ai•4d ago

Let me check the knowledge base for you again. One moment! :books: ---------------------- Yes, you can start a Refine project with a Shadcn UI template using the following command:

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example blog-refine-shadcn

npm create refine-app@latest -- --example blog-refine-shadcn

This command will scaffold a Refine project that is already set up with Shadcn UI integration. You can find more details and try this example locally or on CodeSandbox as referenced in the blog-refine-shadcn example and the official Refine blog post about Shadcn UI integration Building a CRUD app with Shadcn UI and Refine. ---------------------- Note: you can ask me a follow up question by @ mentioning me again :speech_balloon: ----------------------

kapa.ai•4d ago

<@903228781127430144> Kapa.ai is still learning and improving, please let me know how I did by reacting below.

upgrade from v4 to v5

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