Can I Learn React Using the Official Documentation?

A lot of developers say you should learn a framework from its official documentation - but is that actually a good way to learn React when you’re still a beginner? In this episode, Matt breaks down his experience working through the official React docs, including the Quick Start guide, the Tic-Tac-Toe tutorial, and the “Thinking in React” section. Along the way, he talks about where React starts to click, where the docs shine for beginners, and why understanding project structure, state, and component hierarchy matters so much when you’re trying to move beyond vanilla JavaScript. In this episode Matt and Mike discuss whether the official React documentation is enough for beginners, how React’s learning materials compare to more guided tutorials, and what parts of the docs are especially helpful when you’re trying to build real understanding instead of just copying code. ‍Show Notes: Use our Scrimba affiliate link ( ) for a 20% discount!! Full details in show notes.

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Can I Learn React Using the Official Documentation? is an episode from HTML All The Things - Web Development, Web Design, Small Business by Matt Lawrence and Mike Karan.

This episode is 56:34 long.

This episode was published on Mar 10, 2026.

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