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apalchys/react-cap

Analysis updated 2026-08-10 · repo last pushed 2018-01-19

JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5DormantSetup · moderate

TLDR

A JavaScript library for managing web page metadata like titles and meta tags in React apps. It's a fork of react-helmet that removes tracking attributes and fixes server-side streaming issues.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Manages page metadata
      Fork of react-helmet
      Removes tracking attributes
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      React
      webpack
    Use cases
      Server-rendered React apps
      Streaming HTML output
      SEO meta tag management
    Audience
      React developers
      Full-stack developers
    Key features
      data-ignore-metadata attribute
      Style-loader compatibility
      React 16 streaming support

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Manage page titles and meta description tags in a server-rendered React app that streams HTML to the browser.

USE CASE 2

Use it as a drop-in replacement for react-helmet when you don't want data-react-helmet attributes in your HTML.

USE CASE 3

Control which HTML elements react-cap should leave untouched using the data-ignore-metadata attribute.

USE CASE 4

Configure react-cap to work alongside webpack's style-loader without stripping injected style tags.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptReactwebpack

How does it compare?

apalchys/react-cap00kaku/gallery-slider-block0verflowme/weirdhta
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2018-01-192021-05-192022-06-16
MaintenanceDormantDormantDormant
Setup difficultymoderateeasymoderate
Complexity2/52/52/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

If using webpack's style-loader, you must configure react-cap to avoid stripping injected style tags.

The explanation does not mention a license, so the licensing terms are unknown.

In plain English

react-cap is a JavaScript tool that helps manage the invisible metadata in a web page's <head> section, things like the page title, meta description tags, and other behind-the-scenes information that browsers and search engines rely on. It's a modified version of an existing, popular library called react-helmet, with one key difference: it removes certain technical markers that the original library leaves behind in the HTML. The original react-helmet adds small attribute tags (specifically data-react-helmet) to HTML elements so it can track which metadata it's managing. This fork strips those out. The tradeoff is that react-cap assumes it's the only thing managing your page's metadata. If you have HTML elements that are set up some other way, react-cap might accidentally remove them. To prevent that, you can add a special attribute (data-ignore-metadata) to any element you want left alone, either protecting the whole element or just specific attributes. This matters most for developers building server-rendered React applications that use streaming, a technique where the server starts sending HTML to the browser before the full page is ready. The original react-helmet had issues working smoothly with React 16's streaming interface, and this package was built to solve that problem. A related project called react-html-metadata is referenced for those who need full server-side streaming support. One practical gotcha: if a developer is using webpack's style-loader to handle CSS, react-cap might strip out the style tags it injects. The README includes specific configuration instructions to tell react-cap to leave those tags alone. Beyond these modifications, the package works exactly like react-helmet, and the README directs readers to the original react-helmet documentation for full usage details.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I have a server-rendered React app using React 16's streaming API. Show me how to use react-cap to manage my page title and meta description tags without the data-react-helmet attributes showing up in my HTML.
Prompt 2
I'm using webpack's style-loader in my React project and react-cap is stripping out my injected style tags. Write the configuration code to tell react-cap to leave my style tags alone.
Prompt 3
I have some HTML meta tags in my React app that are set up outside of react-cap and I don't want them removed. Show me how to use the data-ignore-metadata attribute to protect specific elements and attributes.
Prompt 4
Migrate my existing react-helmet usage to react-cap, keeping the same API but ensuring no data-react-helmet attributes are left in the rendered HTML.
Prompt 5
Set up react-cap in a React 16 streaming server renderer so that metadata like title and meta tags are correctly managed during HTML streaming.

Frequently asked questions

What is react-cap?

A JavaScript library for managing web page metadata like titles and meta tags in React apps. It's a fork of react-helmet that removes tracking attributes and fixes server-side streaming issues.

What language is react-cap written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, React, webpack.

Is react-cap actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2018-01-19).

What license does react-cap use?

The explanation does not mention a license, so the licensing terms are unknown.

How hard is react-cap to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is react-cap for?

Mainly developer.

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