---
title: "Introduction"
description: "How Autumn's React hooks work"
---

## How Hooks Work

Autumn's React hooks connect to your backend via the `autumnHandler`. When you call a hook, it makes a request to your backend route (e.g., `/api/autumn`), which securely communicates with Autumn's API using your secret key.

All hooks are built on [TanStack Query](https://tanstack.com/query) and return standard query results (`data`, `isLoading`, `error`, `refetch`). You can pass `queryOptions` to customize caching, refetching, and other query behaviors.

## Shared Options

Every hook accepts a `queryOptions` parameter that forwards to TanStack Query's `useQuery`:

```tsx
const { data } = useCustomer({
  queryOptions: {
    enabled: isAuthenticated,
    staleTime: 1000 * 60 * 5, // 5 minutes
    refetchInterval: 1000 * 30, // 30 seconds
  },
});
```

Common options:
- `enabled` - Whether the query should run automatically
- `staleTime` - How long data is considered fresh (ms)
- `refetchInterval` - Polling interval (ms)
- `refetchOnWindowFocus` - Refetch when window regains focus

See the [TanStack Query docs](https://tanstack.com/query/latest/docs/framework/react/reference/useQuery) for all available options.