expo-data-fetching Skill for Claude: API Calls, Caching and Offline in Expo

Makes your assistant write Expo network code with fetch or React Query, auth tokens, offline support and route loaders.

Installs: 29.6K; on skills.sh
Stars: 4K; on GitHub
Files: 3; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

expo-data-fetching gives your assistant Expo's patterns for network work. It covers fetch with error handling, React Query setup and mutations, retries with backoff, auth token storage and refresh, offline support, request cancellation and environment variables. It also sets rules: prefer expo/fetch over axios, and design loading, error, empty and content states for every screen that loads data.

The file opens with: "You MUST use this skill for ANY networking work including API requests, data fetching, caching, or network debugging." The folder holds 4 files including SKILL.md and bundles no scripts. The README says it comes from the Expo team.

Good for

React Native developers calling APIs from an Expo app
Teams setting up caching and offline-first screens
Developers unsure where to keep auth tokens and API keys

Install expo-data-fetching

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the expo-data-fetching skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

claude plugin install expo@claude-plugins-official

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Claude Code.

The README recommends the plugin for Claude Code and Codex. It installs all 23 skills in the expo plugin folder and also wires up the Expo MCP server (https://mcp.expo.dev/mcp) that the plugin bundles. To take only this skill, use the skills CLI command.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Use when implementing or debugging ANY network request, API call, or data fetching. Covers fetch API, React Query, SWR, error handling, caching, offline support, loading/empty/error screen states, and Expo Router data loaders (`useLoaderData`).

Sections in SKILL.md

References
When to Use
Preferences
Every Screen Has Four States
Common Issues & Solutions
1. Basic Fetch Usage
2. React Query (TanStack Query)
3. Error Handling
4. Authentication
5. Offline Support
6. Environment Variables
7. Request Cancellation
Decision Tree
Common Mistakes
Example Invocations
Submitting Feedback

Key facts

Author: Expo (expo/skills)
Repo: expo/skills
License: MIT (SKILL.md frontmatter and README badge)
Installs on skills.sh: 29,593 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars (whole repo): 4,005 (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Nov 1, 2026
Skill folder: 4 files including SKILL.md: SKILL.md, agents/openai.yaml, 2 reference notes
Official: README: official AI agent skills from the Expo team
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub pass, Socket pass, Snyk pass

What it includes

API requests, React Query or SWR, loaders, network failures, caching, offline, tokens
API requests, React Query or SWR, route loaders, network failures, caching, offline, tokens, API URLs
When to use
Avoid axios; prefer expo/fetch
Preferences
Design loading, error, empty and content states; keep stale data when a refresh fails
Four screen states
Disable repeat submits, keep the draft on failure, restore optimistic edits
Saves preserve work
GET and POST examples with response status checks
Basic fetch
Client setup, queries with offline and error states, mutations that invalidate queries
Query client setup, fetching with offline and error states, mutations that invalidate queries
React Query
A typed ApiError class and retry with exponential backoff
Error handling and retries
Store tokens with expo-secure-store; refresh tokens with a single shared refresh call
Authentication
NetInfo status and offline-first React Query, in the offline-and-cancellation note
Offline support
EXPO_PUBLIC_ variables are inlined at build time; keep secrets out of them
Environment variables
AbortController on unmount, in the offline-and-cancellation note
Request cancellation
Route-level data loading with useLoaderData on web, SDK 55+, in a reference note
Expo Router loaders
Which approach for caching, auth, errors, offline and config; wrong versus right examples
Decision tree and common mistakes
Runs npx --yes @expo/agent-cli@latest feedback for specific errors in the skill
Runs code · Submit feedback to Expo

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

This skill edits code in your Expo project and can run a feedback command that reports to Expo. Review the diff and keep secrets out of EXPO_PUBLIC_ variables.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It can send a report to Expo
SKILL.md tells the assistant to run npx --yes @expo/agent-cli@latest feedback for specific errors in the skill, or when it repeatedly fails an Expo task. The report describes the task and what went wrong, so check it first. github.com
The plugin route adds more than this skill
The plugin folder has 23 skills and a config for the Expo MCP server at mcp.expo.dev. The README says that server can read docs, install dependencies, trigger EAS builds and screenshot a simulator. Use the skills CLI command to take only this skill. github.com

Technical details

Talks to	Expo feedback service, only if the assistant submits feedback. Expo MCP server, only with the plugin route
Scopes	Your Expo project files

Questions

What does expo-data-fetching do?

It teaches your assistant how to write network code in an Expo app: fetch, React Query, error handling, auth tokens, offline support and Expo Router loaders.

How do I install expo-data-fetching?

Use the install box at the top of this page. The README recommends the plugin for Claude Code and Codex, and the skills CLI for Cursor and other agents. Run the skills CLI from your project root and restart the agent session.

Does it use axios?

No. The skill's preference is to avoid axios and use expo/fetch.

Where should API keys go?

The skill says only EXPO_PUBLIC_ variables reach the client bundle, and secrets with write access should never go there. Secret keys belong in non-prefixed variables used only in API routes.

Is expo-data-fetching safe to install?

The folder holds SKILL.md, an agent config file and two reference notes, and bundles no scripts. It edits your project code and can run a feedback command that reports to Expo. Review the diff.

Does it work with Expo Router loaders?

Yes, for web on SDK 55 and later. The skill points to a reference note and says to use React Query or fetch on native.

Is expo-data-fetching official?

The README describes expo/skills as official AI agent skills from the Expo team.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: expo/skills
Folder: plugins/expo/skills/expo-data-fetching

expo/skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 4

expo/skills README · github.com
expo-data-fetching on skills.sh · skills.sh
expo-data-fetching SKILL.md · github.com
expo plugin .mcp.json · github.com