Tanstack Svelte Table Getting Started

This skill builds on @tanstack/table-core#core and @tanstack/table-core#table-features. Read them first for the headless model and feature registration.

Setup

Keep features and columns outside reactive work; expose changing rune values through getters.

<script lang="ts">
  import {
    createTable,
    FlexRender,
    tableFeatures,
  } from '@tanstack/svelte-table'

  type Person = { firstName: string; age: number }
  const features = tableFeatures({})
  const columns = [
    { accessorKey: 'firstName', header: 'First name' },
    { accessorKey: 'age', header: 'Age' },
  ]
  let data = $state<Person[]>([{ firstName: 'Ada', age: 36 }])

  const table = createTable({
    features,
    columns,
    get data() {
      return data
    },
  })
</script>

<table>
  <thead>
    {#each table.getHeaderGroups() as group (group.id)}
      <tr
        >{#each group.headers as header (header.id)}<th
            >{#if !header.isPlaceholder}<FlexRender {header} />{/if}</th
          >{/each}</tr
      >
    {/each}
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    {#each table.getRowModel().rows as row (row.id)}
      <tr
        >{#each row.getAllCells() as cell (cell.id)}<td
            ><FlexRender {cell} /></td
          >{/each}</tr
      >
    {/each}
  </tbody>
</table>

Core Patterns

Add only the processing feature you need

import {
  createSortedRowModel,
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortFn_alphanumeric,
  tableFeatures,
} from '@tanstack/svelte-table'

export const features = tableFeatures({
  rowSortingFeature,
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(),
  sortFns: { alphanumeric: sortFn_alphanumeric },
})

The row-model slot follows its prerequisite feature in the same call. Import individual sortFn_* built-ins and register only the ones your columns reference; the full sortFns registry object still works but bundles every built-in.

Treat markup and styles as application code

With core-only tableFeatures({}), render row.getAllCells(). Use visibility-aware APIs such as row.getVisibleCells() only after registering columnVisibilityFeature. Call feature APIs from real Svelte event handlers. Table supplies no component-library markup, CSS, or accessibility behavior.

Common Mistakes

HIGH Passing a rune snapshot as data

Wrong:

const table = createTable({ features, columns, data })

Correct:

const table = createTable({
  features,
  columns,
  get data() {
    return data
  },
})

The getter makes $effect.pre observe current rune data rather than the value captured at construction.

Source: packages/svelte-table/src/createTable.svelte.ts

HIGH Using the removed v8 constructor

Wrong:

const table = createSvelteTable({
  data,
  columns,
  getCoreRowModel: getCoreRowModel(),
})

Correct:

const table = createTable({
  features,
  columns,
  get data() {
    return data
  },
})

V9 requires Svelte 5, createTable, and explicit features; the core row model is automatic.

Source: docs/framework/svelte/guide/migrating.md

HIGH Omitting a feature behind an API

Wrong:

const features = tableFeatures({})
table.setSorting([{ id: 'age', desc: true }])

Correct:

const features = tableFeatures({ rowSortingFeature })

Feature state and APIs exist only when that feature is registered.

Source: docs/framework/svelte/guide/migrating.md

API Discovery

Inspect node_modules/@tanstack/svelte-table/dist/index.d.ts, then the exported implementation. Inspect core and feature APIs through node_modules/@tanstack/table-core/dist/index.d.ts and dist/features/<feature>/.