---
url: /docs/guide/usage/linter/rules/jest/prefer-hooks-on-top.md
---

### What it does

While hooks can be setup anywhere in a test file, they are always called in a
specific order, which means it can be confusing if they're intermixed with test
cases.

### Why is this bad?

When hooks are mixed with test cases, it becomes harder to understand
the test setup and execution order. This can lead to confusion about
which hooks apply to which tests and when they run. Grouping hooks at
the top of each `describe` block makes the test structure clearer and
more maintainable.

### Examples

Examples of **incorrect** code for this rule:

```javascript
describe("foo", () => {
  beforeEach(() => {
    seedMyDatabase();
  });

  it("accepts this input", () => {
    // ...
  });

  beforeAll(() => {
    createMyDatabase();
  });

  it("returns that value", () => {
    // ...
  });

  describe("when the database has specific values", () => {
    const specificValue = "...";
    beforeEach(() => {
      seedMyDatabase(specificValue);
    });

    it("accepts that input", () => {
      // ...
    });

    it("throws an error", () => {
      // ...
    });

    afterEach(() => {
      clearLogger();
    });

    beforeEach(() => {
      mockLogger();
    });

    it("logs a message", () => {
      // ...
    });
  });

  afterAll(() => {
    removeMyDatabase();
  });
});
```

Examples of **correct** code for this rule:

```javascript
describe("foo", () => {
  beforeAll(() => {
    createMyDatabase();
  });

  beforeEach(() => {
    seedMyDatabase();
  });

  afterAll(() => {
    clearMyDatabase();
  });

  it("accepts this input", () => {
    // ...
  });

  it("returns that value", () => {
    // ...
  });

  describe("when the database has specific values", () => {
    const specificValue = "...";

    beforeEach(() => {
      seedMyDatabase(specificValue);
    });

    beforeEach(() => {
      mockLogger();
    });

    afterEach(() => {
      clearLogger();
    });

    it("accepts that input", () => {
      // ...
    });

    it("throws an error", () => {
      // ...
    });

    it("logs a message", () => {
      // ...
    });
  });
});
```

## How to use

## Version

This rule was added in v0.4.2.

## References