Reducing ActiveRecord Callback Chains by 80% Using POROs

📰 Dev.to · Alex Aslam

Learn how to reduce ActiveRecord callback chains by 80% using Plain Old Ruby Objects (POROs) to improve code organization and readability

intermediate Published 8 Jul 2025

Action Steps

Identify complex ActiveRecord callback chains in your codebase
Extract business logic into POROs to separate concerns
Use POROs to encapsulate callback logic and reduce dependencies
Test and refactor your code to ensure the new implementation is working as expected
Monitor and maintain your codebase to prevent callback chains from forming again

Who Needs to Know This

Developers and software engineers working with Ruby on Rails can benefit from this technique to simplify their codebase and reduce technical debt

Key Insight

💡 Using POROs can help reduce ActiveRecord callback chains by 80%, making your code more organized and readable

Full Article

"Our callback hell was so bad, even Rails creators would’ve cried." ActiveRecord callbacks...