From ec06a99fdb3d7f21f292da9bc2882832f96d7692 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ayush Kumar Singh <ayushks1602@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:45:17 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix(client): debounce challenge submissions (#67039)

---
 .../templates/Challenges/classic/editor.tsx   |  7 +-
 .../utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.test.tsx  | 72 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.tsx       | 31 +++++++-
 3 files changed, 102 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.test.tsx

diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/classic/editor.tsx b/client/src/templates/Challenges/classic/editor.tsx
index 2cd24501474..b4e5cc1fc19 100644
--- a/client/src/templates/Challenges/classic/editor.tsx
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/classic/editor.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import { createSelector } from 'reselect';
 import store from 'store';
 
-import { debounce } from 'lodash-es';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { Loader } from '../../../components/helpers';
 import { LocalStorageThemes } from '../../../redux/types';
@@ -316,10 +315,6 @@ const Editor = (props: EditorProps): JSX.Element => {
 
   const submitChallenge = useSubmit();
 
-  const submitChallengeDebounceRef = useRef(
-    debounce(submitChallenge, 1000, { leading: true, trailing: false })
-  );
-
   const player = useRef<{
     // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
     sampler: any;
@@ -820,7 +815,7 @@ const Editor = (props: EditorProps): JSX.Element => {
     props.executeChallenge();
   }
 
-  const tryToSubmitChallenge = submitChallengeDebounceRef.current;
+  const tryToSubmitChallenge = submitChallenge;
 
   // TODO: there's a potential performance gain to be had by only updating when
   // the outputViewZone has actually changed.
diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.test.tsx b/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c775e1b6b51
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { renderHook, act } from '@testing-library/react';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import { useSubmit } from './fetch-all-curriculum-data';
+
+const { mockDispatch } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  mockDispatch: vi.fn()
+}));
+
+vi.mock('react-redux', () => ({
+  useDispatch: () => mockDispatch
+}));
+
+vi.mock('gatsby', () => ({
+  graphql: vi.fn(),
+  useStaticQuery: () => ({
+    allChallengeNode: { nodes: [] },
+    allCertificateNode: { nodes: [] },
+    allSuperBlockStructure: { nodes: [] }
+  })
+}));
+
+describe('useSubmit', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    mockDispatch.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.runOnlyPendingTimers();
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+  });
+
+  it('should debounce rapid submissions', () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useSubmit());
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current();
+      result.current();
+      result.current();
+    });
+
+    expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1001);
+      result.current();
+    });
+
+    expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('should debounce per hook instance', () => {
+    const { result: first } = renderHook(() => useSubmit());
+    const { result: second } = renderHook(() => useSubmit());
+
+    act(() => {
+      first.current();
+      second.current();
+    });
+
+    expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+
+    act(() => {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1001);
+      first.current();
+      second.current();
+    });
+
+    expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(4);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.tsx b/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.tsx
index 9022f8cd9c5..ed836e68661 100644
--- a/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.tsx
+++ b/client/src/templates/Challenges/utils/fetch-all-curriculum-data.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
 import { useStaticQuery, graphql } from 'gatsby';
+import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 
 import { submitChallenge } from '../redux/actions';
 import { curriculumData } from '../../../services/curriculum-data';
@@ -8,7 +9,8 @@ import type {
   ChallengeNode,
   SuperBlockStructure
 } from '../../../redux/prop-types';
-import { useEffect } from 'react';
+
+const SUBMIT_DEBOUNCE_MS = 1000;
 
 interface AllCurriculumData {
   allChallengeNode: { nodes: ChallengeNode[] };
@@ -87,6 +89,31 @@ export function useSubmit() {
   // Ensure curriculum data is loaded before challenge submission
   useFetchAllCurriculumData();
   const dispatch = useDispatch();
+  const isSubmitLockedRef = useRef(false);
+  const submitLockTimeoutRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(
+    null
+  );
 
-  return () => dispatch(submitChallenge());
+  useEffect(
+    () => () => {
+      if (submitLockTimeoutRef.current !== null) {
+        clearTimeout(submitLockTimeoutRef.current);
+      }
+    },
+    []
+  );
+
+  return () => {
+    if (isSubmitLockedRef.current) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    isSubmitLockedRef.current = true;
+    submitLockTimeoutRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
+      isSubmitLockedRef.current = false;
+      submitLockTimeoutRef.current = null;
+    }, SUBMIT_DEBOUNCE_MS);
+
+    return dispatch(submitChallenge());
+  };
 }