Document: elementFromPoint() method

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since January 2020.

The elementFromPoint() method, available on the Document object, returns the topmost Element at the specified coordinates (relative to the viewport).

If the element at the specified point belongs to another document (for example, the document of an <iframe>), that document's parent element is returned (the <iframe> itself). If the element at the given point is anonymous or XBL generated content, such as a textbox's scroll bars, then the first non-anonymous ancestor element (for example, the textbox) is returned.

Elements with pointer-events set to none will be ignored, and the element below it will be returned.

If the method is run on another document (like an <iframe>'s subdocument), the coordinates are relative to the document where the method is being called.

If the specified point is outside the visible bounds of the document or either coordinate is negative, the result is null.

If you need to find the specific position inside the element, use Document.caretPositionFromPoint().

Syntax

js
elementFromPoint(x, y)

Parameters

x

The horizontal coordinate of a point, relative to the left edge of the current viewport.

y

The vertical coordinate of a point, relative to the top edge of the current viewport.

Return value

The topmost Element object located at the specified coordinates.

Examples

This example creates two buttons which let you set the current color of the paragraph element located under the coordinates (2, 2).

JavaScript

js
function changeColor(newColor) {
  elem = document.elementFromPoint(2, 2);
  elem.style.color = newColor;
}

The changeColor() method obtains the element located at the specified point, then sets that element's current foreground color property to the color specified by the newColor parameter.

HTML

html
<p id="para1">Some text here</p>
<button onclick="changeColor('blue');">Blue</button>
<button onclick="changeColor('red');">Red</button>

The HTML provides the paragraph whose color will be affected, as well as two buttons: one to change the color to blue, and another to change the color to red.

Result

Specifications

Specification
CSSOM View Module
# dom-document-elementfrompoint

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also