target event property

DOM Events Event Object

Definition and Usage

The target event property returns the element that triggered the event.

The target property gets the element where the event initially occurred, unlike currentTarget propertyThe latter always refers to the element that triggered the event listener.

Instance

Example 1

Get the element that triggered a specific event:

alert(event.target);

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Example 2

Use the event.target property and the element.tagName property to find out which element triggered the specified event:

var x = event.target.tagName;

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Syntax

event.target

Technical Details

Return Value: Reference to the object where the event originally occurred.
DOM Version: DOM Level 2 Events

Browser Support

The numbers in the table indicate the first browser version that fully supports this property.

Properties Chrome IE Firefox Safari Opera
target Support 9.0 Support Support Support
DOM Events Event Object