JavaScript Events

Last Updated : 15 Jun, 2026

JavaScript Events are actions or occurrences that happen in the browser. They can be triggered by various user interactions or by the browser itself.

HTML 
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<html>
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<script>
    function myFun() {
        document.getElementById(
            "gfg").innerHTML = "GeeksforGeeks";
    }
</script>

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<body>
    <button onclick="myFun()">Click me</button>
    <p id="gfg"></p>
</body>
</html>
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  • The onclick attribute in the <button> calls the myFun() function when clicked.
  • The myFun() function updates the <p> element with id="gfg" by setting its innerHTML to "GeeksforGeeks".
  • Initially, the <p> is empty, and its content changes dynamically on button click.

Event Types

JavaScript supports a variety of event types. Common categories include:

  • Mouse Events: click, dblclick, mousemove, mouseover, mouseout
  • Keyboard Events: keydown, keypress, keyup
  • Form Events: submit, change, focus, blur
  • Window Events: load, resize, scroll

Common JavaScript Events

  • onclick: Triggered when an element is clicked.
  • onmouseover: Fired when the mouse pointer moves over an element.
  • onmouseout: Occurs when the mouse pointer leaves an element.
  • onkeydown: Fired when a key is pressed down.
  • onkeyup: Fired when a key is released.
  • onchange: Triggered when the value of an input element changes.
  • onload: Occurs when a page has finished loading.
  • onsubmit: Fired when a form is submitted.
  • onfocus: Occurs when an element gets focus.
  • onblur: Fired when an element loses focus.

JavaScript Event Handlers

Event handlers can be used to handle and verify user input, user actions, and browser actions:

  • Things that should be done every time a page loads.
  • Things that should be done when the page is closed.
  • Action that should be performed when a user clicks a button.
  • Content that should be verified when a user inputs data.

There are several ways to handle events in JavaScript:

  • HTML event attributes can execute JavaScript code directly.
  • HTML event attributes can call JavaScript functions.
  • You can assign your own event handler functions to HTML elements.
  • You can prevent events from being sent or being handled.

Event Handling Methods

1. Inline HTML Handlers

<button onclick="alert('Button clicked!')">Click Me</button>

2. DOM Property Handlers

let btn = document.getElementById("myButton");
btn.onclick = () => {
      alert("Button clicked!");
};

3. addEventListener() (Preferred)

btn.addEventListener("click", () => {
    alert("Button clicked using addEventListener!");
});
JavaScript 
// Mouse Event
document.addEventListener("mousemove", (e) => {
    console.log(`Mouse moved to (${e.clientX}, ${e.clientY})`);
});

// Keyboard Event
document.addEventListener("keydown", (e) => {
    console.log(`Key pressed: ${e.key}`);
});
  • The mousemove event tracks cursor movement.
  • The keydown event captures key presses.

addEventListener() is the most versatile and recommended method as it supports multiple event listeners and removal of listeners.

Preventing Default Behavior

Certain elements have default actions (e.g., links navigating to URLs). Use preventDefault() to override them.

JavaScript 
document.querySelector("a").addEventListener("click", (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    console.log("Link click prevented");
});

preventDefault() stops the link from navigating.

Practical Applications

1. Form Validation

HTML 
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<html>
<body>
    <h2>Form Validation</h2>
    <form id="example">
        <input type="text" placeholder="Enter something" id="formInput" />
        <button type="submit">Submit</button>
    </form>
<!--Driver Code Ends-->

    <script>
        document.querySelector("#example").addEventListener("submit", (e) => {
            let input = document.querySelector("#formInput");
            if (!input.value) {
                e.preventDefault();
                alert("Input cannot be empty");
            }
        });
    </script>

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</body>

</html>
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2. Dynamic Content

HTML 
<!--Driver Code Starts-->
<html>

<body>
    <h2>Dynamic Content</h2>
    <button id="button">Add Element</button>
<!--Driver Code Ends-->

    <script>
        document.querySelector("#button").addEventListener("click", () => {
            let newDiv = document.createElement("div");
            newDiv.textContent = "New Element Added";
            newDiv.style.margin = "10px 0";
            document.body.appendChild(newDiv);
        });
    </script>

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</body>

</html>
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