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Other References

CSSStyleDeclaration JS Conversion


HTML DOM Element removeChild()

Examples

Remove the first element from a list:

const list = document.getElementById("myList");
list.removeChild(list.firstElementChild);

Before:

  • Coffee
  • Tea
  • Milk

After:

  • Tea
  • Milk

Try it Yourself »

If a list has child nodes, remove the first (index 0):

const list = document.getElementById("myList");

if (list.hasChildNodes()) {
  list.removeChild(list.children[0]);
}
Try it Yourself »

Remove all child nodes from a list:

const list = document.getElementById("myList");

while (list.hasChildNodes()) {
  list.removeChild(list.firstChild);
}
Try it Yourself »

More examples below.


Definition and Usage

The removeChild() method removes an element's child.

Note

The child is removed from the Document Object Model (the DOM).

However, the returned node can be modified and inserted back into the DOM (See "More Examples").

See Also:

The remove() Method

The appendChild() Method

The insertBefore() Method

The replaceChild() Method

The childNodes Property

The firstChild Property

The lastChild Property

The firstElementChild Property

The lastElementChild Property


Syntax

element.removeChild(node)
or
node.removeChild(node)

Parameters

Parameter Description
node Required.
The node (element) to remove.

Return Value

Type Description
NodeThe removed node (element).
null if the child does not exist.


More Examples

Remove an element from its parent node:

element.parentNode.removeChild(element);
Try it Yourself »

Example

Remove an element from its parent, and insert it again:

const element = document.getElementById("myLI");

function removeLi() {
  element.parentNode.removeChild(element);
}
function appendLi() {
  const list = document.getElementById("myList");
  list.appendChild(element);
}
Try it Yourself »

Note

Use appendChild() or insertBefore() to insert a removed node into the same document.

Use document.adoptNode() or document.importNode() to insert it into another document.

Example

Remove an element from its parent and insert it into another document:

const child = document.getElementById("mySpan");

function remove() {
  child.parentNode.removeChild(child);
}

function insert() {
  const frame = document.getElementsByTagName("IFRAME")[0]
  const h = frame.contentWindow.document.getElementsByTagName("H1")[0];
  const x = document.adoptNode(child);
  h.appendChild(x);
}
Try it Yourself »

Browser Support

element.removeChild() is a DOM Level 1 (1998) feature.

It is fully supported in all browsers:

Chrome IE Edge Firefox Safari Opera
Yes 9-11 Yes Yes Yes Yes