ng-template and ng-container
Define and host template fragments.
ng-template and ng-container is a free Angular Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 3 of 4. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Angular Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Angular Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
Templates That Do Not Render
<ng-template> defines a chunk of markup that is not rendered until something explicitly instantiates it. It is the foundation of structural directives like *ngIf.
Defining a Template
Content inside <ng-template> stays inert. You give it a reference variable to use it elsewhere.
<ng-template #empty>
<p>No items found.</p>
</ng-template>Rendering with ngTemplateOutlet
Use ngTemplateOutlet to render a template by reference.
<ng-container *ngTemplateOutlet="empty"></ng-container>
<ng-template #empty>
<p>No items found.</p>
</ng-template>Why ng-container?
<ng-container> is a logical, non-DOM grouping element. It lets you apply directives or group nodes without adding an extra wrapper element to the DOM.
Avoiding Wrapper Divs
Without ng-container you might add a useless <div> just to host a directive. ng-container disappears from the rendered output.
<ng-container *ngIf="user">
<h2>{{ user.name }}</h2>
<p>{{ user.email }}</p>
</ng-container>Grouping Control Flow
ng-container is great for wrapping new control-flow blocks without adding DOM.
<ng-container *ngIf="ready">
@for (item of items; track item.id) {
<li>{{ item.name }}</li>
}
</ng-container>Template Context
Templates can receive a context object, exposing values via let- variables.
<ng-template #row let-name="name">
<p>{{ name }}</p>
</ng-template>
<ng-container
*ngTemplateOutlet="row; context: { name: 'Ada' }">
</ng-container>Default Context Value
The special $implicit context value binds to a let- variable with no assigned key.
<ng-template #item let-value>
<span>{{ value }}</span>
</ng-template>
<ng-container
*ngTemplateOutlet="item; context: { $implicit: 42 }">
</ng-container>Templates Are First-Class
A #ref on an <ng-template> is a TemplateRef. You can pass it as an @Input so a component lets consumers customize parts of its UI.
emptyTemplate = input<TemplateRef<unknown>>();ng-container as a Host
ng-container is also handy as an outlet host for dynamic components or templates, keeping the DOM clean.
<ng-container *ngComponentOutlet="widgetComponent">
</ng-container>When to Use Which
ng-template: deferred/reusable markup. ng-container: grouping and hosting directives without extra DOM. They often work together.
Quick Check
Test your understanding of ng-template and ng-container.
Recap
You learned that <ng-template> holds inert, instantiable markup rendered via ngTemplateOutlet (with optional context), and <ng-container> groups nodes or hosts directives without adding DOM.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the “ng-template and ng-container” lesson free?
Yes — any 3 lessons of the Angular Academy learning path, including “ng-template and ng-container”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The Angular Academy course includes 4 lessons in total.
What will I learn in “ng-template and ng-container”?
Define and host template fragments. You practise Angular Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Angular Academy?
No prior experience is required. Angular Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 3 of 4.
How long does the “ng-template and ng-container” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Angular Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Angular Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Single-Slot Content Projection
- Multi-Slot Projection with select
- ng-template and ng-container
- TemplateRef and ViewContainerRef