0Pricing
HTML Academy · Lesson

The template Element Inert Content

Define HTML that is parsed but not rendered until activated.

What Is the template Element?

The <template> element holds HTML that is parsed but not rendered:

  • Content is in the DOM but not displayed
  • Scripts inside don't execute
  • Images don't load
  • CSS doesn't apply
  • It is 'inert' until cloned

Basic template Usage

Define a template and inspect its content:

<template id="card-template">
  <div class="card">
    <h2 class="card-title"></h2>
    <p class="card-body"></p>
    <a class="card-link">Learn more</a>
  </div>
</template>

<script>
const tmpl = document.getElementById('card-template');
console.log(tmpl.content); // DocumentFragment
console.log(tmpl.content.querySelector('.card')); // The div node
// Not rendered on the page yet
</script>

All lessons in this course

  1. The template Element Inert Content
  2. Cloning Templates with cloneNode
  3. Using template with JavaScript Rendering
  4. Templates vs innerHTML Security
← Back to HTML Academy