How Do I View Events Fired on an Element in Chrome Devtools?

When working with JavaScript, it’s often necessary to debug and monitor events fired on specific elements. Chrome DevTools provides a convenient way to view these events, allowing developers to track and analyze the behavior of their code. In this article, we will explore how to view events fired on an element using Chrome DevTools.

Method 1: Event Listeners Tab

Chrome DevTools includes an Event Listeners tab that displays all the event listeners attached to an element. This tab provides detailed information about the event type, listener function, and event capture or bubble phase.

To view events fired on an element using the Event Listeners tab:

1. Open Chrome DevTools by right-clicking on the element and selecting “Inspect” or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Option + I (Mac).
2. In the Elements panel, locate the desired element.
3. Switch to the Event Listeners tab in the right-hand panel.
4. Expand the event type to view the associated listener functions.

Here’s an example code snippet:

const button = document.querySelector('#myButton');
button.addEventListener('click', () => {
  console.log('Button clicked!');
});

By inspecting the button element in Chrome DevTools and navigating to the Event Listeners tab, you will see the click event listed along with the corresponding listener function.

Method 2: Console Logging

Another way to view events fired on an element is by using console logging. This method allows you to log specific events and their associated data directly to the console.

To log events fired on an element to the console:

1. Open Chrome DevTools by right-clicking on the element and selecting “Inspect” or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + I (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Option + I (Mac).
2. In the Elements panel, locate the desired element.
3. Switch to the Console tab in the right-hand panel.
4. Execute JavaScript code to log events. For example:

const button = document.querySelector('#myButton');
button.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
  console.log('Button clicked!', event);
});

Running this code will log the click event along with the event object to the console whenever the button is clicked.

These methods provide valuable insights into the events fired on an element, helping developers understand and troubleshoot their code more effectively. Whether you prefer using the Event Listeners tab or console logging, Chrome DevTools offers powerful tools for event monitoring and debugging.