Element: prepend() method

Baseline Widely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since April 2018.

The Element.prepend() method inserts a set of Node objects or strings before the first child of the Element. Strings are inserted as equivalent Text nodes.

Syntax

js
prepend(param1)
prepend(param1, param2)
prepend(param1, param2, /* …, */ paramN)

Parameters

param1, …, paramN

A set of Node objects or strings to insert.

Return value

None (undefined).

Exceptions

HierarchyRequestError DOMException

Thrown when the node cannot be inserted at the specified point in the hierarchy.

Examples

Prepending an element

js
let div = document.createElement("div");
let p = document.createElement("p");
let span = document.createElement("span");
div.append(p);
div.prepend(span);

console.log(div.childNodes); // NodeList [ <span>, <p> ]

Prepending text

js
let div = document.createElement("div");
div.append("Some text");
div.prepend("Headline: ");

console.log(div.textContent); // "Headline: Some text"

Prepending an element and text

js
let div = document.createElement("div");
let p = document.createElement("p");
div.prepend("Some text", p);

console.log(div.childNodes); // NodeList [ #text "Some text", <p> ]

The prepend method is unscopable

The prepend() method is not scoped into the with statement. See Symbol.unscopables for more information.

js
let div = document.createElement("div");

with (div) {
  prepend("foo");
}
// ReferenceError: prepend is not defined

Specifications

Specification
DOM
# ref-for-dom-parentnode-prepend①

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Chrome Android
Firefox for Android
Opera Android
Safari on iOS
Samsung Internet
WebView Android
WebView on iOS
prepend
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 54 (Release date: 2016-10-12)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 17 (Release date: 2018-04-30)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 49 (Release date: 2016-09-20)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 41 (Release date: 2016-10-25)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 10 (Release date: 2016-09-20)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 54 (Release date: 2016-10-19)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 49 (Release date: 2016-09-20)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 41 (Release date: 2016-10-25)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 10 (Release date: 2016-09-13)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 6 (Release date: 2017-08-23)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 54 (Release date: 2016-10-19)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 10 (Release date: 2016-09-13)
footnote Full support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support

See also