HTMLElement: error event

The error event is fired on an element when a resource failed to load, or can't be used. For example, if a script has an execution error or an image can't be found or is invalid.

This event is not cancelable and does not bubble.

Syntax

Use the event name in methods like addEventListener(), or set an event handler property.

js
addEventListener("error", (event) => { })

onerror = (event) => { }

Event type

The event object is a UIEvent instance if it was generated from a user interface element, or an Event instance otherwise.

Event UIEvent

Examples

Live example

HTML

html
<div class="controls">
  <button id="img-error" type="button">Generate image error</button>
  <img src="bad-image.jpg" class="bad-img" alt="I don't exist" />
</div>

<div class="event-log">
  <label for="eventLog">Event log:</label>
  <textarea
    readonly
    class="event-log-contents"
    rows="8"
    cols="30"
    id="eventLog"></textarea>
</div>

JavaScript

js
const log = document.querySelector(".event-log-contents");

const badImg = document.querySelector(".bad-img");
badImg.addEventListener("error", (event) => {
  log.textContent += `${event.type}: Loading image\n`;
  console.log(event);
});

const imgError = document.querySelector("#img-error");
imgError.addEventListener("click", () => {
  badImg.setAttribute("src", "i-dont-exist");
});

Result

Specifications

Specification
UI Events
# event-type-error
HTML
# event-error

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
error event
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 1 (Release date: 2008-12-11)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 12 (Release date: 2015-07-29)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 1 (Release date: 2004-11-09)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 12.1 (Release date: 2012-11-20)
footnote Full support
Safari – Full support
Safari 1 (Release date: 2003-06-23)
footnote Full support
Chrome Android – Full support
Chrome Android 18 (Release date: 2012-06-27)
footnote Full support
Firefox for Android – Full support
Firefox for Android 4 (Release date: 2011-03-29)
footnote Full support
Opera Android – Full support
Opera Android 12.1 (Release date: 2012-10-09)
footnote Full support
Safari on iOS – Full support
Safari on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support
Samsung Internet – Full support
Samsung Internet 1 (Release date: 2013-04-27)
footnote Full support
WebView Android – Full support
WebView Android 4.4 (Release date: 2013-12-09)
footnote Full support
WebView on iOS – Full support
WebView on iOS 1 (Release date: 2007-06-29)
footnote Full support

Legend

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

Full support
Full support

See also

  • Related events
    • Window: error event
    • HTMLElement: load event