Check if element exists in jQuery

How do I check if an element exists if the element is created by .append() method? $('elemId').length doesn't work for me.

> $('elemId').length doesn't work for > me.

You need to put # before element id:

$('#elemId').length
---^

---

With vanilla JavaScript, you don't need the hash (#) e.g. document.getElementById('id_here') , however when using jQuery, you do need to put hash to target elements based on id just like CSS.

Try to check the length of the selector, if it returns you something then the element must exists else not.

 if( $('#selector').length )         // use this if you are using id to check
{
     // it exists
}


 if( $('.selector').length )         // use this if you are using class to check
{
     // it exists
}

Try this:

if ($("#mydiv").length > 0){
  // do something here
}

The length property will return zero if element does not exists.

> How do I check if an element exists

if ($("#mydiv").length){  }

If it is 0, it will evaluate to false, anything more than that true.

There is no need for a greater than, less than comparison.

your elemId as its name suggests, is an Id attribute, these are all you can do to check if it exists:

Vanilla JavaScript: in case you have more advanced selectors:

//you can use it for more advanced selectors
if(document.querySelectorAll("#elemId").length){}

if(document.querySelector("#elemId")){}

//you can use it if your selector has only an Id attribute
if(document.getElementById("elemId")){}

jQuery:

if(jQuery("#elemId").length){}

You can also use array-like notation and check for the first element. The first element of an empty array or collection is simply undefined, so you get the "normal" javascript truthy/falsy behaviour:

var el = $('body')[0];
if (el) {
    console.log('element found', el);
}
if (!el) {
    console.log('no element found');
}

You can use native JS to test for the existence of an object:

if (document.getElementById('elemId') instanceof Object){
    // do something here
}

Don't forget, jQuery is nothing more than a sophisticated (and very useful) wrapper around native Javascript commands and properties

If you have a class on your element, then you can try the following:

if( $('.exists_content').hasClass('exists_content') ){
 //element available
}