Get selected option text with JavaScript

I have a dropdown list like this:

<select id="box1">
<option value="98">dog</option>
<option value="7122">cat</option>
<option value="142">bird</option>
</select>

How can I get the actual option text rather than the value using JavaScript? I can get the value with something like:

<select id="box1" onChange="myNewFunction(this.selectedIndex);" >

But rather than 7122 I want cat.

Try options

function myNewFunction(sel) {
  alert(sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].text);
}

<select id="box1" onChange="myNewFunction(this);">
  <option value="98">dog</option>
  <option value="7122">cat</option>
  <option value="142">bird</option>
</select>

Plain JavaScript

var sel = document.getElementById("box1");
var text= sel.options[sel.selectedIndex].text;

jQuery:

$("#box1 option:selected").text();

All these functions and random things, I think it is best to use this, and do it like this:

this.options[this.selectedIndex].text

There are two solutions, as far as I know.

> both that just need using vanilla javascript

1 selectedOptions

> live demo

const log = console.log;
const areaSelect = document.querySelector(`[id="area"]`);

areaSelect.addEventListener(`change`, (e) => {
  // log(`e.target`, e.target);
  const select = e.target;
  const value = select.value;
  const desc = select.selectedOptions[0].text;
  log(`option desc`, desc);
});

<div class="select-box clearfix">
  <label for="area">Area</label>
  <select id="area">
    <option value="101">A1</option>
    <option value="102">B2</option>
    <option value="103">C3</option>
  </select>
</div>

2 options

> live demo

const log = console.log;
const areaSelect = document.querySelector(`[id="area"]`);

areaSelect.addEventListener(`change`, (e) => {
  // log(`e.target`, e.target);
  const select = e.target;
  const value = select.value;
  const desc = select.options[select.selectedIndex].text;
  log(`option desc`, desc);
});

<div class="select-box clearfix">
  <label for="area">Area</label>
  <select id="area">
    <option value="101">A1</option>
    <option value="102">B2</option>
    <option value="103">C3</option>
  </select>
</div>

---

HTML:

<select id="box1" onChange="myNewFunction(this);">

JavaScript:

function myNewFunction(element) {
    var text = element.options[element.selectedIndex].text;
    // ...
}

DEMO: http://jsfiddle.net/6dkun/1/

Use -

$.trim($("select").children("option:selected").text())   //cat

Here is the fiddle - http://jsfiddle.net/eEGr3/

To get it on React with Typescript:

  const handleSelectChange: React.ChangeEventHandler<HTMLSelectElement> = (event) => {
    const {  options, selectedIndex } = event.target;
    const text = options[selectedIndex].text;
    // Do something...
  };

Using vanilla JavaScript

onChange = { e => e.currentTarget.options[e.selectedIndex].text }

will give you exact value if values are inside a loop.

Using jquery.
In your event

  let selText = $("#box1 option:selected").text();
  console.log(selText);

You'll need to get the innerHTML of the option, and not its value.

Use this.innerHTML instead of this.selectedIndex.

Edit: You'll need to get the option element first and then use innerHTML.

Use this.text instead of this.selectedIndex.

 <select class="cS" onChange="fSel2(this.value);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select>

 <select id="iS1" onChange="fSel(options[this.selectedIndex].value);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select><br>

 <select id="iS2" onChange="fSel3(options[this.selectedIndex].text);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select>

 <select id="iS3" onChange="fSel3(options[this.selectedIndex].textContent);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select>

 <select id="iS4" onChange="fSel3(options[this.selectedIndex].label);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select>

 <select id="iS4" onChange="fSel3(options[this.selectedIndex].innerHTML);">
     <option value="0">S?lectionner</option>
     <option value="1">Un</option>
     <option value="2" selected>Deux</option>
     <option value="3">Trois</option>
 </select>

 <script type="text/javascript"> "use strict";
   const s=document.querySelector(".cS");

 // options[this.selectedIndex].value
 let fSel = (sIdx) => console.log(sIdx,
     s.options[sIdx].text, s.options[sIdx].textContent, s.options[sIdx].label);

 let fSel2= (sIdx) => { // this.value
     console.log(sIdx, s.options[sIdx].text,
         s.options[sIdx].textContent, s.options[sIdx].label);
 }

 // options[this.selectedIndex].text
 // options[this.selectedIndex].textContent
 // options[this.selectedIndex].label
 // options[this.selectedIndex].innerHTML
 let fSel3= (sIdx) => {
     console.log(sIdx);
 }
 </script> // fSel

But :

 <script type="text/javascript"> "use strict";
    const x=document.querySelector(".cS"),
          o=x.options, i=x.selectedIndex;
    console.log(o[i].value,
                o[i].text , o[i].textContent , o[i].label , o[i].innerHTML);
 </script> // .cS"

And also this :

 <select id="iSel" size="3">
     <option value="one">Un</option>
     <option value="two">Deux</option>
     <option value="three">Trois</option>
 </select>
 
 
 <script type="text/javascript"> "use strict";
    const i=document.getElementById("iSel");
    for(let k=0;k<i.length;k++) {
        if(k == i.selectedIndex) console.log("Selected ".repeat(3));
        console.log(`${Object.entries(i.options)[k][1].value}`+
                    ` => ` +
                    `${Object.entries(i.options)[k][1].innerHTML}`);
        console.log(Object.values(i.options)[k].value ,
                    " => ",
                    Object.values(i.options)[k].innerHTML);
        console.log("=".repeat(25));
    }
 </script>

You can get an array-like object that contains the selected item(s) with the method getSelected() method. like this:

querySelector('#box1').getSelected()

so you can extract the text with the .textContent attribute. like this:

querySelector('#box1').getSelected()[0].textContent 

If you have a multiple selection box you can loop through array-like object I hope it helps you

function runCode() {
  var value = document.querySelector('#Country').value;
  window.alert(document.querySelector(`#Country option[value=${value}]`).innerText);
}

<select name="Country" id="Country">
   <option value="IN">India</option>
   <option value="GBR">United Kingdom </option>
   <option value="USA">United States </option>
   <option value="URY">Uruguay </option>
   <option value="UZB">Uzbekistan </option>
</select>

<button onclick="runCode()">Run</button>

I just copy all amazon.com "select list", you can see demo from following image.gif link.

I love amazon.com "select/option" css style and javascript tricks...

try it now....

/***javascript code***/
  document.querySelector("#mySelect").addEventListener("click", () => {
    var x = document.querySelector("#mySelect").selectedIndex;
    let optionText = document.getElementsByTagName("option")[x].innerText;
    document.querySelector(".nav-search-label").innerText = optionText;
  });

/***style.css***/
  .nav-left {
    display: -webkit-box;
    display: -moz-box;
    display: -webkit-flex;
    display: -ms-flexbox;
    display: flex;
    position: static;
    float: none;
  }
  .nav-search-scope {
    display: -webkit-box;
    display: -moz-box;
    display: -webkit-flex;
    display: -ms-flexbox;
    display: flex;
    position: relative;
    float: none;
    top: 0;
    right: 0;
    bottom: 0;
    left: 0;
  }
  .nav-search-facade {
    position: relative;
    float: left;
    cursor: default;
    overflow: hidden;
    top: 3px;
  }
  .nav-search-label {
    display: block;
    overflow: hidden;
    white-space: nowrap;
    text-overflow: ellipsis;
    color: #555;
    font-size: 12px;
    line-height: 33px;
    margin-right: 21px;
    margin-left: 5px;
    min-width: 19px;
  }
  .nav-icon {
    position: absolute;
    top: 14px;
    right: 8px;
    border-style: solid;
    _border-style: dashed;
    border-width: 4px;
    border-color: transparent;
    border-top: 4px solid #666;
    border-bottom-width: 0;
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    font-size: 0;
    line-height: 0;
  }
  .nav-search-dropdown {
    position: absolute;
    display: block;
    top: -1px;
    left: 0;
    height: 35px;
    width: auto;
    font-family: inherit;
    outline: 0;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    cursor: pointer;
    opacity: 0;
    filter: alpha(opacity=0);
    visibility: visible;
    border: 0;
    line-height: 35px;
  }

<!--html code-->
<div class="nav-left">
  <div id="nav-search-dropdown-card">
    <div class="nav-search-scope nav-sprite">
      <div class="nav-search-facade">
        <span class="nav-search-label" style="width: auto">All</span>
        <i class="nav-icon"></i>
      </div>

      <select
        id="mySelect"
        class="nav-search-dropdown searchSelect"
        style="display: block; top: 3px"
        tabindex="0"
        title="Search in"
      >
        <option>All Departments</option>
        <option>Arts &amp; Crafts</option>
        <option>Automotive</option>
        <option>Baby</option>
        <option>Beauty &amp; Personal Care</option>
        <option>Books</option>
        <option>Computers</option>
        <option>Digital Music</option>
        <option>Electronics</option>
        <option>Kindle Store</option>
        <option>Prime Video</option>
        <option>Women's Fashion</option>
        <option>Men's Fashion</option>
        <option>Girls' Fashion</option>
        <option>Boys' Fashion</option>
        <option>Deals</option>
        <option>Health &amp; Household</option>
        <option>Home &amp; Kitchen</option>
        <option>Industrial &amp; Scientific</option>
        <option>Luggage</option>
        <option>Movies &amp; TV</option>
        <option>Music, CDs &amp; Vinyl</option>
        <option>Pet Supplies</option>
        <option>Software</option>
        <option>Sports &amp; Outdoors</option>
        <option>Tools &amp; Home Improvement</option>
        <option>Toys &amp; Games</option>
        <option>Video Games</option>
      </select>
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Try the below:

myNewFunction = function(id, index) {
    var selection = document.getElementById(id);
    alert(selection.options[index].innerHTML);
};

See here jsfiddle sample