How to scroll an HTML page to a given anchor

Javascript Problem Overview

I’d like to make the browser to scroll the page to a given anchor, just by using JavaScript.

I have specified a name or id attribute in my HTML code:

 <a name="anchorName">..</a>

 <h1 id="anchorName2">..</h1>

I’d like to get the same effect as you’d get by navigating to http://server.com/path#anchorName. The page should be scrolled so that the anchor is near the top of the visible part of the page.

Javascript Solutions

Solution 1 - Javascript

function scrollTo(hash) {
    location.hash = "#" + hash;
}

No jQuery required at all!

Solution 2 - Javascript

Way simpler:

var element_to_scroll_to = document.getElementById('anchorName2');
// Or:
var element_to_scroll_to = document.querySelectorAll('.my-element-class')[0];
// Or:
var element_to_scroll_to = $('.my-element-class')[0];
// Basically `element_to_scroll_to` just have to be a reference
// to any DOM element present on the page
// Then:
element_to_scroll_to.scrollIntoView();

Solution 3 - Javascript

You can use jQuery's .animate(), .offset() and scrollTop. Like

$(document.body).animate({
    'scrollTop':   $('#anchorName2').offset().top
}, 2000);

Example link: http://jsbin.com/unasi3/edit

If you don't want to animate, use .scrollTop() like:

$(document.body).scrollTop($('#anchorName2').offset().top);

Or JavaScript's native location.hash like:

location.hash = '#' + anchorid;

Solution 4 - Javascript

2018-2020 Pure JavaScript:

There is a very convenient way to scroll to the element:

el.scrollIntoView({
  behavior: 'smooth', // smooth scroll
  block: 'start' // the upper border of the element will be aligned at the top of the visible part of the window of the scrollable area.
})

But as far as I understand, it does not have such good support as the options below.

Learn more about the method.

If it is necessary that the element is in the top:

const element = document.querySelector('#element')
const topPos = element.getBoundingClientRect().top + window.pageYOffset

window.scrollTo({
  top: topPos, // scroll so that the element is at the top of the view
  behavior: 'smooth' // smooth scroll
})

Demonstration example on CodePen

If you want the element to be in the center:

const element = document.querySelector('#element')
const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect() // get rects(width, height, top, etc)
const viewHeight = Math.max(document.documentElement.clientHeight, window.innerHeight || 0);

window.scroll({
  top: rect.top + rect.height / 2 - viewHeight / 2,
  behavior: 'smooth' // smooth scroll
});

Demonstration example on CodePen

Support:

They write that scroll is the same method as scrollTo, but support shows better in scrollTo.

More about the method.

Solution 5 - Javascript

Great solution by jAndy, but the smooth scroll seems to be having issues working in Firefox.

Writing it this way works in Firefox as well.

(function($) {
    $(document).ready(function() {
         $('html, body').animate({
           'scrollTop':   $('#anchorName2').offset().top
         }, 2000);
    });
})(jQuery);

Solution 6 - Javascript

Here is a pure JavaScript solution without jQuery. It was tested on Chrome and Internet Explorer, but not tested on iOS.

function ScrollTo(name) {
  ScrollToResolver(document.getElementById(name));
}

function ScrollToResolver(elem) {
  var jump = parseInt(elem.getBoundingClientRect().top * .2);
  document.body.scrollTop += jump;
  document.documentElement.scrollTop += jump;
  if (!elem.lastjump || elem.lastjump > Math.abs(jump)) {
    elem.lastjump = Math.abs(jump);
    setTimeout(function() { ScrollToResolver(elem);}, "100");
  } else {
    elem.lastjump = null;
  }
}

Demo: https://jsfiddle.net/jd7q25hg/12/

Solution 7 - Javascript

In 2018, you don't need jQuery for something simple like this. The built in scrollIntoView() method supports a "behavior" property to smoothly scroll to any element on the page. You can even update the browser URL with a hash to make it bookmarkable.

From this tutorial on scrolling HTML Bookmarks, here is a native way to add smooth scrolling to all anchor links on your page automatically:

let anchorlinks = document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="#"]')
 
for (let item of anchorlinks) { // relitere 
    item.addEventListener('click', (e)=> {
        let hashval = item.getAttribute('href')
        let target = document.querySelector(hashval)
        target.scrollIntoView({
            behavior: 'smooth',
            block: 'start'
        })
        history.pushState(null, null, hashval)
        e.preventDefault()
    })
}

Solution 8 - Javascript

The easiest way to to make the browser to scroll the page to a given anchor is to add *{scroll-behavior: smooth;} in your style.css file and in your HTML navigation use #NameOfTheSection.

*{scroll-behavior: smooth;}

Click to Scroll

other sections

<section id="scroll-to">
<p>it will scroll down to this section</p>
</section>

Solution 9 - Javascript

Smoothly scroll to the proper position

Get correct y coordinate and use window.scrollTo({top: y, behavior: 'smooth'})

const id = 'anchorName2';
const yourElement = document.getElementById(id);
const y = yourElement.getBoundingClientRect().top + window.pageYOffset;

window.scrollTo({top: y, behavior: 'smooth'});

Solution 10 - Javascript

$(document).ready ->
  $("a[href^='#']").click ->
    $(document.body).animate
      scrollTop: $($(this).attr("href")).offset().top, 1000

Solution 11 - Javascript

The solution from CSS-Tricks no longer works in jQuery 2.2.0. It will throw a selector error:

> JavaScript runtime error: Syntax error, unrecognized expression: a[href*=#]:not([href=#])

I fixed it by changing the selector. The full snippet is this:

$(function() {
  $("a[href*='#']:not([href='#'])").click(function() {
    if (location.pathname.replace(/^\//,'') == this.pathname.replace(/^\//,'') && location.hostname == this.hostname) {
    var target = $(this.hash);
    target = target.length ? target : $('[name=' + this.hash.slice(1) +']');
    if (target.length) {
      $('html,body').animate({
        scrollTop: target.offset().top
      }, 1000);
      return false;
    }
  }
 });
});

Solution 12 - Javascript

Most answers are unnecessarily complicated.

If you just want to jump to the target element, you don't need JavaScript:

# the link:
<a href="#target">Click here to jump.</a>

# target element:
<div id="target">Any kind of element.</div>

If you want to scroll to the target animatedly, please refer to 5hahiL's answer.

Solution 13 - Javascript

This works:

$('.scroll').on("click", function(e) {

  e.preventDefault();
  
  var dest = $(this).attr("href");
  
  $("html, body").animate({
  
    'scrollTop':   $(dest).offset().top
    
  }, 2000);
  
});

https://jsfiddle.net/68pnkfgd/

Just add the class 'scroll' to any links you wish to animate

Solution 14 - Javascript

This is a working script that will scroll the page to the anchor. To set it up, just give the anchor link an id that matches the name attribute of the anchor that you want to scroll to.

<script>
    jQuery(document).ready(function ($){
        $('a').click(function (){
            var id = $(this).attr('id');
            console.log(id);
            if ( id == 'cet' || id == 'protein' ) {
                $('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: $('[name="' + id + '"]').offset().top}, 'slow');
            }
        });
    });
</script>

Solution 15 - Javascript

jQuery("a[href^='#']").click(function(){
    jQuery('html, body').animate({
        scrollTop: jQuery( jQuery(this).attr('href') ).offset().top
    }, 1000);
    return false;
});

Solution 16 - Javascript

I found an easy and simple jQuery solution on CSS-Tricks. That's the one I'm using now.

$(function() {
  $('a[href*=#]:not([href=#])').click(function() {
    if (location.pathname.replace(/^\//,'') == this.pathname.replace(/^\//,'') && location.hostname == this.hostname) {
      var target = $(this.hash);
      target = target.length ? target : $('[name=' + this.hash.slice(1) +']');
      if (target.length) {
        $('html,body').animate({
          scrollTop: target.offset().top
        }, 1000);
        return false;
      }
    }
  });
});

Solution 17 - Javascript

A Vue.js 2 solution ... add a simple data property to simply force the update:

  const app = new Vue({
  ...

  , updated: function() {
           this.$nextTick(function() {
           var uri = window.location.href
           var anchor = ( uri.indexOf('#') === -1 ) ? '' : uri.split('#')[1]
           if ( String(anchor).length > 0 && this.updater === 'page_load' ) {
              this.updater = "" // only on page-load !
              location.href = "#"+String(anchor)
           }
         })
        }
     });
     app.updater = "page_load"

 /* Smooth scrolling in CSS - it works in HTML5 only */
 html, body {
     scroll-behavior: smooth;
 }

Content Type	Original Author	Original Content on Stackoverflow
Question	Juha Syrjälä	View Question on Stackoverflow
Solution 1 - Javascript	Dean Harding	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 2 - Javascript	Armando Pérez Marqués	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 3 - Javascript	jAndy	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 4 - Javascript	Илья Зеленько	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 5 - Javascript	5hahiL	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 6 - Javascript	Michael Whinfrey	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 7 - Javascript	coco puffs	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 8 - Javascript	eslam elameen	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 9 - Javascript	Arseniy-II	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 10 - Javascript	cactis	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 11 - Javascript	Bill Shihara	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 12 - Javascript	Brian	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 13 - Javascript	Chuck Le Butt	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 14 - Javascript	Rudy Lister	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 15 - Javascript	Adam Pery	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 16 - Javascript	Horacio	View Answer on Stackoverflow
Solution 17 - Javascript	Yordan Georgiev	View Answer on Stackoverflow