How can I find which event listeners are attached to a specific DOM node in JavaScript or while debugging?

General Discussions
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1

On my page, various event listeners are added to input and select elements using different methods like Prototype’s Event.observe, the DOM’s addEventListener, or inline attributes like onclick. Is there a way to javascript get event listeners attached to a particular element and see what events they listen for?

2

From my experience, one of the quickest ways to inspect attached event handlers is using browser DevTools. In Chrome or Firefox, just right-click on the DOM element and head over to the Elements panel. You’ll find an “Event Listeners” tab where all the registered listeners are grouped by event type.

It’s my go-to when I need to visually debug or trace DOM-related issues. Especially useful when figuring out javascript get event listeners scenarios without diving into code.

3

Totally agree with @ishrth_fathima. Just to add, if you’re already in the Console tab, you can dig in even faster. In Chrome, try:

getEventListeners(yourElement)

It gives you a neat object of event types and their associated callbacks. Super handy for quick debugging. Do note though, this is Chrome-only. So while great for javascript get event listeners tasks, it’s not cross-browser.

4

Both great tips. I’d also mention, if you’re working in a more abstracted or framework-heavy environment and want programmatic control (across browsers), you can hook into the system by monkey-patching:

(function() {
  const originalAdd = Element.prototype.addEventListener;
  Element.prototype.addEventListener = function(type, listener, options) {
    this._listeners = this._listeners || {};
    this._listeners[type] = this._listeners[type] || [];
    this._listeners[type].push(listener);
    originalAdd.call(this, type, listener, options);
  };
})();

Now any future listeners added via addEventListener are tracked under element._listeners. It’s not retroactive but a powerful way to tackle javascript get event listeners use cases in more custom setups.