jQuery API

.append()

Categories: Manipulation > DOM Insertion, Inside

.append( content ) Returns: jQuery

Description: Insert content, specified by the parameter, to the end of each element in the set of matched elements.

  • version added: 1.0.append( content )

    contentAn element, HTML string, or jQuery object to insert at the end of each element in the set of matched elements.

  • version added: 1.4.append( function(index, html) )

    function(index, html)A function that returns an HTML string to insert at the end of each element in the set of matched elements. Receives the index position of the element in the set and the old HTML value of the element as arguments.

The .append() and .appendTo() methods perform the same task. The major difference is in the syntax-specifically, in the placement of the content and target. With .append(), the selector expression preceding the method is the container into which the content is inserted. With .appendTo(), on the other hand, the content precedes the method, either as a selector expression or as markup created on the fly, and it is inserted into the target container.

Consider the following HTML:

<h2>Greetings</h2>
<div class="container">
  <div class="inner">Hello</div>
  <div class="inner">Goodbye</div>
</div>

We can create content and insert it into several elements at once:

$('.inner').append('<p>Test</p>');

Each inner <div> element gets this new content:

<h2>Greetings</h2>
<div class="container">
  <div class="inner">
    Hello
    <p>Test</p>
  </div>
  <div class="inner">
    Goodbye
    <p>Test</p>
  </div>
</div>

We can also select an element on the page and insert it into another:

$('.container').append($('h2'));

If an element selected this way is inserted elsewhere, it will be moved into the target (not cloned):

<div class="container">
  <div class="inner">Hello</div>
  <div class="inner">Goodbye</div>
  <h2>Greetings</h2>
</div>

If there is more than one target element, however, cloned copies of the inserted element will be created for each target after the first.

Examples:

Example: Appends some HTML to all paragraphs. 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <style>p { background:yellow; }</style>
  <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
	<p>I would like to say: </p>
<script>$("p").append("<strong>Hello</strong>");</script>
</body>
</html>

Demo:

Example: Appends an Element to all paragraphs. 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <style>p { background:yellow; }</style>
  <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
	<p>I would like to say: </p>
<script>$("p").append(document.createTextNode("Hello"));</script>
</body>
</html>

Demo:

Example: Appends a jQuery object (similar to an Array of DOM Elements) to all paragraphs. 

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <style>p { background:yellow; }</style>
  <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-latest.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
	<strong>Hello world!!!</strong><p>I would like to say: </p>
<script>$("p").append( $("strong") );</script>
</body>
</html>

Demo:

Comments

  • Support requests, bug reports, and off-topic comments will be deleted without warning.

  • Please do post corrections or additional examples for .append() below. We aim to quickly move corrections into the documentation.
  • If you need help, post at the forums or in the #jquery IRC channel.
  • Report bugs on the bug tracker or the jQuery Forum.
  • Discussions about the API specifically should be addressed in the Developing jQuery Core forum.
  • There is a difference between what you get after appending either. Here is an example:

    $('<\p id="t1">t1<\/p>').appendTo('body').get(0)
    <\p id=​"t1">​t1​<\/p>

    $('body').append('<\p id="t2">t2<\/p>').get(0)
    <\body style=​"cursor:​ default;​ ">​

    So if you want to use your newly created element after it was appended - use `.appendTo()`

    P.S. sorry about backslashes... only way to prevent DISQUS from making real paragraphs i found
  • I thought append always took multiple arguments and appended them each in turn? Is this usage (which does still seem to work) not supported? Or is it just missing from the documentation?

    e.g. $('#selector').append('one', 'two', $('<div>3</div'));
  • Galymzhan
    I think u can do like this: $("#selector").append('one').append('two').append('3), because API requires only ONE argument.