By Vishal Basumatary in javascript — Mar 25, 2023

Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null

Dealing with "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" Error

As a web developer, encountering errors is part of the job. One of the most common errors that I come across is the "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" error. This error usually occurs when trying to manipulate the DOM using JavaScript.

The error message itself is pretty self-explanatory. It means that you are trying to set the innerHTML property of an element that does not exist in the DOM.

What Causes the Error?

There are several reasons why this error can occur:

The element you are trying to manipulate does not exist in the DOM.
The element has not finished loading before you attempt to manipulate it.
You have a typo in the ID or class name of the element you are trying to manipulate.
Your JavaScript code is running before the HTML has finished loading.

How to Fix the Error

There are several ways to fix the "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" error:

1. Check if the Element Exists

The first thing you should do when encountering this error is to check if the element you are trying to manipulate actually exists in the DOM. You can do this by using the getElementById() method or querySelector() method. If the element does not exist, you will need to create it before attempting to manipulate it.


const element = document.querySelector('#my-element');
if (element) {
  // Manipulate the element here
} else {
  console.log('Element does not exist');
}

2. Check if the Element has Finished Loading

If you are trying to manipulate an element before it has finished loading, you will get the "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" error. To fix this, you can use the window.onload event or the DOMContentLoaded event to wait for the HTML to finish loading before executing your JavaScript code.


window.onload = function() {
  // Manipulate the element here
};

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
  // Manipulate the element here
});

3. Check for Typos in the ID or Class Name

If you have a typo in the ID or class name of the element you are trying to manipulate, the JavaScript code will not be able to find the element and you will get the "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" error. Make sure that the ID and class names in your JavaScript code match the ones in your HTML code.

4. Use setTimeout() Function

If your JavaScript code is running before the HTML has finished loading, you can use the setTimeout() function to delay the execution of your code until the HTML has finished loading.


setTimeout(function() {
  // Manipulate the element here
}, 1000);

Conclusion

The "Cannot set property 'innerHTML' of null" error is a common error that can be caused by several factors. By following the tips outlined above, you can easily fix this error and get your JavaScript code working as expected.