What is DOM?
Also called: Document Object Model
The short answer
The DOM is the browser's live, tree-shaped model of a web page; JavaScript reads and changes the DOM to update what visitors see.
DOM, explained
HTML is parsed into DOM nodes. Every change to the DOM can trigger layout and paint work, which is why large, frequent DOM updates slow pages down.
Questions people ask about DOM
What is DOM?
The DOM is the browser's live, tree-shaped model of a web page; JavaScript reads and changes the DOM to update what visitors see.
Related terms
HTML is the language that gives a web page its structure: headings, paragraphs, links, images, forms and every other element on the page.
JavaScriptJavaScript is the programming language of the web: it runs in every browser and makes pages interactive, from menus and forms to games and 3D.
ReactReact is a JavaScript library for building user interfaces from reusable components that update automatically when their data changes.
Semantic HTMLSemantic HTML uses elements for their meaning, such as header, nav, main, article, button and h1 to h6, instead of generic divs, so machines understand the page.
Part of the Web Encyclopedia by Apex Flow Digital. Definitions are general knowledge, kept current, with no invented statistics.