Window: getSelection() method

BaselineWidely available

This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

ThegetSelection() method of theWindow interface returns theSelection object associated with the window'sdocument, representing the range of text selected by the user or the current position of the caret.

Syntax

getSelection()

Parameters

None.

Return value

ASelection object, ornull if the associated document has nobrowsing context (for example, the window is an<iframe> that is not attached to a document).

When called on an<iframe> that is not displayed (e.g., wheredisplay: none is set) Firefox returnsnull, whereas other browsers returns aSelection object withSelection.type set toNone.

Examples

function foo() {  const selObj = window.getSelection();  alert(selObj);  const selRange = selObj.getRangeAt(0);  // do stuff with the range}

Notes

String representation of the Selection object

In JavaScript, when an object is passed to a function expecting a string (likewindow.alert() ordocument.write()), the object'stoString() method is called and the returned value is passed to the function.This can make the object appear to be a string when used with other functions when it is really an object with properties and methods.

In the above example,selObj.toString() is automatically called when it ispassed towindow.alert(). However, attempting to use a JavaScriptString propertyor method such aslengthorsubstrdirectly on aSelection object will result in an error if it does nothave that property or method and may return unexpected results if it does. To use aSelection object as a string, call itstoString() methoddirectly:

const selectedText = selObj.toString();

selObj is aSelection object.
selectedText is a string (Selected text).

Related objects

You can callDocument.getSelection(), which works identically toWindow.getSelection().

It is worth noting that currentlygetSelection() doesn't work on thecontent of<textarea> and<input> elements in Firefoxand Edge (Legacy).HTMLInputElement.setSelectionRange()or theselectionStart andselectionEnd properties could beused to work around this.

Notice also the difference betweenselection andfocus.Document.activeElement returns the focused element.