How to set the cursor position in JavaScript

To set the cursor position in JavaScript you’ll need to manipulate the caret within an input field or a contenteditable element. In this guide we’ll cover how to control the cursor's location to improve user experience and interactivity in web apps.

Understanding the DOM elements

Before manipulating the cursor position, it’s essential to understand that the operation is typically performed on text-based input elements (<input>, <textarea>) or elements with the contenteditable attribute set to true.

Fetching the DOM element

To set the cursor position, first select the DOM element using methods like getElementById() or querySelector().

let inputElement = document.getElementById('myInput');
// or
let editableElement = document.querySelector('[contenteditable]');

Using selection and range APIs

setSelectionRange for input elements

For <input> or <textarea> elements, you can use the setSelectionRange method to place the cursor at a specific index.

inputElement.setSelectionRange(5, 5); // Places the cursor at the 5th index

This method also allows you to select a range of text by providing different start and end indexes.

createRange and addRange for contenteditable elements

For elements with contenteditable, the Range and Selection APIs come into play.

let range = document.createRange();
let sel = window.getSelection();

Setting cursor position

For input elements

function setCursorPosition(inputElem, position) {
  if (inputElem.setSelectionRange) {
    inputElem.focus();
    inputElem.setSelectionRange(position, position);
  }
}

For contenteditable elements

function setCursorEditable(editableElem, position) {
  let range = document.createRange();
  let sel = window.getSelection();
  range.setStart(editableElem.childNodes[0], position);
  range.collapse(true);

  sel.removeAllRanges();
  sel.addRange(range);
  editableElem.focus();
}

Dealing with line breaks and nodes

For multi-line content or content with multiple child nodes, you’ll need to traverse the nodes and count their lengths to position the cursor correctly.

function setCursorAtNodePosition(node, index) {
  let range = document.createRange();
  let selection = window.getSelection();
  let currentPos = 0;
  let found = false;

  function searchNode(node) {
    if (node.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE) {
      if (currentPos + node.length >= index) {
        range.setStart(node, index - currentPos);
        range.collapse(true);
        found = true;
      } else {
        currentPos += node.length;
      }
    } else {
      for (let child of node.childNodes) {
        if (found) break;
        searchNode(child);
      }
    }
  }

  searchNode(node);
  selection.removeAllRanges();
  selection.addRange(range);
}

Handling cursor position on focus

It's common to set the cursor position when the element gains focus.

inputElement.addEventListener('focus', () => {
  setCursorPosition(inputElement, 0); // places the cursor at the beginning
});

Cross-browser considerations

While modern browsers support these methods, always test across different browsers to ensure compatibility. For older versions of IE, you might need to use createTextRange() instead.

if (document.selection) {
  // For IE
  let range = inputElement.createTextRange();
  range.move('character', position);
  range.select();
}

Cursor position in editable content with formatting

For complex contenteditable elements with formatting, you may need to account for HTML tags when calculating positions.

Considerations for dynamic content

When content changes dynamically, cursor position may need to be recalculated. Watch for changes and adjust the cursor position accordingly.