Element

`Element.prototype.cloneNode`

Returns a duplicate of the node on which this method was called

Syntax

JavaScript

element.cloneNode(deep?)

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
deep	boolean	If true, clone the node and all its descendants. Default is false

Return Value

A new Node that is a clone of this node

Examples

Basic Usage

const original = document.querySelector('.template')!
const clone = original.cloneNode(true) as HTMLElement
clone.id = 'clone-1'
document.body.appendChild(clone)

Practical Example

function duplicateRow(table: HTMLTableElement) {
  const lastRow = table.rows[table.rows.length - 1]
  const clone = lastRow.cloneNode(true) as HTMLTableRowElement
  table.tBodies[0].appendChild(clone)
}

Advanced Usage

const template = document.getElementById('card-template')!
const cards = [1, 2, 3].map(() => template.cloneNode(true) as HTMLElement)
cards.forEach(card => document.body.appendChild(card))

Understanding Element.prototype.cloneNode

The Element.prototype.cloneNode method in JavaScript returns a duplicate of the node on which this method was called. It belongs to the Element object and is one of the most widely used methods for working with element values in modern JavaScript and TypeScript applications.

The method signature is element.cloneNode(deep?). It accepts 1 parameter: deep. When called, it returns a new node that is a clone of this node. Understanding when and how to use cloneNode() helps you write more expressive, readable code.

Common use cases for Element.prototype.cloneNode include data transformation, input validation, API response processing, and building reusable utility functions. It works well alongside related methods like dom-createelement, dom-appendchild, dom-append, enabling you to chain operations together for complex data manipulation pipelines.

Browser support for Element.prototype.cloneNode is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is also fully supported in Node.js and Deno. For older environments, transpilation with Babel or a polyfill may be needed.