Скачать или смотреть How to Use Pure JavaScript to Remove Links from All a Tags on a Page

Discover how to easily remove the `href` attributes from all anchor tags on a webpage using pure JavaScript, ensuring they don't function as links anymore.
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How to Remove Links from All <a> Tags Using Pure JavaScript

Are you looking to disable links on a webpage without using jQuery? Perhaps you want to ensure that clicking on anchor tags does not redirect users to another page? In this article, we'll focus on how to achieve just that using pure JavaScript!

Understanding the Problem

When working with anchor (<a>) tags, they typically contain a href attribute pointing to a URL. By default, clicking these links will redirect the user to the specified URL. However, there are scenarios where you might want the links to remain visible but non-functional. This could be for a variety of reasons, such as testing, preventing navigation while still displaying links, or even redesigning the interface.

The Solution: Using JavaScript to Remove the href Attribute

To prevent anchor tags from functioning as links, we can remove the href attribute entirely. Here are two methods using pure JavaScript to accomplish this:

Method 1: Using getElementsByTagName

One straightforward way to remove href from every anchor tag is by using the getElementsByTagName method. Here's how to do it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This code snippet works as follows:

It collects all <a> tags in the document.

It loops through each anchor tag and uses the removeAttribute method to remove the href attribute.

Method 2: Using querySelectorAll with a Modern Approach

If you prefer a more modern approach, you can use document.querySelectorAll combined with a for...of loop:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this code:

querySelectorAll('a') gathers all the <a> elements on the page.

The for...of loop iterates over each element, removing the href attribute similarly to the first method.

Why Removing href Instead of Setting It to an Empty String?

It's important to note that setting the href attribute to an empty string (like anchors[i].setAttribute("href", "");) will not work as intended. This will still lead to links pointing back to the current page instead of preventing navigation entirely – which is why using removeAttribute is the right approach.

Alternative Solution: Changing <a> Tags to <div>

If you want to further prevent any misleading navigation sequences, you might consider converting your <a> tags to <div> elements. Here's a simple example using JavaScript:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This method replaces each anchor tag with a <div> that maintains the text but eliminates the link functionality.

Conclusion

In summary, removing the href attribute from anchor tags using pure JavaScript is a straightforward process that can enhance user experience by preventing undesirable navigation. By directly targeting the href attribute with the methods above, you can control link behavior effectively. So go ahead, implement these techniques in your next project, and enjoy the control over your webpage's navigation!