Element: keypress event

The keypress event is fired when a letter, number, punctuation, or symbol key is pressed, or else when the Enter key is pressed — including when the Enter key is pressed in combination with the Shift key or Ctrl key. Otherwise, when a modifier key such as the Alt, Shift, Ctrl, Meta, Esc, or Option key is pressed in isolation, the keypress event is not fired.

The event bubbles. It can reach Document and Window.

Syntax

Use the event name in methods like addEventListener(), or set an event handler property.

addEventListener("keypress", (event) => { })

onkeypress = (event) => { }

Event type

A KeyboardEvent. Inherits from UIEvent and Event.

Event properties

This interface also inherits properties of its parents, UIEvent and Event.

KeyboardEvent.altKey Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the Alt (Option or ⌥ on macOS) key was active when the key event was generated.

KeyboardEvent.code Read only

Returns a string with the code value of the physical key represented by the event.

KeyboardEvent.ctrlKey Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the Ctrl key was active when the key event was generated.

KeyboardEvent.isComposing Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the event is fired between after compositionstart and before compositionend.

KeyboardEvent.key Read only

Returns a string representing the key value of the key represented by the event.

KeyboardEvent.location Read only

Returns a number representing the location of the key on the keyboard or other input device. A list of the constants identifying the locations is shown in Keyboard locations.

KeyboardEvent.metaKey Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the Meta key (on Mac keyboards, the ⌘ Command key; on Windows keyboards, the Windows key (⊞)) was active when the key event was generated.

KeyboardEvent.repeat Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the key is being held down such that it is automatically repeating.

KeyboardEvent.shiftKey Read only

Returns a boolean value that is true if the Shift key was active when the key event was generated.

Examples

addEventListener keypress example

This example logs the KeyboardEvent.code value whenever you press a key after focussing the <input> element.

To see which keys cause a keypress event to fire, and which keys don't, try pressing the following:

• letter keys, number keys, and punctuation keys
• symbol keys such as the $, +, =, %, and + keys
• modifier keys such as the Alt, Shift, Ctrl, Meta, Esc, Option, or ⌘ keys
• the Enter key
• the Enter key in combination with the Shift or Ctrl keys
• the Enter key in combination with modifier keys other than the Shift or Ctrl keys

<div>
  <label for="sample">Focus the input and type something:</label>
  <input type="text" name="text" id="sample" />
</div>
<p id="log"></p>

const log = document.getElementById("log");
const input = document.querySelector("input");

input.addEventListener("keypress", logKey);

function logKey(e) {
  log.textContent += ` ${e.code}`;
}

onkeypress equivalent

input.onkeypress = logKey;

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• The Document interface, which the event also targets.
• Related events:
  • input
  • keydown
  • keyup