run javascript in console

Running JavaScript code in a browser console is a quick and easy method to test or troubleshoot your script. This brief article aims to guide you on how to execute JavaScript in a console.

1. Open your browser

Launch Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer. You can run JavaScript on virtually any modern web browser, but these steps specifically relate to Google Chrome.

2. Open Developer Tools

Press F12 key if you are on Windows or Cmd + Option + I if you are on a Mac to open the Developer Tools. Alternatively, you can also do this by right-clicking on the page and then selecting “Inspect” from the drop-down menu.

3. Select the Console tab

Developer Tools has various tabs such as “Elements”, “Console”, “Sources”, etc. for different purposes. Click on the “Console” tab to open the JavaScript console. This is where you will enter and execute your JavaScript code.

4. Write your JavaScript code

Inside the Console tab, you’ll see a cursor blinking. You can write any valid JavaScript code here. For example, you could write console.log("Hello, World!"); to print a simple message.

5. Run the code

Press Enter to execute the code. If your code is valid, it will execute and any output will be displayed directly beneath the code you just ran. In our example, you would see Hello, World! printed in the console.

Warning

Please note that running JavaScript code in this manner only affects the current session of the webpage. If you refresh the page, any modifications you made with your JavaScript code will be lost. Also, your JavaScript has access to the webpage, which means you can modify elements, listen for events, etc.

Be sure not to run any JavaScript code from sources you do not trust, as this could pose a security risk.