---
title: HTMLOptionElement
slug: Web/API/HTMLOptionElement
tags:
  - API
  - HTML DOM
  - Interface
  - NeedsNewLayout
  - NeedsTranslation
  - Reference
  - TopicStub
translation_of: Web/API/HTMLOptionElement
---
<div>{{APIRef("HTML DOM")}}</div>

<p>The <strong><code>HTMLOptionElement</code></strong> interface represents {{HTMLElement("option")}} elements and inherits all classes and methods of the {{domxref("HTMLElement")}} interface.</p>

<p>{{InheritanceDiagram(600, 120)}}</p>

<h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2>

<p><em>Inherits properties from its parent, {{domxref("HTMLElement")}}.</em></p>

<table class="standard-table">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Name</th>
   <th scope="col">Type</th>
   <th scope="col">Description</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td><code>defaultSelected</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("Boolean")}}</td>
   <td>Contains the initial value of the {{htmlattrxref("selected", "option")}} HTML attribute, indicating whether the option is selected by default or not.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>disabled</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("Boolean")}}</td>
   <td>Reflects the value of the {{htmlattrxref("disabled", "option")}} HTML attribute, which indicates that the option is unavailable to be selected. An option can also be disabled if it is a child of an {{HTMLElement("optgroup")}} element that is disabled.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>form</code>{{readonlyInline}}</td>
   <td>{{domxref("HTMLFormElement")}}</td>
   <td>If the option is a descendent of a {{HTMLElement("select")}} element, then this property has the same value as the <code>form</code> property of the corresponding {{DomXref("HTMLSelectElement")}} object; otherwise, it is <code>null</code>.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>index</code>{{readonlyInline}}</td>
   <td><code>long</code></td>
   <td>The position of the option within the list of options it belongs to, in tree-order. If the option is not part of a list of options, like when it is part of the {{HTMLElement("datalist")}} element, the value is <code>0</code>.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>label</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("DOMString")}}</td>
   <td>Reflects the value of the {{htmlattrxref("label", "option")}} HTML attribute, which provides a label for the option. If this attribute isn't specifically set, reading it returns the element's text content.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>selected</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("Boolean")}}</td>
   <td>Indicates whether the option is currently selected.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>text</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("DOMString")}}</td>
   <td>Contains the text content of the element.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>value</code></td>
   <td>{{domxref("DOMString")}}</td>
   <td>Reflects the value of the {{htmlattrxref("value", "option")}} HTML attribute, if it exists; otherwise reflects value of the {{domxref("Node.textContent")}} property.</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Methods">Methods</h2>

<p><em>Inherits methods from its parent, {{domxref("HTMLElement")}}.</em></p>

<dl>
 <dt>Option()</dt>
 <dd>Is a constructor creating an <code>HTMLOptionElement</code> object. It has four values: the text to display, <code>text</code>, the value associated, <code>value</code>, the value of <code>defaultSelected</code>, and the value of <code>selected</code>. The last three values are optional.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML WHATWG', "#htmloptionelement", "HTMLOptionElement")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML WHATWG')}}</td>
   <td> </td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('HTML5 W3C', "forms.html#the-option-element", "HTMLOptionElement")}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('HTML5 W3C')}}</td>
   <td>A constructor, <code>Option()</code>, has been added.<br>
    The <code>form</code> property can be the <code>null</code> value.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM2 HTML', 'html.html#ID-70901257', 'HTMLOptionElement')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM2 HTML')}}</td>
   <td>The <code>selected</code> property changed its meaning: it now indicates if the option is currently selected and no longer if it was initally selected.<br>
    The <code>defaultSelected</code> property is no longer read-only.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>{{SpecName('DOM1', 'level-one-html.html#ID-70901257', 'HTMLOptionElement')}}</td>
   <td>{{Spec2('DOM1')}}</td>
   <td>Initial definition</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>



<p>{{Compat("api.HTMLOptionElement")}}</p>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li>The HTML element implementing this interface: {{HTMLElement("option")}}.</li>
</ul>