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Loading Content with load()

The load method gets content from a server and puts it inside a selected element. It is a short and simple AJAX method.

In this page:

  1. What is load()?
  2. Load with a Callback
  3. Load into Different Elements
  4. Load and Show Status
  5. Small load() Project
Syntax
javascript 
$(selector).load(url, data, function (response, status, xhr) {
  // callback
});

What is load()?

load() is jQuery's shorthand AJAX method -- it fetches HTML from a URL and inserts it straight into a chosen element, combining the request and the DOM update into one call. It's the simplest of jQuery's AJAX helpers, since it doesn't require a separate success callback just to display the result.

Example: What is load()?

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <div id="content"></div>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();
    $(document).ajaxError(function(event, xhr, settings) {
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Request failed: " + settings.url));
    });

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").empty();
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Sending request..."));
      $("#content").load("data.php");
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      jQuery(document).off();
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Load with a Callback

A callback function passed to load() runs after loading finishes, receiving the response text, status, and XHR object. It's useful for showing a confirmation message or checking whether the load actually succeeded before assuming the content is ready.

Example: Load with a Callback

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <div id="content"></div>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();
    $(document).ajaxError(function(event, xhr, settings) {
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Request failed: " + settings.url));
    });

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").empty();
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Sending request..."));
      $("#content").load("data.php", function(response, status, xhr) {
        $("#output").text("Load status: " + status);
      });
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      jQuery(document).off();
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Load into Different Elements

You can target any element as load()'s destination, which makes it easy to refresh just one section of a page -- like a comments list or a sidebar -- instead of reloading the whole document. Only the chosen element's contents are replaced.

Example: Load into Different Elements

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <div id="sidebar"></div>
    <div id="comments"></div>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();
    $(document).ajaxError(function(event, xhr, settings) {
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Request failed: " + settings.url));
    });

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").empty();
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Sending request..."));
      $("#comments").load("data.php");
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      jQuery(document).off();
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Load and Show Status

Combining load() with a status message -- 'Loading...' before the call, then clearing it in the callback -- gives the user simple, immediate feedback that something is happening. This avoids a blank or frozen-looking section while the request is in flight.

Example: Load and Show Status

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <div id="content">Loading...</div>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();
    $(document).ajaxError(function(event, xhr, settings) {
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Request failed: " + settings.url));
    });

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").empty();
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Sending request..."));
      $("#content").load("data.php", function() {
        $("#output").text("Load complete");
      });
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      jQuery(document).off();
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Small load() Project

The load() method is useful when one part of a page needs fresh content, such as a live comment count or a snippet included from another file, while the rest of the page stays unchanged. It's often the quickest way to add dynamic content without writing a full $.ajax() call.

Example: Small load() Project

javascript 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>
  <style>
    button { padding:6px 14px; margin:4px; background:#2c6aa0; color:white; border:none; border-radius:4px; cursor:pointer; }
    #resetBtn { background:white; color:#2c6aa0; border:1px solid #2c6aa0; }
    #output { margin-top:10px; padding:8px; border:1px solid #ccc; border-radius:4px; background:#f7f7f7; font-family:monospace; min-height:24px; }
    #demo :where(p, div, span, li, h1, h2, h3, h4, td, th, blockquote, label, section, article, aside) { border:1px solid #4a7fb5; background:#eaf2fb; padding:6px 10px; margin:4px 0; border-radius:4px; }
    #demo :where(ul, ol) { border:1px dashed #888; background:#fafafa; padding:8px 8px 8px 32px; margin:6px 0; }
    #demo :where(table) { border-collapse:collapse; }
    #demo :where(td, th) { border-radius:0; }
    #demo :where(input, select, textarea) { margin:4px 0; }
  </style>
</head>
<body>
  <button id="runBtn">Run</button>
  <button id="resetBtn">Reset</button>
  <section id="demo">
    <span id="commentCount">Loading...</span>

  </section>
  <div id="output"></div>
  <script>
    var original = $("#demo").html();
    $(document).ajaxError(function(event, xhr, settings) {
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Request failed: " + settings.url));
    });

    $("#runBtn").click(function() {
      $("#output").empty();
      $("#output").append($("<div>").text("Sending request..."));
      $("#commentCount").load("data.php");
    });

    $("#resetBtn").click(function() {
      $("#demo").html(original);
      jQuery(document).off();
      $("#output").empty();
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>
Related Topics

Loading Scripts with getScript() · Inserting Content Outside Elements · Inserting Content Inside Elements · Content Filter Selectors

{# common_mistakes/chapter_summary/browser_support: on Hindi pages the view already swaps in the hi_ translation fields (or blanks these out if untranslated), so this renders correctly for both languages without a lang_code check here. #}
Common Mistakes
  1. Using .load() on the wrong thing, like $.load("page.html"), when it is an element method that needs a target such as $("#content").load("page.html").
  2. Running code that reads the loaded content right after .load() instead of inside its callback, so the new elements do not exist yet.
  3. Passing a URL with a trailing selector like "page.html #box" but forgetting the space, which makes jQuery request a wrong URL instead of loading only that fragment.
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