---
title: Element.previousElementSibling
slug: Web/API/Element/previousElementSibling
tags:
  - API
  - DOM
  - Element
  - Property
  - Read-only
  - Reference
browser-compat: api.Element.previousElementSibling
---
{{APIRef("DOM")}}

The **`Element.previousElementSibling`**
read-only property returns the {{domxref("Element")}} immediately prior to the specified
one in its parent's children list, or `null` if the specified element is the first one in the list.

## Syntax

```js
// Getter
element = el.previousElementSibling;

// No setter; read-only property
```

## Example

```html
<div id="div-01">Here is div-01</div>
<div id="div-02">Here is div-02</div>
<li>This is a list item</li>
<li>This is another list item</li>
<div id="div-03">Here is div-03</div>

<script>
  let el = document.getElementById('div-03').previousElementSibling;
  document.write('<p>Siblings of div-03</p><ol>');
  while (el) {
    document.write('<li>' + el.nodeName + '</li>');
    el = el.previousElementSibling;
  }
  document.write('</ol>');
</script>
```

This example outputs the following into the page when it loads:

    Siblings of div-03

       1. LI
       2. LI
       3. DIV
       4. DIV

## Specifications

{{Specifications}}

## Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

## See also

- {{domxref("Element.nextElementSibling")}}
