---
title: Node.insertBefore()
slug: Web/API/Node/insertBefore
tags:
  - API
  - DOM
  - Method
  - Node
  - Reference
browser-compat: api.Node.insertBefore
---
{{APIRef("DOM")}}

The **`Node.insertBefore()`** method
inserts a node before a _reference node_ as a child of a specified _parent
node_.

If the given node already exists in the document, `insertBefore()` moves it
from its current position to the new position. (That is, it will automatically be
removed from its existing parent before appending it to the specified new parent.)

This means that a node cannot be in two locations of the document simultaneously.

> **Note:** The {{domxref("Node.cloneNode()")}} can be used to make a copy
> of the node before appending it under the new parent. Note that the copies made with
> `cloneNode()` will not be automatically kept in sync.

If the given child is a {{domxref("DocumentFragment")}}, the entire contents of the
`DocumentFragment` are moved into the child list of the specified parent
node.

## Syntax

```js
let insertedNode = parentNode.insertBefore(newNode, referenceNode)
```

- `insertedNode`
  - : The node being inserted (the same as `newNode`)
- `parentNode`
  - : The parent of the newly inserted node.
- `newNode`
  - : The node to be inserted.
- `referenceNode`
  - : The node before which `newNode` is inserted. If this is
    `null`, then `newNode` is inserted at the end of
    `parentNode`'s child nodes.

> **Note:** `referenceNode` is **not**
> an optional parameter. You must explicitly pass a {{domxref("Node")}} or
> `null`. Failing to provide it or passing invalid values may [behave](https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=419780) [differently](https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=119489) in
> different browser versions.

### Return value

Returns the added child (unless `newNode` is a
{{domxref("DocumentFragment")}}, in which case the empty {{domxref("DocumentFragment")}}
is returned).

## Example

### Example 1

```html
<div id="parentElement">
   <span id="childElement">foo bar</span>
</div>

<script>
// Create the new node to insert
let newNode = document.createElement("span")

// Get a reference to the parent node
let parentDiv = document.getElementById("childElement").parentNode

// Begin test case [ 1 ] : Existing childElement (all works correctly)
let sp2 = document.getElementById("childElement")
parentDiv.insertBefore(newNode, sp2)
// End test case [ 1 ]

// Begin test case [ 2 ] : childElement is of Type undefined
let sp2 = undefined // Non-existent node of id "childElement"
parentDiv.insertBefore(newNode, sp2) // Implicit dynamic cast to type Node
// End test case [ 2 ]

// Begin test case [ 3 ] : childElement is of Type "undefined" ( string )
let sp2 = "undefined" // Non-existent node of id "childElement"
parentDiv.insertBefore(newNode, sp2) // Generates "Type Error: Invalid Argument"
// End test case [ 3 ]
</script>
```

### Example 2

```html
<div id="parentElement">
  <span id="childElement">foo bar</span>
</div>

<script>
// Create a new, plain <span> element
let sp1 = document.createElement("span")

// Get the reference element
let sp2 = document.getElementById("childElement")
// Get the parent element
let parentDiv = sp2.parentNode

// Insert the new element into before sp2
parentDiv.insertBefore(sp1, sp2)
</script>
```

> **Note:** There is no `insertAfter()` method. It can be
> emulated by combining the `insertBefore` method with
> {{domxref("Node.nextSibling")}}.

In the previous example, `sp1` could be inserted after `sp2`
using:

```js
parentDiv.insertBefore(sp1, sp2.nextSibling)
```

If `sp2` does not have a next sibling, then it must be the last child —
`sp2.nextSibling` returns `null`, and `sp1` is inserted
at the end of the child node list (immediately after `sp2`).

### Example 3

Insert an element before the first child element, using the
{{domxref("Node/firstChild", "firstChild")}} property.

```js
// Get the parent element
let parentElement = document.getElementById('parentElement')
// Get the parent's first child
let theFirstChild = parentElement.firstChild

// Create a new element
let newElement = document.createElement("div")

// Insert the new element before the first child
parentElement.insertBefore(newElement, theFirstChild)
```

When the element does not have a first child, then `firstChild` is
`null`. The element is still appended to the parent, after the last child.

Since the parent element did not have a first child, it did not have a last child,
either. Consequently, the newly inserted element is the _only_ element.

## Specifications

{{Specifications}}

## Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

## See also

- {{domxref("Node.removeChild()")}}
- {{domxref("Node.replaceChild()")}}
- {{domxref("Node.appendChild()")}}
- {{domxref("Node.hasChildNodes()")}}
- {{domxref("Element.insertAdjacentElement()")}}
- {{domxref("Element.prepend()")}}
- {{domxref("Element.before()")}}
- {{domxref("Element.after()")}}
