javascript - document.querySelector is not working in my react component - Stack Overflow

function Slider() {
  const track=document.querySelector('.slide__track')//To access the div with class slide track
  console.log(track);
  return (
    <div className="slider">
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-left"></i>
      <div className="head">
        <h1 className="title">Based on your last search</h1>
        <h6>View more</h6>
      </div>
      <div className="slider_container">
        <ul className="slider__track">
          <li className="slider__items">
            <Card />
          </li>
        </ul>
      </div>
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-right"></i>
    </div>
  );
}

i cannot access the div with class slide__track. What is the problem here? Or how can i access that element?

function Slider() {
  const track=document.querySelector('.slide__track')//To access the div with class slide track
  console.log(track);
  return (
    <div className="slider">
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-left"></i>
      <div className="head">
        <h1 className="title">Based on your last search</h1>
        <h6>View more</h6>
      </div>
      <div className="slider_container">
        <ul className="slider__track">
          <li className="slider__items">
            <Card />
          </li>
        </ul>
      </div>
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-right"></i>
    </div>
  );
}

i cannot access the div with class slide__track. What is the problem here? Or how can i access that element?

• javascript
• reactjs
• queryselector

Share Improve this question Follow asked Jun 7, 2021 at 11:10 Bimal SunilBimal Sunil 3511 gold badge11 silver badge66 bronze badges 1

• Notice that apart from the answers below you also use different names on the css-selector, slide__track vs slider__track – row Commented Jun 7, 2021 at 11:20

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4 Answers 4

Sorted by: Reset to default 6

I think it's because it is running before the DOM has been rendered. Move the track code into useEffect.

import {useEffect} from "react";

function Slider() {

  useEffect(() => {
    const track=document.querySelector('.slide__track')//To access the div with class slide track
    console.log(track);
  });

  return (
    <div className="slider">
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-left"></i>
      <div className="head">
        <h1 className="title">Based on your last search</h1>
        <h6>View more</h6>
      </div>
      <div className="slider_container">
        <ul className="slider__track">
          <li className="slider__items">
            <Card />
          </li>
        </ul>
      </div>
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-right"></i>
    </div>
  );
}

Try and use this code in useEffect()

useEffect(() => {
    const track = document.querySelector('.slide__track')
    // have access to it
}, []);

You should be probably be using ref's to access dom elements inside react. see docs: https://reactjs/docs/refs-and-the-dom.html - reason being, if you have the below in a loop, or have multiple instances on the page, you'll need to be more careful with the selector approach.

import React, { useRef, useEffect } from 'react';

function Slider() {


  const slideTrackRef = useRef(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (slideTrackRef && slideTrackRef.current) {
      console.log(slideTrackRef.current);
    }
  }, [slideTrackRef]);

  return (
    <div className="slider">
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-left" />
      <div className="head">
        <h1 className="title">Based on your last search</h1>
        <h6>View more</h6>
      </div>
      <div className="slider_container">
        <ul className="slider__track" ref={slideTrackRef}>
          <li className="slider__items">
            <p>tst</p>
          </li>
        </ul>
      </div>
      <i className="fas fa-chevron-right" />
    </div>
  );
}

export default Slider;

For some reaseon .querySelector("#myId1") didn't work for me but .querySelector("[id="#myId1"]")