References

Beginner-friendly references for web development, with live, editable examples.

The HTML onmouseleave event

Event All modern browsers Updated
Quick answer

The HTML onmouseleave attribute runs JavaScript when the pointer leaves the element. It is an inline handler for the mouseleave event; in modern code prefer addEventListener('mouseleave', …).

Overview

The onmouseleave event attribute runs JavaScript when the mouse leaves the element (does not bubble). In JavaScript the event itself is named mouseleave — drop the on prefix when you call addEventListener.

It is one of the mouse events. Its handler receives a MouseEvent with details such as the pointer coordinates (clientX/clientY), which button was used, and which modifier keys were held. For input that also covers touch and pen with one code path, the modern pointer events are the recommended replacement.

You can wire this up with the inline onmouseleave HTML attribute, but the modern, recommended approach is element.addEventListener('mouseleave', handler) in JavaScript. That keeps behavior out of your markup, lets you attach several handlers to the same event, and makes them easy to remove. The inline attribute is fine for quick demos.

Syntax

<element onmouseleave="handler()">…</element>

element.addEventListener('mouseleave', handler);

Best practices

  • Prefer element.addEventListener('mouseleave', handler) over the inline onmouseleave attribute — it separates behavior from markup and allows multiple handlers.
  • Build interactivity on real <button> or link elements so it also works with the keyboard — not on mouse events alone.
  • Consider the unified pointer events to handle mouse, touch and pen together.
  • Read coordinates and the pressed button from the MouseEvent the handler receives.

Frequently asked questions

What is the onmouseleave event?
It runs JavaScript when the mouse leaves the element (does not bubble). In JavaScript the event is named mouseleave.
Does this event work on touch screens?
Mouse events have limited support on touch devices. For input that works across mouse, touch and pen, use the pointer events instead.
How do I get the mouse position?
Read event.clientX and event.clientY (viewport-relative) from the MouseEvent passed to the handler.
Should I use the onmouseleave attribute or addEventListener?
Prefer addEventListener('mouseleave', …) in JavaScript. The inline onmouseleave attribute works but mixes behavior into the markup and allows only one handler per element.
onmouseenter onmousemove