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Josh Rubner
Courses Plus Student 6,766 PointsScript tags go before the closing body tag or in the head?
In this video, Dave uses the head to hold script tags.
I've been told to put script tags at the bottom of the body, so the page loads the structure and styling before the JS can fail.
Is there a definitive answer?
3 Answers
Patrick Vanegas
6,971 PointsTypically, you add scripts to the bottom of your HTML, that way the page loads first so that the user can see the full website at first glance. This is why some websites display the header first, and then everything else pops up later, for example. Some pages take time loading up the scripts. You could place them anywhere, but it's just good practice to place them in the bottom so that it can load more efficiently. Hope this helps!
string
3,558 PointsAdding to what Patrick said...
The idea is to make sure the DOM is ready before you start using it. HTML is parsed from top to bottom. So putting the script tag at the very bottom before the closing body tag makes perfect sense. Putting the script tag in the head is okay, but you have to make sure that it runs only after the DOM has completely loaded -- you use something like the DOMContentLoaded event or jQuery's ready() method.
Josh Rubner
Courses Plus Student 6,766 PointsThanks both!
Patrick Vanegas
6,971 PointsYour welcome, Josh! Just remember to always place them right before the closing body tag and you're set!