Using an iframe for dynamic content is simple and effective, but it is becoming less popular. When the user clicks a page to view in the menu, it can load the content within the iframe without navigating away from the parent page. The parent site shows a list of pages along the left side of the screen and has an iframe in the center of the page. For example, imagine a simple documentation website. Third-party web analytics tools may also use a hidden iframe to monitor the user without being seen.Īn iframe may also be used to load dynamic or changing page content. When the browser calls the ad site, it loads an appropriate ad and counts the viewer. The site owner puts the iframe in the appropriate portion of their site. This is also how many web ads and trackers work. Using an iframe is the accepted way to embed a YouTube video or Google Maps content.
The child site can load its own content and cookies, so sites may allow it where they don't allow direct hotlinking content. The most common use of an iframe is to load content from another site within the page. The iframe content may not be properly indexed, so it may affect a site's SEO. Since they require additional memory and processing, their overuse can cause the page to perform poorly. Administrators should use caution when using more than one iframe. The parent site can define aspects of the iframe such as size, position and security context. They can also be refreshed and loaded asynchronously from the parent site. It can load its own JavaScript and CSS separate from the parent. The child iframe is a complete browsing environment within the parent frame. It is called an inline frame because to the user it is all one web page.
It takes the code from the referenced src or srcdoc and renders it as its own website that is then put entirely within the parent browsing page. When the web browser encounters an iframe element, it creates a new HTML document environment to load the content within. It is supported by all major web browsers and is included in the latest HTML5 specifications. How does an iframe work?Īn iframe is an element of HTML code. They are commonly used for advertisements, embedded videos, web analytics and interactive content. It essentially puts another webpage within the parent page.
How to Hide an Iframe Style specifications needed to hide an iframe from view.An inline frame (iframe) is a HTML element that loads another HTML page within the document. Iframe Onload Event How to trigger action once an iframe loads. Changing Iframe Src How to change iframe src to a new URL, with or without JavaScript. Dynamically Generating an Iframe How to create and insert an iframe using DOM methods. Setting Iframe Height How to set the height of an iframe to show all of its content without need for iframe scrollbars. The postMessage Method How to use the postMessage method with iframes when the documents are on different domains. Same Origin Policy Information on the access denied errors that occur when trying to communicate between documents on different domains. Cross-Document Communication How to obtain references so you can communicate between the document containing the iframe and the document inside the iframe. Topics include: Iframe Basics An introduction to iframes and a basic example. This tutorial describes and demonstrates using JavaScript to manipulate and interact with iframes, showing how to access and modify properties of the iframe element, how to communicate with the document inside the iframe, gaining information from it and passing information to it, as well as limitations on such access.
JavaScript and Iframes - Tutorial and Examples