← Back toHTML DOM

Get the default value of a CSS property

Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Category
Level 2 — Intermediate
Created
28 Feb, 2020
The function below returns the default value of CSS `property` for given `tagName`:
const getDefaultProperty = function (tagName, property) {
// Create new element
const ele = document.createElement(tagName);

// Append to the body
document.body.appendChild(ele);

// Get the styles of new element
const styles = window.getComputedStyle(ele);

// Get the value of property
const value = styles.getPropertyValue(property);

// Remove the element
document.body.removeChild(ele);

// Return the value of property
return value;
};
Good to know
The getComputedStyle() method returns the live styles of given element. It means that it's updated automatically if the element styles are changed.
That's why we need to get the value of property before removing the element. The following code doesn't return the correct value:
...
const styles = window.getComputedStyle(ele);
document.body.removeChild(ele);

// Always return "" because the element is already
// removed from the document
return styles.getPropertyValue(property);
We can use it, for example, to get the default font size of `div` tag:
getDefaultProperty('div', 'font-size');

// Or
getDefaultProperty('div', 'fontSize');

See also

Questions? 🙋

Do you have any questions? Not just about this specific post, but about any topic in front-end development that you'd like to learn more about? If so, feel free to send me a message on Twitter or send me an email. You can find them at the bottom of this page.
I have a long list of upcoming posts, but your questions or ideas for the next one will be my top priority. Let's learn together! Sharing knowledge is the best way to grow 🥷.

Recent posts ⚡

Newsletter 🔔

If you're into front-end technologies and you want to see more of the content I'm creating, then you might want to consider subscribing to my newsletter.
By subscribing, you'll be the first to know about new articles, products, and exclusive promotions.
Don't worry, I won't spam you. And if you ever change your mind, you can unsubscribe at any time.
Phước Nguyễn