What is the difference between window and document in JavaScript?
Aug 02, 2025 am 03:06 AMThe window object is the global browser context representing the tab or window, containing properties like location, history, and methods like alert and setTimeout; 2. The document object, a property of window, represents the HTML content and provides DOM access for manipulating elements; 3. Key difference: window handles browser-level operations while document interacts with page content, with window belonging to the BOM and document to the DOM; 4. Analogy: window is the entire browser tab, document is the web page inside it; 5. window.document === document confirms their relationship, but they serve distinct purposes in JavaScript execution and DOM manipulation.
In JavaScript, window
and document
are both fundamental objects, but they serve different purposes and represent different parts of the browser environment. Here's a clear breakdown of their differences:

1. The window
Object – The Browser Window
The window
object represents the global context of your JavaScript code and refers to the browser window or tab in which your code is running.
-
It’s the global object in browser environments. That means variables and functions declared globally are properties of
window
.var name = "Alice"; console.log(window.name); // "Alice"
It contains properties and methods related to the browser window, such as:
window.innerWidth
/window.innerHeight
– size of the viewportwindow.location
– current URLwindow.history
– navigation historywindow.alert()
,window.confirm()
,window.prompt()
– user interactionwindow.setTimeout()
andwindow.setInterval()
– timing functions
You can often omit
window.
when calling its methods:alert("Hello"); // same as window.alert("Hello"); setTimeout(() => {}, 1000); // same as window.setTimeout(...)
2. The document
Object – The Web Page Content
The document
object is a property of window
(window.document
) and represents the HTML content loaded in the browser.
- It gives you access to the DOM (Document Object Model) – the tree-like structure of HTML elements.
- You use
document
to:- Select elements:
document.getElementById()
,document.querySelector()
- Modify content:
document.body.innerHTML = "new content"
- Create or remove elements
- Listen for events (like clicks or keypresses)
- Select elements:
Example:
const heading = document.querySelector("h1"); heading.textContent = "Updated via JavaScript";
- The
document
object is part of the DOM API, whilewindow
is part of the BOM (Browser Object Model).
Key Differences Summary
Feature | window | document |
---|---|---|
Type | Global object representing the browser window | Object representing the loaded HTML document |
Scope | Broader – includes timers, location, history | Focused on page content and DOM |
Part of | BOM (Browser Object Model) | DOM (Document Object Model) |
Access to HTML | No direct access | Yes – main way to interact with page elements |
Inheritance | document is a property of window | document is not a window, but lives inside it |
A Simple Analogy
Think of window
as the entire browser tab – including the address bar, scrollbars, and the space where the page sits.
document
is just the web page content inside that tab – the HTML, text, images, and elements you interact with.
So:
window.document === document; // true
They’re related, but not the same.
Basically, use window
for browser-level operations and document
when working with page content.
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