Badges reference

Toggle various overlays and speed up DOM tree navigation with this comprehensive reference of badges in the Elements panel.

# Show or hide badges

To show or hide badges:

1. Open DevTools.
2. Right-click an element in the DOM tree and select Badge settings....
3. Select or clear checkboxes next to the desired badges.

The Elements panel shows the selected badges next to the appropriate elements in the DOM tree. The next sections explain every badge.

# Grid

An HTML element is a grid container if its display CSS property is set to grid or inline-grid. Such elements have grid badges next to them that toggle the corresponding overlays.

Toggle the overlay on the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.
2. In the DOM tree, click the grid badge next to the element and observe the overlay.

The overlay shows columns, rows, their numbers, and gaps.

To learn how to debug grid layout, see Inspect CSS grid.

# Flex

An HTML element is a flex container if its display CSS property is set to flex or inline-flex. Such elements have flex badges next to them that toggle the corresponding overlays.

Toggle the overlay on the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.
2. In the DOM tree, click the flex badge next to the element and observe the overlay.

The overlay shows child element positions.

To learn how to debug flex layouts, see Inspect and debug CSS flexbox.

# Ad

DevTools can detect some ad frames and tag them. Such frames have ad badges next to them.

Discover an ad in the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.
2. In the DOM tree, find an element with the ad badge next to it.

The ad badge is not clickable but you can use the Rendering tab to highlight ad frames in red.

# Scroll-snap

An HTML element is a scroll container if its overflow CSS property is set to scroll, or auto when there's enough content to cause overflow. Scroll containers can have CSS properties that configure snap points. Such elements have scroll-snap badges next to them that toggle the corresponding overlays.

Toggle the overlay on the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.
2. In the DOM tree, click the scroll-snap badge next to the element.
3. Try scrolling the element to the right and observe the overlay.

The overlay shows element positions and snap points.

# Container

An HTML element is a container if it has the container-type CSS property. Such elements have container badges next to them that toggle the corresponding overlays.

Toggle the overlay on the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.
2. In the DOM tree, click the container badge next to the element.
3. Try resizing the element by dragging its bottom-right corner and observe the layout change and overlay.

The overlay shows child element positions.

To learn how to debug container queries, see Inspect and debug CSS container queries.

# Slot

The <slot> HTML element is a placeholder that you can fill with your own content. Together with the <template> element, <slot> lets you create separate DOM trees and present them together. Slot content elements have slot badges next to them that serve as links to the corresponding slots.

Discover the slot badge in the following preview:

1. Inspect the element in the preview.

2. In the DOM tree, click the slot badge next to the element to locate the corresponding slot.

   Important

   The slot badge has a paired reveal badge that takes you back.

3. Get back to the slot's content by clicking the reveal badge.

# Top layer

This badge helps you understand the concept of the top layer and visualize it. The top layer renders content on top of all other layers, regardless of z-index. When you open a <dialog> element using the .showModal() method, the browser puts it into the top layer.

To help you visualize top layer elements, the Elements panel adds a #top-layer container to the DOM tree after the closing </html> tag.

Top layer elements have top-layer (N) badges next to them, where N is the element's index number. The badges are links to the corresponding elements in the #top-layer container.

Discover the top-layer (N) badge in the following preview:

1. In the preview, click Open dialog.

2. Inspect the dialog.

3. In the DOM tree, click the top-layer (1) badge next to the <dialog> element. The Elements panel takes you to the corresponding element in the #top-layer container after the closing </html> tag.

   Important

   The top-layer (N) badge has a paired reveal badge that takes you back.

4. Get back to the <dialog> element by clicking the reveal badge next to the element or its ::backdrop.