Style backgroundColor Property
Example
Set a background color for a document:
document.body.style.backgroundColor = "red";
Try it Yourself »
More "Try it Yourself" examples below.
Definition and Usage
The backgroundColor property sets or returns the background color of an element.
Browser Support
The numbers in the table specify the first browser version that fully supports the property.
| Property | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| backgroundColor | 1.0 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 3.5 |
Syntax
Return the backgroundColor property:
object.style.backgroundColor
Set the backgroundColor property:
object.style.backgroundColor = "color|transparent|initial|inherit"
Property Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| color | Specifies the background color. Look at CSS Color Values for a complete list of possible color values |
| transparent | Default. The background color is transparent (underlying content will shine through) |
| initial | Sets this property to its default value. Read about initial |
| inherit | Inherits this property from its parent element. Read about inherit |
Technical Details
| Default Value: | transparent |
|---|---|
| Return Value: | A String, representing the background color |
| CSS Version | CSS1 |
More Examples
Example
Set a background color of a specific <div> element:
document.getElementById("myDiv").style.backgroundColor = "lightblue";
Try it Yourself »
Example
Return the background color of a specific <div> element:
alert(document.getElementById("myDiv").style.backgroundColor);
Try it Yourself »
Example
Return the background color of a document:
alert(document.body.style.backgroundColor);
Try it Yourself »
Related Pages
CSS tutorial: CSS Background
CSS reference: background-color property
HTML DOM reference: background property
❮ Style Object
