[javascript] Simulate a click on 'a' element using javascript/jquery

I am trying to simulate a click on on an element. HTML for the same is as follows

<a id="gift-close" href="javascript:void(0)" class="cart-mask-close p-abs" onclick="_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','voucher_new','cart',$(this).attr('rel')+'-mask_x_button-inaction']);" rel="coupon">&nbsp;</a>

How can i simulate a click on it. I have tried

document.getElementById("gift-close").click();

But its not doing anything

The code you've already tried:

document.getElementById("gift-close").click();

...should work as long as the element actually exists in the DOM at the time you run it. Some possible ways to ensure that include:

1. Run your code from an onload handler for the window. http://jsfiddle.net/LKNYg/
2. Run your code from a document ready handler if you're using jQuery. http://jsfiddle.net/LKNYg/1/
3. Put the code in a script block that is after the element in the source html.

So:

$(document).ready(function() {
    document.getElementById("gift-close").click();
    // OR
    $("#gift-close")[0].click();
});

Use this code to click:

$("#gift-close").click();

Using jQuery: $('#gift-close').trigger('click');

Using JavaScript: document.getElementById('gift-close').click();

Here, try this one:

$('#gift-close').on('click', function () {
    _gaq.push(['_trackEvent','voucher_new','cart',$(this).attr('rel')+'-mask_x_button-inaction']);
});

Try to use document.createEvent described here https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/document.createEvent

The code for function that simulates click should look something like this:

function simulateClick() {
  var evt = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");
  evt.initMouseEvent("click", true, true, window,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, false, false, false, false, 0, null);
  var a = document.getElementById("gift-close"); 
  a.dispatchEvent(evt);      
}

Using jQuery:

$('#gift-close').click();

Try adding a function inside the click() method.

$('#gift-close').click(function(){
  //do something here
});

It worked for me with a function assigned inside the click() method rather than keeping it empty.

Code snippet underneath!

Please take a look at these documentations and examples at MDN, and you will find your answer. This is the propper way to do it I would say.

Creating and triggering events

Dispatch Event (example)

Taken from the 'Dispatch Event (example)'-HTML-link (simulate click):

function simulateClick() {

  var evt = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");

  evt.initMouseEvent("click", true, true, window,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, false, false, false, false, 0, null);

  var cb = document.getElementById("checkbox"); 
  var canceled = !cb.dispatchEvent(evt);

  if(canceled) {
    // A handler called preventDefault
    alert("canceled");
  } else {
    // None of the handlers called preventDefault
    alert("not canceled");
  }
}

This is how I would do it (2017 ..) :

Simply using MouseEvent.

function simulateClick() {

    var evt = new MouseEvent("click");

    var cb = document.getElementById("checkbox");
    var canceled = !cb.dispatchEvent(evt);

    if (canceled) {
        // A handler called preventDefault
        console.log("canceled");
    } else {
        // None of the handlers called preventDefault
        console.log("not canceled");
    }
}

document.getElementById("button").onclick = evt => {_x000D_
    _x000D_
    simulateClick()_x000D_
}_x000D_
_x000D_
function simulateClick() {_x000D_
_x000D_
    var evt = new MouseEvent("click");_x000D_
_x000D_
    var cb = document.getElementById("checkbox");_x000D_
    var canceled = !cb.dispatchEvent(evt);_x000D_
_x000D_
    if (canceled) {_x000D_
        // A handler called preventDefault_x000D_
        console.log("canceled");_x000D_
    } else {_x000D_
        // None of the handlers called preventDefault_x000D_
        console.log("not canceled");_x000D_
    }_x000D_
}

<input type="checkbox" id="checkbox">_x000D_
<br>_x000D_
<br>_x000D_
<button id="button">Check it out, or not</button>