HTML Code

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html lang="en">

<head>

  <meta charset="utf-8">

  <title>parent stays</title>

  <style>

    body { font-family: sans-serif; padding: 16px; max-width: 520px; }

    #box { border: 2px solid #6366f1; padding: 12px; border-radius: 8px; background: #eef2ff; min-height: 40px; }

    #box span { color: #dc2626; font-weight: bold; }

    button { margin-top: 12px; padding: 10px 16px; background: #6366f1; color: #fff; border: none; border-radius: 6px; cursor: pointer; }

    #log { margin-top: 12px; padding: 10px; background: #1e293b; color: #e2e8f0; border-radius: 6px; font-family: monospace; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap; }

  </style>

</head>

<body>

  <div id="box" class="widget">Hello <span>World</span></div>

  <button type="button" id="go">Empty #box</button>

  <div id="log">Before: #box has text and a nested span.</div>

  <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.7.1.min.js"></script>

  <script>

    $("#go").on("click", function() {

      $("#box").empty();

      var cls = $("#box").attr("class");

      var id = $("#box").attr("id");

      $("#log").text(

        "After empty():\n" +

        "  #box still exists: id=" + id + ", class=" + cls + "\n" +

        "  innerHTML: '" + $("#box").html() + "' (empty string)\n" +

        "  Text and nested span removed."

      );

    });

  </script>

</body>

</html>

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jQuery .empty() — parent stays in DOM (Try It)