jQuery event.isImmediatePropagationStopped()

What You’ll Learn

event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() returns whether event.stopImmediatePropagation() was called on this event. This tutorial covers the official button demo, blocking remaining handlers on the same element, comparing with stopPropagation() and isPropagationStopped(), and coordinating multiple listeners.

Introduction

When you bind multiple handlers to the same element with .on(), jQuery runs them in registration order during one event dispatch. Sometimes an early handler must stop the rest — not just parent bubbling, but every remaining listener on that element.

Calling event.stopImmediatePropagation() does that. To check whether it already happened — in the same handler or a helper — call event.isImmediatePropagationStopped(). jQuery has exposed this since version 1.3 on its normalized event object.

Understanding event.isImmediatePropagationStopped()

This method answers one question: was immediate propagation stopped on this event?

• Before stopImmediatePropagation — event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() returns false.
• After stopImmediatePropagation — returns true for the rest of that dispatch.
• Read-only — takes no arguments; does not change state.
• Same element only — remaining handlers on the bound element are skipped; parent handlers may still run unless propagation was also stopped.

📝 Syntax

Official jQuery API form (since 1.3):

event.isImmediatePropagationStopped()



// typical pattern:
$( "button" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  if ( !event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ) {
    // immediate stop not called yet
  }
  event.stopImmediatePropagation();
  if ( event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ) {
    // now true
  }
});

Parameters

• None — this method does not accept any arguments.

Return value

• Boolean — true if event.stopImmediatePropagation() was called on this event object; otherwise false.

Official jQuery API example

function immediatePropStopped( event ) {
  var msg = event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ? "called" : "not called";
  $( "#stop-log" ).append( "<div>" + msg + "</div>" );
}



$( "button" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  immediatePropStopped( event );
  event.stopImmediatePropagation();
  immediatePropStopped( event );
});

Examples Gallery

Example 1 follows the official jQuery demo. Examples 2–5 cover handler queues, comparing stop methods, guard helpers, and plugin cooperation.

function immediatePropStopped( event ) {
  var msg = event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ? "called" : "not called";
  $( "#stop-log" ).append( "<div>" + msg + "</div>" );
}



$( "button" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  immediatePropStopped( event );
  event.stopImmediatePropagation();
  immediatePropStopped( event );
});

#stop-log shows:
not called
called

$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function () {
  $( "#log" ).append( "<div>Handler 1 ran</div>" );
});



$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  $( "#log" ).append( "<div>Handler 2 ran — stopping immediate</div>" );
  event.stopImmediatePropagation();
});



$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function () {
  $( "#log" ).append( "<div>Handler 3 ran</div>" );
});

Handler 1 ran
Handler 2 ran — stopping immediate
(Handler 3 never runs)

$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  event.stopPropagation();
  $( "#log" ).append(
    "immediate stopped? " + event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() + "\\n" +
    "propagation stopped? " + event.isPropagationStopped()
  );
});



$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function () {
  $( "#log" ).append( "Second handler still ran" );
});

immediate stopped? false
propagation stopped? true
Second handler still ran

function trackClick( event, label ) {
  if ( event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ) {
    return "skipped (immediate already stopped)";
  }
  return "tracked: " + label;
}



$( "#btn" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  $( "#log" ).append( "<div>" + trackClick( event, "before stop" ) + "</div>" );
  event.stopImmediatePropagation();
  $( "#log" ).append( "<div>" + trackClick( event, "after stop" ) + "</div>" );
});

tracked: before stop
skipped (immediate already stopped)

// "Validation plugin" — runs first (bound first)
$( "#save" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  if ( !$( "#name" ).val() ) {
    event.stopImmediatePropagation();
    $( "#msg" ).text( "Validation failed — immediate stopped: " +
      event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() );
  }
});



// "Save plugin" — runs second only if validation passed
$( "#save" ).on( "click", function ( event ) {
  if ( event.isImmediatePropagationStopped() ) return;
  $( "#msg" ).text( "Save handler ran — form would submit." );
});

Empty name → "Validation failed — immediate stopped: true"
Filled name → "Save handler ran — form would submit."

🚀 Common Use Cases

• Debug handler order — log isImmediatePropagationStopped() after each handler runs.
• Validation gates — invalid state stops immediate propagation before save handlers.
• Analytics helpers — skip tracking when a primary handler already stopped the queue.
• Plugin stacks — third-party scripts check the flag before adding behavior.
• One-shot buttons — first click stops remaining toggle handlers on the same element.
• Testing — assert the flag after simulating clicks in Try-it labs.

📝 Notes

• Available since jQuery 1.3 — returns a Boolean.
• Takes no arguments — read-only query method.
• Reports whether stopImmediatePropagation() was ever called on this event object.
• Does not report default-prevented state — use isDefaultPrevented() for that.
• stopImmediatePropagation() also stops bubbling (like stopPropagation()).
• Introduced in DOM Level 3; jQuery normalizes it across supported browsers.

💡 Best Practices