:empty?:empty (since jQuery 1.0) selects elements that have no children at all — no element nodes and no text nodes. It is the inverse of :parent and is a standard CSS pseudo-class.
$("td:empty") // empty table cells
$("div:empty") // empty divs (no text, no kids)
$(":empty") // avoid — scans every element
// <div></div> → :empty ✓
// <div> </div> → NOT empty (whitespace text node)
// :parent → inverse of :empty| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| No children at all | $("td:empty") |
| Has any child / text | $(":parent") |
| Has a matching child | $(":has(sel)") |
| Contains a text string | $(":contains('x')") |
| Clear contents | .empty() |
:emptyPrefix with a tag, then decide what to do with truly empty nodes.
$("td:empty") or $("div:empty") over bare $(":empty").img, input, br, …) always match :empty.:parent when you want the opposite set..empty() — that is a method, not this selector.| Piece | Required? | Role |
|---|---|---|
:empty | Yes | Matches nodes with zero children |
| Tag prefix | Recommended | Avoids a universal * scan |
| Text nodes | — | Count as children (including spaces) |
| Return value | — | jQuery collection of matching elements |
matches = []
for each element in search context:
if element.childNodes.length === 0:
matches.add(element)
return matches
// Note: a single whitespace text node → length 1 → NOT emptyKeep these facts handy when checking for empty nodes.
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Syntax | $("td:empty") |
| Since | jQuery 1.0 · CSS standard |
| Children | Elements and text nodes |
| Inverse | :parent |
| Whitespace | Makes an element non-empty |
| Void tags | img, input, br, … always empty |
| Bare form | Avoid $(":empty") |
| Method twin | .empty() clears contents |
Run td:empty on a mini table like the official demo.
Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools Console, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.
$("td:empty")Find empty cells and write a placeholder into them.
$("td:empty").text("Was empty!");
$("#out").text(
"Filled cells: " + $("td:contains('Was empty!')").length
);$("td:empty") finds cells with no children..text("Was empty!") fills only that set.:empty vs :parentOfficial pair: :empty is the inverse of :parent.
$("#out").text(
"td:empty → " + $("td:empty").length + "\n" +
"td:parent → " + $("td:parent").length
);:empty to find blanks; :parent for filled ones.A space or newline inside a tag creates a text node.
$("#out").text(
"Truly empty: " + $("#a:empty").length + "\n" +
"Has space: " + $("#b:empty").length + "\n" +
"#b is :parent? " + $("#b").is(":parent")
);<div id="a"></div> has no child nodes → empty.#b match :parent..text().trim() === "" if you need “visually blank.”Label empty divs so you can spot unfinished UI slots.
$("#panel div:empty").attr("data-empty", "yes");
$("#out").text(
"Empty divs: " + $("#panel div:empty").length
);#panel div:empty only searches that panel.Tags like input and img never have children.
$("#out").text(
"input:empty → " + $("input:empty").length + "\n" +
"img:empty → " + $("img:empty").length + "\n" +
"div:empty → " + $("div:empty").length
);input / img cannot contain children.:empty.divs join that set.Check these before treating “looks blank” as :empty.
Pretty-printed HTML with newlines inside a tag often fails :empty. Keep open/close tags adjacent when you need a true empty node.
$(":empty") is broadIt scans every element type, including void tags. Prefer $("td:empty") or a scoped query.
img, input, br, and hr are empty by definition — exclude them if you only want containers.
:empty ≠ .empty()The selector finds empty nodes. The method .empty() removes children from a matched set.
The :empty pseudo-class is standard CSS and has been in jQuery since 1.0. It works wherever your jQuery build runs.
Supported across jQuery 1.x, 2.x, and 3.x in every browser that runs your jQuery build. Prefer current jQuery 3.x for modern projects.
Bottom line: Safe everywhere jQuery runs. Prefer a tag prefix, and remember whitespace text nodes prevent a match.
| Approach | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
$("td:empty") | Cheap | Tables and lists |
$("#panel div:empty") | Cheapest scoped | Large pages |
$(":empty") | Slower / noisy | Avoid — universal + void tags |
.filter(fn) on text trim | Moderate | “Visually blank” checks |
Prefix and scope keep results meaningful. Bare :empty often returns more void elements than you expect.
One line: :empty finds nodes with no children — including no text — so keep tags tight and prefix with a tag name.
Learn the inverse of :empty — elements that have at least one child.
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