Definition
The pointer-events CSS property is used to control whether an element can respond to pointer events, such as clicks, hover effects, and cursor interactions. It determines whether the element is considered as a target for these events or if it should pass the events through to underlying elements.
The pointer-events property accepts several values:
-
auto: This is the default value. The element behaves as normal, allowing pointer events to interact with it. -
none: The element does not respond to pointer events. It acts as if it is “invisible” to pointer interactions, and events pass through to underlying elements. -
visiblePainted: The element is not interactive for pointer events, but it still visually reacts to them, such as showing hover effects. -
visibleFill: The element does not respond to pointer events on its stroke (outline) but does respond on its fill (interior). -
visibleStroke: The element does not respond to pointer events on its fill (interior) but does respond on its stroke (outline).
Here’s an example:
.button {
pointer-events: none;
}
In this example, the .button class sets the pointer-events property to none, making the element unresponsive to pointer events. The element will not receive any click or hover interactions, and the events will pass through to underlying elements.
The pointer-events property is useful in various scenarios, such as creating overlay elements that allow interactions with elements below, disabling interaction with specific elements, or customizing the behavior of pointer events within complex layouts.