[Vue warn]: Cannot find element

184
votes

I'm using Vuejs. This is my markup:

<body>
  <div id="main">
    <div id="mainActivity" v-component="{{currentActivity}}" class="activity"></div>
  </div>
</body>

This is my code:

var main = new Vue({
    el: '#main',
    data: {
        currentActivity: 'home'
    }
})
;

When I load the page I get this warning:

[Vue warn]: Cannot find element: #main

What am I doing wrong?

6
javascriptmvvmvue.js
Doing this in the footer, or header? – Chris Baker
move your script to a window ready handler – Arun P Johny
the ready handler was the issue. seems silly that vue doesnt include this... @ArunPJohny - if you submit an answer with a snippet ill mark it as correct. – dopatraman
Why is this not included in the Vue docs? I had the same issue but this worked. – pythonNovice

6 Answers

353
votes

I think the problem is your script is executed before the target dom element is loaded in the dom... one reason could be that you have placed your script in the head of the page or in a script tag that is placed before the div element #main. So when the script is executed it won't be able to find the target element thus the error.

One solution is to place your script in the load event handler like

window.onload = function () {
    var main = new Vue({
        el: '#main',
        data: {
            currentActivity: 'home'
        }
    });
}

Another syntax

window.addEventListener('load', function () {
    //your script
})
81
votes

I've solved the problem by add attribute 'defer' to the 'script' element.

57
votes

I get the same error. the solution is to put your script code before the end of body, not in the head section.

28
votes

The simple thing is to put the script below the document, just before your closing </body> tag:

<body>
   <div id="main">
      <div id="mainActivity" v-component="{{currentActivity}}" class="activity"></div>
   </div>
   <script src="app.js"></script>
</body>

app.js file: 

var main = new Vue({
    el: '#main',
    data: {
        currentActivity: 'home'
    }
});
1
votes

You can solve it in two ways.

  1. Make sure you put the CDN into the end of html page and place your own script after that. Example:
    <body>
      <div id="main">
        <div id="mainActivity" v-component="{{currentActivity}}" class="activity"></div>
      </div>
    </body>
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/[email protected]"></script>
    <script src="js/app.js"></script>

where you need to put same javascript code you wrote in any other JavaScript file or in html file.

  1. Use window.onload function in your JavaScript file.
1
votes

I think sometimes stupid mistakes can give us this error.

<div id="#main"> <--- id with hashtag
    <div id="mainActivity" v-component="{{currentActivity}}" class="activity"></div>
</div>

To

<div id="main"> <--- id without hashtag
    <div id="mainActivity" v-component="{{currentActivity}}" class="activity"></div>
</div>