# getText

Get the text content from a DOM-element. Make sure the element you want to request the text from [is interactable](http://www.w3.org/TR/webdriver/#interactable) otherwise you will get an empty string as return value. If the element is disabled or not visible and you still want to receive the text content use [getHTML](https://webdriver.io/docs/api/element/getHTML) as a workaround.

## Usage[​](#usage "Direct link to Usage")

```
await $(selector).getText()
```

## Examples[​](#examples "Direct link to Examples")

index.html

```
<div id="elem">
    Lorem ipsum <strong>dolor</strong> sit amet,<br />
    consetetur sadipscing elitr
</div>
<span style="display: none">I am invisible</span>
```

getText.js

```
it('should demonstrate the getText function', async () => {
    const elem = await $('#elem');
    console.log(await elem.getText());
    // outputs the following:
    // "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,consetetur sadipscing elitr"

    const span = await $('span');
    console.log(await span.getText());
    // outputs "" (empty string) since element is not interactable
});
it('get content from table cell', async () => {
    await browser.url('http://the-internet.herokuapp.com/tables');
    const rows = await $$('#table1 tr');
    const columns = await rows[1].$$('td'); // get columns of 2nd row
    console.log(await columns[2].getText()); // get text of 3rd column
});
```

## Returns[​](#returns "Direct link to Returns")

* **\<String>** **`return`:** content of selected element (all HTML tags are removed)