How to detect Arrow Left
document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
if (event.key === "ArrowLeft") {
// Arrow Left was pressed
}
});Use event.key to react to what the key means (it follows the keyboard layout) and event.code for its physical position, for example WASD in games. keyCode and which are deprecated: they still work, but their values differ between browsers and layouts.
How browsers treat Arrow Left
Arrow Left moves the caret or the previous item; in right-to-left languages, remember it moves visually left, which is the logical “next” character.
In React
<input onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === "ArrowLeft") { /* … */ } }} />JavaScript Keycode FinderPress any key and instantly see every property of the keyboard event, with a copy-ready keydown snippet for shortcuts.
Open the tool Frequently asked questions
What is the keyCode for Arrow Left?
37. It’s deprecated, though: use event.key (“ArrowLeft”) or event.code (ArrowLeft) in new code.
What is the difference between event.key and event.code?
event.key is the character or action the key produces with the current layout; event.code is the physical key position, the same on every layout.
Should I use keydown or keypress?
keydown. The keypress event is deprecated and doesn’t fire for keys that don’t produce characters, such as Escape or the arrow keys.