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key() Storage Method – How to Get a Key from Web Storage

The key() method retrieves a web storage item's name (key).

Syntax of the key() Method​

key() accepts one required argument. Here is the syntax:

webStorageObject.key(index);
  • webStorageObject represents the storage object whose key you wish to get—that is, localStorage or sessionStorage.
  • index is the only argument accepted by key(). It is a required integer argument specifying the index of the item whose key you wish to get.

Examples​

Below are examples of the key() method.

How to get the name of an item in session storage​

  1. Invoke sessionStorage's key() method.
  2. Provide the index of the item whose name you wish to get.
// Store carColor: "Pink" in the session storage:
sessionStorage.setItem("carColor", "Pink");

// Store pcColor: "Yellow" in the session storage:
sessionStorage.setItem("pcColor", "Yellow");

// Store laptopColor: "White" in the session storage:
sessionStorage.setItem("laptopColor", "White");

// Get the name of the item at index 1:
sessionStorage.key(1);

Try Editing It

important

The user-agent defines the order of items in the session storage. In other words, key()'s output may vary based on how the user-agent orders the web storage's items. Therefore, do not rely on key() to return a constant value.

How to get the name of an item in local storage​

  1. Invoke localStorage's key() method.
  2. Provide the index of the item whose name you wish to get.
// Store carColor: "Pink" in the local storage:
localStorage.setItem("carColor", "Pink");

// Store pcColor: "Yellow" in the local storage:
localStorage.setItem("pcColor", "Yellow");

// Store laptopColor: "White" in the local storage:
localStorage.setItem("laptopColor", "White");

// Get the name of the item at index 1:
localStorage.key(1);

Try Editing It

important

The user-agent defines the order of items in the local storage. In other words, key()'s output may vary based on how the user-agent orders the web storage's items. Therefore, do not rely on key() to return a constant value.

Overview​

This article discussed what web storage's key() method is. We also used examples to see how it works.

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