What makes a website interactive?

An interactive (or dynamic) website is a site with dynamic pages that can be modified by users. Most modern websites are interactive, while static websites (which have pages that appear the same for every user) were more prevalent until the early 2000s.

How does JavaScript make websites interactive?

<a href="https://www.codecademy.com/article/what-is-javascript">JavaScript</a> allows developers to add animations and other interactive elements to web pages and modify the data stored in a page’s DOM (Document Object Model). Creating dynamic websites was a lot of complex before Javascript was developed, and the internet largely consisted of static websites.

What kind of jobs use Javascript to build interactive websites?

Web Developers use JavaScript to build interactive websites. Specifically, Front-End Developers use JavaScript along with HTML and CSS to build the parts of the site you see in your browser, and Back-End Developers use JavaScript with frameworks like Node.js to manage the hidden processes in the background. Full-Stack Developers do both.

What else should I study if I want to build websites?

If you want to take your JavaScript skills even further and build better websites, learn how to use JavaScript libraries like Node, React, Vue, and Angular to streamline your development and expand your sites’ functionalities.

Course

Building Interactive JavaScript Websites

Learn the Document Object Model, the interface between JavaScript and HTML elements, and combine HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into exciting interactive sites!

This course includes

76,477 learners enrolled

This course includes

Skill level
Intermediate
Time to complete
Average based on combined completion rates — individual pacing in lessons, projects, and quizzes may vary

6 hours
Projects
3
Prerequisites
3 courses

We suggest you complete the following courses before you get started with Building Interactive JavaScript Websites:
Learn HTML
Learn CSS
Learn JavaScript

About this course

Learn how to build interactive websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This course will combine these essential web technologies to create engaging, dynamic web pages. You’ll bridge the gap between understanding JavaScript and applying it to real web development projects while learning to manipulate the DOM and handle browser events.

Skills you'll gain

Manipulate the DOM
Handle browser events and event listeners
Use Handlebars.js for templating
Apply JavaScript principles to web development

Syllabus

5 lessons • 3 projects • 2 quizzes

lesson The Script Element
video Create Your First JavaScript Website
lesson The Document Object Model
lesson JavaScript and the DOM
quiz JavaScript and the DOM
project Chore Door
Certificate of completion available with Plus or Pro
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The platform

Hands-on learning

Animated GIF of an AI provided error explanation within Codecademy's learning environment

An AI-generated hint within the instructions of a Codecademy project

Animated GIF of Codecademy's Job Readiness Checker tool generating a compatibility report for a senior software engineer role

Animated GIF of building a phone screen interview using Codecademy's Interview Simulator

A fill-in-the-blank JavaScript question in a Codecademy assessment

Explore features

Projects in this course

Meet the creator of the course

Meet the full team

Jiwon Shin

Senior Curriculum Developer at Codecademy

Jiwon is a Senior Curriculum Developer at Codecademy. She has created courses across the web development catalog on languages such as JavaScript, PHP, and CSS, frameworks like React and Node.js, and the Front-End Engineer Career Path. She also created courses on p5.js, build tools, and Intro to UI and UX Design.

Meet the full team

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