Why does my JavaScript stack trace show an anonymous function in the call stack when I handle a DOM event?

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Why does my JavaScript stack trace show an anonymous function in the call stack when I handle a DOM event?

Asked on Dec 27, 2025

Answer

In JavaScript, an anonymous function in a stack trace often appears when you use inline event handlers or arrow functions for event handling. These functions don't have a name, so they appear as "anonymous" in the stack trace.

<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
        document.querySelector("#myButton").addEventListener("click", () => {
            console.log("Button clicked!");
        });
        <!-- END COPY / PASTE -->

Additional Comment:

The arrow function `() => { console.log("Button clicked!"); }` is an anonymous function.
Anonymous functions are often used for simplicity but can make debugging harder since they appear as "anonymous" in stack traces.
Naming functions can help with debugging: `function handleClick() { console.log("Button clicked!"); }`.

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Ask any question about JavaScript here... and get an instant response.

Why does my JavaScript stack trace show an anonymous function in the call stack when I handle a DOM event?

Asked on Dec 27, 2025

Answer

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