What Does ‘Inspect’ Feature Show Me?

When it comes to understanding the functionality and structure of a website or software application, the ‘inspect’ feature is a powerful tool that provides valuable insights into the underlying code and elements that make up the user interface. By right-clicking on any element within a webpage and selecting ‘inspect’, users can access a wealth of information that can help them troubleshoot issues, optimise performance, and gain a deeper understanding of how a particular website or application is constructed. (See also our article on ‘Page Source‘)

One of the most common uses of the ‘inspect’ feature is to view and manipulate the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code that governs the appearance and behaviour of a webpage. By selecting the ‘Elements’ tab within the inspect panel, users can see the hierarchical structure of the webpage, including all of the individual elements such as headers, paragraphs, images, and buttons. By clicking on any element within the panel, users can view and edit the corresponding HTML code in real-time, allowing them to make changes to the layout, styling, or functionality of the webpage.

In addition to viewing and editing code, the ‘inspect’ feature also provides valuable information about the performance of a webpage. By selecting the ‘Network’ tab within the inspect panel, users can see a detailed breakdown of all of the resources that are being loaded when the webpage is accessed, including images, scripts, stylesheets, and other assets. This information can help users identify potential bottlenecks or issues that are slowing down the loading time of the webpage, allowing them to optimize performance and improve the overall user experience.

Another useful aspect of the ‘inspect’ feature is its ability to show users how a webpage or application is responding to user interactions. By selecting the ‘Console’ tab within the inspect panel, users can see a real-time log of any errors, warnings, or messages that are generated by the JavaScript code running on the webpage. This can be particularly helpful for developers who are debugging issues or testing new features, as it provides immediate feedback on the functionality of their code.

Essentially, the ‘inspect’ feature is a valuable tool that can provide users with a wealth of information about the structure, performance, and functionality of a website or application. By using this feature to view and manipulate code, analyse network activity, and monitor user interactions, users can gain a deeper understanding of how a webpage or application works and make informed decisions about how to improve it. Whether you are a developer looking to troubleshoot issues, a designer seeking to optimise performance, or a curious user interested in learning more about how websites are built, the ‘inspect’ feature is a helpful resource that can help you achieve your goals.