Debugging iframes with Chrome developer tools

Bemmu picture Bemmu · Jul 18, 2010 · Viewed 129.6k times · Source

I'd like to use the Chrome developer console to look at variables and DOM elements in my app, but the app exists inside an iframe (since it's an OpenSocial app).

So the situation is:

<containing site>
 <iframe id='foo' src='different domain'>
  ... my app ...
 </iframe>
</containing site>

Is there any way to access things happening in that iframe from the developer console? If I try to do document.getElementById("foo").something, it doesn't work, probably because the iframe is in a different domain.

I can't open the iframe contents in a new tab, because the iframe needs to be able to talk to the containing site as well.

Answer

Metagrapher picture Metagrapher · Dec 20, 2011

In the Developer Tools in Chrome, there is a bar along the top, called the Execution Context Selector (h/t felipe-sabino), just under the Elements, Network, Sources... tabs, that changes depending on the context of the current tab. When in the Console tab there is a dropdown in that bar that allows you to select the frame context in which the Console will operate. Select your frame in this drop down and you will find yourself in the appropriate frame context. :D

Chrome v59 Chrome version 59

Chrome v33 Chrome version 33

Chrome v32 & lower Chrome pre-version 32