---
id: api/commands/children
title: children | Cypress Documentation
description: Get the children of each DOM element within a set of DOM elements in Cypress.
section: api
source_path: docs/api/commands/children.mdx
version: 7ada28c0cd90e81cf56fd3fc73de6e6d45c16de6
updated_at: '2026-05-13T21:55:41.935Z'
---
# children

Get the children of each DOM element within a set of DOM elements.

The querying behavior of this command matches exactly how [`.children()`](http://api.jquery.com/children) works in jQuery.

## Syntax

```
.children().children(selector).children(options).children(selector, options)
```

### Usage

**Correct Usage**

```
cy.get('nav').children() // Yield children of nav
```

**Incorrect Usage**

```
cy.children() // Errors, cannot be chained off 'cy'cy.clock().children() // Errors, 'clock' does not yield DOM elements
```

### Arguments

**selector _(String selector)_**

A selector used to filter matching DOM elements.

**options _(Object)_**

Pass in an options object to change the default behavior of `.children()`.

| Option | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `log` | `true` | Displays the command in the [Command log](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/open-mode.md#Command-Log) |
| `timeout` | [`defaultCommandTimeout`](/llm/markdown/app/references/configuration.md#Timeouts) | Time to wait for `.children()` to resolve before [timing out](#Timeouts) |

### Yields [Learn about subject management](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Subject-Management)

*   `.children()` yields the new DOM element(s) it found.
*   `.children()` is a query, and it is _safe_ to chain further commands.

## Examples

### No Args

#### Get the children of the `.secondary-nav`

```
<ul>  <li>About</li>  <li>    Services    <ul class="secondary-nav">      <li class="services-1">Web Design</li>      <li class="services-2">Logo Design</li>      <li class="services-3">        Print Design        <ul class="tertiary-nav">          <li>Signage</li>          <li>T-Shirt</li>          <li>Business Cards</li>        </ul>      </li>    </ul>  </li>  <li>Contact</li></ul>
```

```
// yields [//  <li class="services-1">Web Design</li>,//  <li class="services-2">Logo Design</li>,//  <li class="services-3">Print Design</li>// ]cy.get('ul.secondary-nav').children()
```

### Selector

#### Get the children with class `active`

```
<div>  <ul>    <li class="active">Unit Testing</li>    <li>Integration Testing</li>  </ul></div>
```

```
// yields [//  <li class="active">Unit Testing</li>// ]cy.get('ul').children('.active')
```

## Rules

### Requirements [Learn about chaining commands](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Chains-of-Commands)

*   `.children()` requires being chained off a command that yields DOM element(s).

### Assertions [Learn about assertions](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Assertions)

*   `.children()` will automatically [retry](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/retry-ability.md) until the element(s) [exist in the DOM](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Implicit-Assertions).
*   `.children()` will automatically [retry](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/retry-ability.md) until all chained assertions have passed.

### Timeouts [Learn about timeouts](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Timeouts)

*   `.children()` can time out waiting for the element(s) to [exist in the DOM](/llm/markdown/app/core-concepts/introduction-to-cypress.md#Implicit-Assertions).
*   `.children()` can time out waiting for assertions you've added to pass.

## Command Log

**_Assert that there should be 8 children elements in a nav_**

```
cy.get('.left-nav>.nav').children().should('have.length', 8)
```

The commands above will display in the Command Log as:

When clicking on the `children` command within the command log, the console outputs the following:

## See also

*   [`.next()`](/llm/markdown/api/commands/next.md)
*   [`.parent()`](/llm/markdown/api/commands/parent.md)
*   [`.parents()`](/llm/markdown/api/commands/parents.md)
*   [`.siblings()`](/llm/markdown/api/commands/siblings.md)