Raw HTML with v-html in Vue - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Raw HTML with v-html

Vue Component Render

↓

Template with v-html

↓

Vue Inserts Raw HTML

↓

Browser Parses HTML

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HTML Rendered in DOM

Vue reads the v-html directive, inserts raw HTML string into the DOM, and the browser renders it as HTML elements.

Execution Sample

Vue

<template>
  <div v-html="rawHtml"></div>
</template>
<script setup>
const rawHtml = '<p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>'
</script>

This code inserts the raw HTML string into the div, rendering formatted text inside.

Execution Table

Step	Action	v-html Value	DOM Change	Rendered Output
1	Vue reads template	'<p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>'	No change yet	Empty div
2	v-html directive inserts HTML string	'<p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>'	div.innerHTML set to rawHtml	div contains <p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>
3	Browser parses inserted HTML	N/A	Creates <p>, <strong>, <em> elements inside div	Visible formatted text: Hello Vue!
4	Render complete	N/A	DOM stable with inserted HTML	User sees bold 'Hello' and italic 'Vue!' inside the div

💡 Raw HTML inserted and parsed, rendering complete.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	Final
rawHtml	undefined	'<p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>'	'<p><strong>Hello</strong> <em>Vue!</em></p>'

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why does the HTML inside v-html render as formatted text instead of plain text?

Because v-html sets the element's innerHTML property, the browser parses the string as HTML tags, not plain text. See execution_table step 3.

Can we use v-html to insert user input safely?

No, inserting raw HTML can cause security risks like XSS. Always sanitize user input before using v-html. This is important beyond the shown steps.

What happens if rawHtml changes after initial render?

Vue updates the innerHTML of the element with the new string, re-parsing and re-rendering the HTML. This dynamic update is similar to step 2 repeated.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the DOM change at step 2?

A Browser creates new Vue component

B div innerHTML is set to the rawHtml string

C div is removed from DOM

D rawHtml variable is cleared

💡 Hint

Check the 'DOM Change' column in step 2 of the execution_table.

At which step does the browser parse the inserted HTML string into elements?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look for the step describing browser parsing in the execution_table.

If rawHtml changes to '<h1>Title</h1>', what will happen in the execution flow?

A Vue updates innerHTML and browser parses new HTML

B Nothing changes because v-html only runs once

C Vue throws an error

D The div is removed from DOM

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about dynamic updates and execution_table step 2.

Concept Snapshot

v-html inserts raw HTML string into an element's innerHTML.
Vue replaces element content with parsed HTML.
Use carefully to avoid security risks.
Updates to bound variable re-render HTML.
Useful for trusted HTML content display.

Full Transcript

This visual trace shows how Vue's v-html directive works. First, Vue reads the template and finds the v-html directive with a raw HTML string. Then Vue sets the element's innerHTML to that string. The browser parses this string as HTML tags, creating elements inside the div. Finally, the formatted HTML is rendered on screen. The rawHtml variable holds the HTML string and can update dynamically, causing Vue to re-insert and re-parse the HTML. Beginners often wonder why the HTML renders formatted and not as plain text; this is because innerHTML parses the string as HTML. Also, using v-html with user input can be unsafe without sanitization. The execution table and variable tracker help visualize these steps clearly.