el & $refs - Magic Properties in Alpine.js
From the Alpine.js cheat sheet · Advanced Features · verified Jul 2026
$el & $refs - Magic Properties
Access special Alpine.js magic properties
html
<div x-data>
<!-- $el - Current element -->
<button @click="$el.remove()">
Remove This Button
</button>
<!-- $refs - Element references -->
<input x-ref="email">
<button @click="$refs.email.focus()">
Focus
</button>
</div>✅ $el references the current component root element
💡 $refs accesses all elements with x-ref
🔍 Other magic: $watch, $dispatch, $nextTick, $store
⚡ Use $ prefix for all Alpine magic properties
magic-properties$el$refs$watch$dispatch