<hx-partial>

Targets multiple elements with one response

The <hx-partial> tag lets you update multiple elements from a single response, with explicit control over targeting and swap strategy.

Syntax

<hx-partial hx-target="#messages" hx-swap="beforeend">
    <div>New message</div>
</hx-partial>

<hx-partial hx-target="#count">
    <span>5</span>
</hx-partial>

Attributes

hx-target - Where to place content. Accepts any CSS selector or htmx extended selector, resolved relative to the element that triggered the request
id - Shorthand alternative to hx-target. Targets the element with that ID (e.g. <hx-partial id="messages"> targets #messages)
hx-swap - Swap style (defaults to innerHTML)

Either hx-target or id is required. If both are present, hx-target takes precedence.

Relative Targeting

hx-target supports the full htmx extended selector vocabulary — closest, next, previous, find, findAll — resolved relative to the element that triggered the request. This lets the server express structural intent without requiring stable IDs:

<!-- replace the list row containing the button that was clicked -->
<hx-partial hx-target="closest li" hx-swap="outerHTML">
    <li>Updated item <button hx-post="/edit/2">Edit</button></li>
</hx-partial>

<!-- update the error element after the input that triggered validation -->
<hx-partial hx-target="next .error">
    <span class="error">Required</span>
</hx-partial>

Avoid targeting an ancestor that the main swap is also replacing — the partial would be swapping into a detached node.

Responses Without Main Content

When a response contains only <hx-partial> tags (no main content), the main target is left untouched. This is by design — partials are true response separators where each section is self-contained, giving the server explicit control over multi-target updates.

Unlike hx-swap-oob, this behavior cannot be changed globally. Use the swapEmpty:true modifier on hx-swap if you need to clear the main target:

<button hx-post="/submit" hx-swap="innerHTML swapEmpty:true">Submit</button>

Alternative Syntax

Template languages that strip unknown tags can use the equivalent <template> form: