# The Pointer-Events Property and Its Use Cases

Controlling the interactivity of web elements.

- **Source:** [CSS-Tricks (feeds.feedburner.com)](https://css-tricks.com)
- **Published:** 2026-07-15
- **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering)
- **Original article:** <https://css-tricks.com/almanac/properties/p/pointer-events/>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/86412e60-0811-4e94-9883-f5158e59f35c

## What is Pointer-Events?

The pointer-events property controls whether a web element can be the target of pointer-based events like clicks and hover states. It determines if the browser should treat an element as interactive.

## The Hit-Testing Process

Before firing a pointer event, the browser determines which element is under the pointer. This process is known as hit-testing. Normally, the browser selects the topmost element under the pointer.

## Pointer-Events: None

If an element's pointer-events is set to none, the browser skips it and looks for the next eligible element underneath. This completely disables the element's interactivity.

## Special Values for SVG

The pointer-events property offers nine special values for SVG elements, providing finer control over which parts of a graphic can receive pointer events.

## Inheritance and Overriding

The pointer-events property is inheritable. When set to none on a parent element, child elements inherit this value. However, child elements can override it to restore interactivity.

## Modal Use Case

In modal windows, a full-page container covers the entire viewport. Setting pointer-events: none on the container disables its interactivity while keeping the modal itself interactive.

## Event Propagation

The pointer-events property only determines which element becomes the event target. It does not change how events propagate through the DOM, ensuring event listeners continue to work normally.

## Sources covering this story

- https://css-tricks.com/almanac/properties/p/pointer-events/ — 

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_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._