JavaScript String charAt() Method

Last Updated : 15 Jan, 2026

The charAt() method in JavaScript is used to get a character from a string at a specific position. It helps you access individual characters easily using an index value.

  • It takes an index number as an argument and returns the character at that position.
  • JavaScript follows zero-based indexing (first character is at index 0).
  • If the index is out of range, it returns an empty string.
JavaScript 
let text = "Hello";

let result = text.charAt(1);

console.log(result);

Syntax:

character = str.charAt(index);

Parameters:

The charAt() method accepts a single parameter called index. This index determines which character from the string will be returned.

  • The index must be between 0 and string.length - 1.
  • If no index is provided, it uses 0 by default.
  • By default, it returns the first character of the string.

Return Value:

The charAt() method returns a value based on the index you provide. It gives you the character found at that specific position in the string.

  • Returns the character located at the given index.
  • If the index is valid, a single character is returned.
  • If the index is out of range, it returns an empty string ("").

Example : Retrieving Characters at Specific Indices using JavaScript String charAt() Method.
The charAt() method is used to retrieve a character from a string at a specific index.

  • Indexing starts from 0
  • Returns a single character
  • Returns an empty string if the index is invalid
  • Useful for accessing individual characters in a string
JavaScript 
function func() {
    // Original string
    let str = 'JavaScript is object oriented language';

    // Finding the character at given index
    let value = str.charAt(0);
    let value1 = str.charAt(4);
    console.log(value);
    console.log(value1);
}
func();

Example : Retrieving Character at Out-of-Bounds Index with JavaScript String charAt() Method

The charAt() method returns an empty string when the given index is outside the string length.

  • Index must be less than the string length
  • Out-of-bounds indices return "" (empty string)
  • No error is thrown for invalid indices
  • Example: accessing index 50 in a shorter string returns an empty string
JavaScript 
function func() {

    // Original string
    let str = 'JavaScript is object oriented language';

    // Finding the character at given index
    let value = str.charAt(50);
    console.log(value);
}
func();

Supported Browsers: 

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