JavaScript setTimeout() Method (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 28 Apr, 2025

JavaScript setTimeout() method allows you to schedule the execution of a function or the evaluation of a code after a specified delay.

The setTimeout() method calls a function after several milliseconds.setTimeout() is for executing a function once after a specified delay.

Syntax:

setTimeout(function, delay);

Parameters:

• function : The function or code snippet to be executed after the specified delay.
• delay : The time, in milliseconds, to wait before executing the function.

Return Value:

Returns a Number which is the id of the timer. Use this id with clearTimeout(id) to cancel the timer.

**Example 1: Here, the greet function will be executed after a delay of 2000 milliseconds (2 seconds).

JavaScript `

function greet() { console.log("Hello, world!"); }

// Call the greet function after // 2000 milliseconds (2 seconds) setTimeout(greet, 2000);

`

**Output: (Will be printed after 2 sec or 2000ms)

Hello, world!

**Example 2: Below is the example of popping an up alert, **2 seconds(2000ms) after the user presses the click me button.

HTML `

`

**Output:

**Note: We can stop the execution of the **setTimeout() function by using a method called as **clearTimeout() or by closing the window.

**Example 3: Here, we are using a **setTimeout() function and stop its execution using the **clearTimeout() function before the execution of the **setTimeout().

HTML `

Press the stop button before the alert is shown

`

**Output: