Vue.js 2.7: Detect clicks outside an element (Close modals, popups, etc.)

vue-click-outside.md

Detecting outside clicks in Vue.js

See this StackOverflow thread

First off, include the directive at the end of this gist.

1. On your open button, make sure to use @click.stop to prevent the open click event from closing your modal.
2. On your modal, add the v-click-outside directive and points it at a function to call when clicked outside.

Example:

<template>
  <button @click.stop="openPopup” />
  <div v-if="shouldShowModal” v-click-outside="hidePopup” />
</template>

<script>

export default {
  data() {
    return {
      shouldShowModal: false
    };
  },
  methods: {
    showPopup() {
      this.shouldShowModal = true;
    },
    hidePopup() {
      this.shouldShowModal = false;
    }
  },
};
</script>

Directive:

Based on this SO answer

Vue.directive(‘click-outside’,{
  bind: function (el, binding, vnode) {
      el.eventSetDrag = function () {
          el.setAttribute('data-dragging', 'yes');
      }
      el.eventClearDrag = function () {
          el.removeAttribute('data-dragging');
      }
      el.eventOnClick = function (event) {
          var dragging = el.getAttribute('data-dragging');
          // Check that the click was outside the el and its children, and wasn't a drag
          if (!(el == event.target || el.contains(event.target)) && !dragging) {
              // call method provided in attribute value
              vnode.context[binding.expression](event);
          }
      };
      document.addEventListener('touchstart', el.eventClearDrag);
      document.addEventListener('touchmove', el.eventSetDrag);
      document.addEventListener('click', el.eventOnClick);
      document.addEventListener('touchend', el.eventOnClick);
  }, unbind: function (el) {
      document.removeEventListener('touchstart', el.eventClearDrag);
      document.removeEventListener('touchmove', el.eventSetDrag);
      document.removeEventListener('click', el.eventOnClick);
      document.removeEventListener('touchend', el.eventOnClick);
      el.removeAttribute('data-dragging');
  },
});

Thanks for your solution, works great on Desktop! However on my Android phone browser it doesn't quite behave properly. If you click the button to open the dialog box it opens, but if you click the button again the dialog box attempts to close but then reopens again. Though clicking outside the button will close the dialog properly. Any ideas on what that could be?

Thanks !! great workaround :) I was doing something similar but on each component, definitely better with this custom vue directive.

@igd-tom, I'd guess it's probably something off in the code that opens the dialog. Can you post a fiddle or CodeSandbox demonstrating the problem?

Nice work

This is the ONLY one I've found that actually works, you're a gem!

Thanks you! 👍 🎉 😎

Update for Vue 3:

{
  beforeMount(el, binding, vnode) {
      el.eventSetDrag = function () {
          el.setAttribute('data-dragging', 'yes');
      }
      el.eventClearDrag = function () {
          el.removeAttribute('data-dragging');
      }
      el.eventOnClick = function (event) {
          var dragging = el.getAttribute('data-dragging');
          // Check that the click was outside the el and its children, and wasn't a drag
          if (!(el == event.target || el.contains(event.target)) && !dragging) {
              // call method provided in attribute value
              binding.value(event);
          }
      };
      document.addEventListener('touchstart', el.eventClearDrag);
      document.addEventListener('touchmove', el.eventSetDrag);
      document.addEventListener('click', el.eventOnClick);
      document.addEventListener('touchend', el.eventOnClick);
  },
  unmounted(el) {
      document.removeEventListener('touchstart', el.eventClearDrag);
      document.removeEventListener('touchmove', el.eventSetDrag);
      document.removeEventListener('click', el.eventOnClick);
      document.removeEventListener('touchend', el.eventOnClick);
      el.removeAttribute('data-dragging');
  }
}

Thanks! This worked perfectly!

"On your open button, make sure to use @click.stop to prevent the open click event from closing your modal." Thanks so much, this was my issue with another solution!