What it is
Element Plus is a Vue 3 UI component library that provides a rich set of high-quality, reusable components for building modern web applications with a clean design aesthetic.
Element Plus provides Vue components for forms, buttons, tables, modals, notifications, navigation, and more. Components are fully customizable and support reactive data binding, events, and slots.
Installation
npm install element-plus --saveGetting started
The smallest useful thing you can do with it, and what each part means.
<template>
<el-button type="primary">Primary Button</el-button>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ElButton } from 'element-plus'
</script><template>
<el-input v-model="inputText" placeholder="Enter text"></el-input>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'
import { ElInput } from 'element-plus'
const inputText = ref('')
</script>Advanced usage
Where the library earns its place over a simpler alternative.
<template>
<el-dialog title="Dialog Title" :visible.sync="dialogVisible">
<p>Dialog content goes here.</p>
<span slot="footer">
<el-button @click="dialogVisible = false">Close</el-button>
</span>
</el-dialog>
<el-button @click="dialogVisible = true">Open Dialog</el-button>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'
import { ElDialog, ElButton } from 'element-plus'
const dialogVisible = ref(false)
</script><template>
<el-table :data="tableData" style="width: 100%">
<el-table-column prop="date" label="Date" width="180"></el-table-column>
<el-table-column prop="name" label="Name" width="180"></el-table-column>
<el-table-column prop="address" label="Address"></el-table-column>
</el-table>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ref } from 'vue'
import { ElTable, ElTableColumn } from 'element-plus'
const tableData = ref([
{ date: '2025-08-01', name: 'John Doe', address: '123 Street' },
{ date: '2025-08-02', name: 'Jane Smith', address: '456 Avenue' }
])
</script><script setup>
import { ElNotification } from 'element-plus'
function notify() {
ElNotification({
title: 'Success',
message: 'This is a notification',
type: 'success'
})
}
</script>
<template>
<el-button @click="notify">Show Notification</el-button>
</template>Errors and fixes
The failures you are most likely to hit, and what actually resolves them.
- Component not styled
- Ensure you import Element Plus CSS: `import 'element-plus/dist/index.css'` in your main.js or main.ts.
- Component not rendered
- Make sure the component is properly imported and registered in your Vue project.
- Two-way binding not working
- Check that you are using `v-model` with a reactive variable (`ref` or `reactive`).
Best practices
- Import only the components you need to reduce bundle size.
- Use reactive Vue 3 state management with `ref` or `reactive` for component bindings.
- Leverage slots and props for customizing component content and behavior.
- Combine Element Plus with global theming to maintain consistent application design.
- Use Element Plus plugins (like notification, message, loading) for common UI interactions.
Background
Why it exists, and what it was reacting to.
Element Plus is the Vue 3 version of the popular Element UI library. It was created to provide developers with a comprehensive and easy-to-use suite of UI components, following consistent design principles and best practices. It focuses on productivity and flexibility for enterprise applications.