svelte/documentation/docs/03-template-syntax/12-use.md

title: use:

Actions are functions that are called when an element is mounted. They are added with the use: directive, and will typically use an $effect so that they can reset any state when the element is unmounted:

<!--- file: App.svelte --->
<script>
	/** @type {import('svelte/action').Action} */
	function myaction(node) {
		// the node has been mounted in the DOM

		$effect(() => {
			// setup goes here

			return () => {
				// teardown goes here
			};
		});
	}
</script>

<div use:myaction>...</div>

An action can be called with an argument:

<!--- file: App.svelte --->
<script>
	/** @type {import('svelte/action').Action} */
	function myaction(node, +++data+++) {
		// ...
	}
</script>

<div use:myaction={+++data+++}>...</div>

The action is only called once (but not during server-side rendering) — it will not run again if the argument changes.

[!LEGACY] Prior to the $effect rune, actions could return an object with update and destroy methods, where update would be called with the latest value of the argument if it changed. Using effects is preferred.

Typing

The Action interface receives three optional type arguments — a node type (which can be Element, if the action applies to everything), a parameter, and any custom event handlers created by the action:

<!--- file: App.svelte --->
<script>
	import { on } from 'svelte/events';

	/**
	 * @type {import('svelte/action').Action<
	 * 	HTMLDivElement,
	 * 	null,
	 * 	{
	 * 		onswiperight: (e: CustomEvent) => void;
	 * 		onswipeleft: (e: CustomEvent) => void;
	 * 		// ...
	 * }>}
	 */
	function gestures(node) {
		$effect(() => {
			// ...
			node.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('swipeleft'));

			// ...
			node.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('swiperight'));
		});
	}
</script>

<div
	use:gestures
	onswipeleft={next}
	onswiperight={prev}
>...</div>