The Document Object Model (DOM) is an application programming interface (API) for HTML and XML documents.

The DOM specification defines the logical structure of the document as a tree structure with each part of the document represented as a node. This could also be compared to a forest or grove, as there are multiple trees within the structure.

Using the API, programmers can create and build documents by adding, modifying or deleting elements and content.  They can navigate their structure using the DOM layout.