var el = document.querySelector(".myclass"); var el = document.querySelector("div.user-panel.main input[name='login']"); <div id="foo\bar"></div> <div id="foo:bar"></div> <script> console.log('#foo\bar'); // "#fooar" (\b is the backspace control character) document.querySelector('#foo\bar'); // Does not match anything console.log('#foo\\bar'); // "#foo\bar" console.log('#foo\\\\bar'); // "#foo\\bar" document.querySelector('#foo\\\\bar'); // Match the first div document.querySelector('#foo:bar'); // Does not match anything document.querySelector('#foo\\:bar'); // Match the second div </script>