I’m trying to implement a feature where the browser navigates to a different page using code. What and how should I use a javascript go to url method that is reliable, cross-browser compatible, and follows best practices for safe redirection?
I’ve been working with JavaScript for over a decade now, and when it comes to simple navigation, nothing beats the good ol’ classic:
If you’re just trying to redirect the user to another page, window.location.href is the most straightforward and reliable way.
window.location.href = "https://example.com";
It’s super simple, works across all modern browsers, and is ideal for full-page reloads. For most basic “javascript go to url” needs—this just gets the job done, no fuss.
Yeah, I’ve used href plenty of times, but in cases where I wanted a bit more control over browser behavior, I started leaning into this one more…
window.location.assign() works similarly to href, but it subtly enhances the behavior by maintaining the current page in the browser’s history.
window.location.assign("https://example.com");
This is especially useful if you’re building navigation where the user might want to come back using the browser’s back button. It’s a slightly more “intentional” approach to the whole javascript go to url idea—same result, but a bit more thoughtful.
Exactly! And if you ever run into scenarios like login/logout flows—where going back just doesn’t make sense—there’s an even cleaner approach.
That’s where window.location.replace() really shines. It navigates just like the others, but it doesn’t keep the current page in the session history.
window.location.replace("https://example.com");
Perfect for those situations when you want to replace the current view without giving the user a way to go back. From a security or UX standpoint, this can be the smartest “javascript go to url” method in your toolkit.