How Can I Change a Browser\'s URL Without Reloading the Page Using JavaScript?

Altering Browser URL Without Reloading Page Using JavaScript

Many JavaScript actions affect the current page but necessitate a URL change for later reference or bookmarking. Additionally, there's a desire to restore the original URL when using the "Back" button. Here's how to achieve this:

Option 1: Using Fragment Identifier (For Legacy Browsers)

For browsers that do not support the newer history.pushState and history.popState, there's the "old" way: utilizing the fragment identifier. This method doesn't necessitate a page reload.

By assigning a value containing the desired state information to the window.location.hash property, you can effectively encode the state into the URL. Next, you'll need to employ the window.onhashchange event or, for older browsers, periodically poll the hash value to detect changes. Initialize the page content based on the hash value upon page load.

Option 2: history.pushState and history.popState (Modern Browsers)

In contemporary browsers, the history.pushState and history.popState methods offer a cleaner and more robust approach. history.pushState allows you to update the URL without reloading the page, while history.popState handles the handling of the "Back" button. This method is supported by all major modern browsers.

Avoiding Id Collisions

When working with fragment identifiers, be mindful of potential collisions with element IDs on the page. The browser tends to scroll to any element whose ID matches the hash value, which can lead to unexpected behavior.

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