Self Closing Browser Tab with JavaScript

Did You Know You Can Close a Browser Tab Using JavaScript?

It might surprise you to learn that you can close a browser tab programmatically with JavaScript. Yes, it’s possible—using the window.close() method.

This method is typically used only with popup windows, so I was just as surprised as you might be when I first discovered that you can also use it on regular tabs when a page I visited unexpectedly closed after I submitted a form. It felt strange—almost like something you'd expect from a mobile app crashing due to a bug. But on the web, things don’t work that way.

Unlike mobile applications, web pages or browser tabs don’t simply "crash" and close due to a fatal error. At worst, the page may freeze, or you’ll encounter an error message. So, how was this tab closing itself? Intrigued, I decided to dig deeper into the mechanics behind this behaviour.

If you’re curious to see this in action, you can try it right now using your browser's developer tools. Here’s how:

• Open the Developer Tools on this page (usually by pressing F12 or Ctrl Shift I on Windows, or Cmd Option I on macOS).
• Navigate to the Console tab.
• Type the following command and press Enter:

window.close();

Or

Live demo

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