Go back to the previous page

Move one step back in the session history.

JavaScriptBrowser · DOM Version 1.0.0 · MIT · .md

function goBack() { history.back(); }

Usage

history.pushState({ step: 2 }, '', '#step-2');
const popped = new Promise(resolve => addEventListener('popstate', resolve, { once: true }));
goBack();
await popped;
location.hash; // → ''

Lines marked → were executed in headless Chromium against the markup above, and each result was compared with the value shown. Lines marked e.g. are illustrative.

Know the limits

• history.back() is asynchronous: wait for popstate (same-document entries) or for the page to unload. It does nothing without a previous entry.
• A visible back link still needs a real href, so it works without JavaScript and for visitors who arrived directly.

The function above is the code the usage lines run. It does not validate its arguments; add checks where it receives untrusted input.

Keep exploring

• Check if a given DOMRect is contained within another DOMRect — True when the target lies inside the container or on its edges.
• Check if two DOMRects intersect — Two rects intersect when they meet on both axes.
• Compare two DOMRects for size and position match — Compare x, y, width and height exactly.