Go back to previous page regardless of changes in query string

Question

I have a page with a searchable table. I have written a "Back" button to go back to the previous page:

<a href="javascript:history.back()">Back</a>

For example, the URL of my homepage is:

https://xxxxxx.com

I enter the page with a searchable table from my homepage (Or any other page):

https://xxxxxx.com/data

When I preform a search, the URL becomes:

https://xxxxxx.com/data?search=*sth*

When I hit the "Back" button, the URL becomes:

https://xxxxxx.com/data

What I actually want is:

https://xxxxxx.com/

(Or the page where the user comes in before /data)

How can I rewrite my javascript on the search button, so that the Back button can get to the actual page?

MauriceNino · Accepted Answer · 2020-08-20T08:55:17.023

3

Instead of history.back(), which goes back only by one, you could do window.location.replace(window.location.host), which loads the root page.

Edit:

If you want to ignore URL parameters, you need to change how you go to another page.

Instead of window.history.pushState(...), you should use window.history.replaceState(...), when the navigation should be ignored on a back click.

edited Aug 20 '20 at 08:55

answered Aug 17 '20 at 08:36

MauriceNino

Sorry for my unclear question. What if the page is not necessarily from the root? – samhoooo Aug 17 '20 at 11:54
I don't understand your question then. Please edit it to make it more clear what you are asking @samhoooo – MauriceNino Aug 18 '20 at 10:17
I have edited the question, please check if it is clear for you. Basically I want to navigate back to the page before the user landed on /data, rather than a bit "hard coding" the root url. – samhoooo Aug 18 '20 at 11:15
Added more info to my answer @samhoooo – MauriceNino Aug 18 '20 at 11:47