PHP header(Location: ...): Force URL change in address bar

Question

I'm currently working on a mobile site with authentication using PHP sessions with a database. I have a login page with a form that goes to server_login.php on submit. The php file then creates some session data (store in $_SESSION), and redirects the user back to the index page:

header("location:../../index.php");

The new web page (index.php) loads correctly; however, when the header redirects the page, the URL at the address bar is not changed; it stays at *http://localhost/php/server/server_login.php* instead of http://localhost/index.php and thus all my other resources that makes use of relative pathing could not be loaded. It's as if the web page still thinks that it resides at /php/server instead of /.

Strangely, my other use of header("location: ...") at logout.php works and redirects the page successfully with a URL change.

I've made sure that there are no outputs in my *server_login.php* before the header redirect (above it are just mysql calls to check) and I've used ob_start() and ob_end_flush() too.

Are there any methods of forcing the URL on the address bar to change (and thus hopefully fix the relative path problem)? Or am I doing something wrong?

P/S: I am using jQuery Mobile.

EDIT: Here's my code for the redirection that doesn't change the URL:

// some other stuff not shown


$sql = "SELECT * FROM $user_table WHERE email = '$myemail' AND password = '$mypassword'";
$login_result = mysql_query($sql, $connection);

$count = mysql_num_rows($login_result);

if ($count == 1) {

    // Successfully verified login information

    session_start();

    if (!isset($_SESSION['is_logged_in'])) {
        $_SESSION['is_logged_in'] = 1;
    }

    if (!isset($_SESSION['email'])) {
        $_SESSION['email'] = $myemail;
    }
    if (!isset($_SESSION['password'])) {
        $_SESSION['password'] = $mypassword;
    }

    // Register user's name and ID
    if ((!isset($_SESSION['name'])) && (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])))  {
        $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($login_result);
        $_SESSION['name'] = $row['name'];
        $_SESSION['user_id'] = $row['user_id'];
    }

    header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/index.php");

} else {
    // Not logged in. Redirect back to login page
    header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/php/login.php?err=1");

}

can you show the code how you post the data? – xdazz Sep 19 '11 at 06:48 — xdazz, Sep 19 '11 at 06:48

score 91 · Answer 1 · edited Oct 28 '12 at 19:03

91

Try changing:

header("Location : blabla")
                ^
                |
           (whitespace)

To

header("Location: blabla")

edited Oct 28 '12 at 19:03

Peter O.

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answered Apr 20 '12 at 21:34

BuraCULa

911
6
4

score 46 · Answer 2 · edited Jul 11 '13 at 06:41

46

Well, if the server sends a correct redirection header, the browser redirects and therefore "changes the url". It might be a browser issue, then. I don't know if it has anything to do with it, but you should not send a relative url in the location header ("HTTP/1.1 requires an absolute URI as argument to » Location: including the scheme, hostname and absolute path, but some clients accept relative URIs. ", http://php.net/manual/en/function.header.php), and "location" must be capitalized, like:

header('Location: http://myhost.com/mypage.php');

edited Jul 11 '13 at 06:41

dotancohen

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answered Sep 19 '11 at 06:53

schneck

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I see. I've fixed the code (as shown above), but I'm still getting the same URL error. :/ I've changed to HTTP Authentication as I realised that's part of my assignment requirement, but I still am intrigued by this weird 'bug'. – vemoxy Sep 19 '11 at 14:33
Note the kind of 'catch-all' that is usual in WP's root .htacces: RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d RewriteRule . /index.php [L] Check (i.e. by means of logging) if you get TWO passes after the redirect, your intentional redirect (re-caught by index.php) and another subsequent one that then gets it wrong... implementing an add_filter('[pre_]option_siteurl|home'); do quadruple enforce the new place to be might help you... – Frank N Nov 07 '12 at 14:47
2

As per RFC 2616, HTTP headers are case-insensitive. The Location header does not have to be capitalized. – dotancohen Jul 11 '13 at 06:43

score 19 · Answer 3 · edited Jan 12 '16 at 05:20

19

In your form element add data-ajax="false". I had the same problem using jquery mobile.

edited Jan 12 '16 at 05:20

But those new buttons though..

21,377
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answered May 03 '13 at 03:32

kackleyjm

595
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12

I always forget this when using jquery mobile! Worked for me ;) – Bugdr0id Aug 18 '14 at 11:44
I got the same issue. This `data-ajax=false` worked in my case. – eQ19 Mar 26 '15 at 13:22

score 14 · Answer 4 · edited May 06 '19 at 06:43

14

Do not use any white space. I had the same issue. Then I removed white space like:

header("location:index.php"); or header('location:index.php');

Then it worked.

edited May 06 '19 at 06:43

Chintan Makwana

3
4

answered Feb 28 '14 at 18:41

Hasib Omi

141
1
2

score 9 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 03 '15 at 19:45

9

you may want to put a break; after your location:

header("HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently");
header('Location:  '.  $YourArrayName["YourURL"]  );
break;

answered Dec 03 '15 at 19:45

cfphpflex

593
5
8

9

You can combine the first 2 lines into one: header('Location:'.$YourArrayName["YourURL"], true, 301); – kurdtpage Dec 20 '16 at 22:03

score 7 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 26 '12 at 02:05

7

I had the same problem with posting a form. What I did was that turning off the data-ajax.

answered Feb 26 '12 at 02:05

Hadi

91
1
1

Not sure why this was down voted, he is right. Must have to do with jquery mobile. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/8403242/php-header-and-jquery-mobile/8403345#8403345 – kackleyjm May 03 '13 at 03:33
Had the same issue. You just need to add data-ajax on the element that doesn't require ajax (e.g., an link) so that jQuery Mobile doesn't interfere with is... even if it's not in a jQuery Mobile block/form. – Andy Dec 13 '13 at 19:12

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Jun 21 '14 at 09:35

2

Are you sure the page you are redirecting too doesn't have a redirection within that if no session data is found? That could be your problem

Also yes always add whitespace like @Peter O suggested.

answered Jun 21 '14 at 09:35

Joe Barbour

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score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Aug 02 '14 at 03:36

1

I got a solution for you, Why dont you rather use Explode if your url is something like

Url-> website.com/test/blog.php

$StringExplo=explode("/",$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI']);
$HeadTo=$StringExplo[0]."/Index.php";
Header("Location: ".$HeadTo);

answered Aug 02 '14 at 03:36

Jomar Delfin

23
4

score 1 · Answer 9 · edited Apr 26 '15 at 03:49

1

Just change home to your liking

$home_url = 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . dirname($_SERVER['PHP_SELF']) . '/home';

header('Location: ' . $home_url);

edited Apr 26 '15 at 03:49

Mike Laren

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answered Apr 26 '15 at 03:28

aary trivedi

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score 1 · Answer 10 · edited Oct 23 '15 at 09:06

// Register user's name and ID

if ((!isset($_SESSION['name'])) && (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])))  {
    $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($login_result);
    $_SESSION['name'] = $row['name'];
    $_SESSION['user_id'] = $row['user_id'];
}

header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/index.php");

change to

// Register user's name and ID

if ((!isset($_SESSION['name'])) && (!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])))  {
    $row = mysql_fetch_assoc($login_result);
    $_SESSION['name'] = $row['name'];
    $_SESSION['user_id'] = $row['user_id'];
header("Location: http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/index.php");
}

score 1 · Answer 11 · answered Aug 15 '16 at 18:33

1

As "cfphpflex" suggested you can add break; after setting the header. You can also echo something, such as echo 'test';.

answered Aug 15 '16 at 18:33

shlgug

1,320
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score 1 · Answer 12 · answered Jul 26 '21 at 09:52

1

Add exit at the end of header then it will work

header("location:index.php"); or header('location:index.php'); exit;

answered Jul 26 '21 at 09:52

Pooja Choudhary

160
1
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14

score -3 · Answer 13 · edited Oct 23 '13 at 19:59

-3

You are suppose to use it like header(Location:../index.php) if it in another folder

edited Oct 23 '13 at 19:59

Bucket

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answered Oct 23 '13 at 19:35

faoud

1
1

score -3 · Answer 14 · answered Dec 01 '14 at 11:24

-3

use

header("Location: index.php"); //this work in my site

read more on header() at php documentation.

answered Dec 01 '14 at 11:24

Alex

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score -7 · Answer 15 · answered Aug 17 '13 at 14:58

-7

why all of this location url?

http://localhost:8080/meet2eat/index.php

you can just use

index.php

if the php files are in the same folder and this is better because if you want to host the files or change the port you will have no problem reaching this URL.

answered Aug 17 '13 at 14:58

Hamza Trabelsi

1
3

1

The thing is, the `index.php` is not in the same folder. – icedwater Aug 17 '13 at 15:19

PHP header(Location: ...): Force URL change in address bar

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