What is the History API?

Learn the basics of working with the browser session history and the history object.

What is the History API?

The browser's session history is an ordered list of the pages you have visited. You reach it through the window.history object. The History API is the standard way to work with this history.

console.log(history.length);
history.back();

The history object offers methods to add entries, change the current entry, and move back and forward. The most common ones are back(), forward(), go() and the length property.

Navigation methods

history.length gives the number of entries in the session history. In a fresh tab with a single page it is 1.

console.log(history.length);
history.back();
history.forward();
history.go(-2);

back() goes one step back, forward() goes one step forward. go(n) jumps n steps forward (positive) or back (negative); go(0) reloads the page.

Exercise Call the navigation methods

Log history.length with console.log. Then write the calls history.back(), history.forward() and history.go(-2).

Show example solution

console.log(history.length);
history.back();
history.forward();
history.go(-2);

Test yourself

Which object represents the browser session history?
- window.location
- window.navigator
- window.history
- window.screen
Show answer

window.history — Correct! window.history represents the session history.

Go one step back

// go one step back
____;

Show answer

// go one step back
history.back();

Match the history methods

history.back()

one step back
history.forward()

one step forward
history.go(-2)

two steps back
history.length

entry count

Next lesson: pushState

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