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Browser Back Button Detection
Update: (27th Jan 2011) A fix for Chrome has now been uploaded.
Ever since the web moved into the 2.0 generation, websites are increasingly using ajax to build up content, and navigate around without reloading the entire page. There is one major problem with this, and that is the browser. Until now, browsers to not trigger events for when the user is flipping between pages using the navigation buttons. This has been a problem with flash sites for a much longer period of time, with the user clicking back in the browser expecting to see the previous page shown in flash, but instead, they are taken to the last site they were on.
When improving the functionality of our Automated Chat Software, Intellichat, we had many requests from customers asking for the chat window to not launch when the user clicked back in their browser. After a lot of research into the problem, and how to detect it, I found the solution to be based around iFrames (as much as I hate them). When the user clicks back on their browser, they will initially navigate back through the iframes on the page before main page can go back.
This solution works great in Firefox and IE, however Safari needs an alternative solution. This is based around location hash tags (I find this solution quite messy, and easy to spot from the users point of view). When the page first loads, you can set the window.location.hash to anything you want, and then simply check the window.location.hash variable every few milliseconds to see if it has changed. Once it changes back to an empty value, you can see the user clicked back.
The Solution
I have made a very reusable javascript class, that can be simply dropped into your web page, and when the user clicks back, it will call a function. The default function on this call is a javascript alert “Back Button Clicked”.
To replace this functionality, you simply need to override the OnBack function. This can be done by using the code below.
<script type="text/javascript">
bajb_backdetect.OnBack = function()
{
alert('You clicked it!');
}
</script>
This will now replace the “Back Button Clicked” alert with a “You clicked it!’” alert.
You can see the code in action at http://www.brookebryan.com/code/backbutton/
or you can download the source from: http://www.brookebryan.com/code/backbutton/BackDetect.zip
Excellent work, this is just what I was looking for. I noticed the code has the whitespace removed, do you have another copy available so I can read it easier? I wanted to make sure you didn’t implement the polling for safari, though after reading your post again it doesn’t sound like you did. Safari will not be used In the application I will apply this to.
The un-minified code can be found by removing the .min from the JS location when viewing the demo: http://www.brookebryan.com/code/backbutton/backfix.js
It ‘s awesome.
But I used it to detect back button acion and at that moment I wanna submit a form and redirect the new page spesified by server response.The server get the request,but the browser always go back the old page in the history and ignore the server response.
So ,it can detect back button acion but can not stop the go back action,doesn’t?
The script will not force the browser to go back to the page in history unless you specify
bajb_backdetect.OnBack = function()
{
history.back();
}
Hope that helps.
It looks like this is the best script available, but it does not work in Firefox 3.6.8 for me.
The function to fire the alert is never fired.
What can it be?
Thanks in advance!
Have you tested this on the demo? http://www.brookebryan.com/code/backbutton/
I am using Firefox 3.6.8 and am not having any issues.
Alternatively, pop over to http://www.supportbuddi.com and mail me your Support Code.
Hi Brooke,
Do you have some thing to fix forward button ?
I used your backfix.min.js in JSF/Facelet xhtml to call a non-display button, that button calls a backbean method when user clicked backup button, works great, but need to fix forward button also.
If possible, can you publish the code in backfix.min.js ?
Wonderful! We needed a way to make the back button work because of a major page transition with jquery effects causing them to think it was a new page they went to and so if they wanted to go back to the original screen with the back button, they couldn’t. We are sending an email with a link to the page, so no history will be in place when they go to the page. Your implementation worked like a charm. THANK YOU!
Thanks!
The script seems to work well in IE but unfortunately not in Firefox or Safari.
Is this a known issue?
Regards,
Stefan
Does this work only for single browser-back ? What if I press back several times?
So I’m trying to mod your code (keeping your author stamp) so that this function redirects someone to a particular page when they click the back button. I’m using ASP.NET Ajax to create a Search page that asynchronously populates a gridview with the search results. Users then click an item that they were searching for, and get to the proper info page. But when they hit back, their search results disappear. I tried using Session items to store the information that is loaded into the gridview when they go to the page, but all of that code is Server code, and the back button bypasses all Server code and executes client-side only. So I thought that if I could get this code to fully redirect users to the search page again, their results would appear as though there were no issues. But I’m having an issue getting the code to execute anything other than throwing up Alert boxes…
Can you provide the code you are using inside the function “bajb_backdetect.OnBack = function()” You should just be able to do window.location = ”;
The script was fully tested in IE, Safari & Firefox. and didnt have any bugs. Were these tests done on my demo page, or on your own install?
You would need to place the code on the pages you are going back to, but yes, you could have it working several times.
You can find the unminified code at http://www.brookebryan.com/code/backbutton/backfix.js
As for the forward button, I haven’t yet tackled that problem.
I got it to work. I was modifying the base code on the JS file to do this:
OnBack: function() {
document.location = ‘default.aspx?itworked=1′;
}
but later in the code, it executes a history.back() that I had to mod in order for the redirect to land me where I wanted to go:
BAJBFrame: function() {
var BAJBOnBack = document.getElementById(‘BAJBOnBack’);
if (bajb_backdetect.FrameLoaded > 1) {
if (bajb_backdetect.FrameLoaded == 2) {
bajb_backdetect.OnBack();
//the history.back() function needs to be removed or ignored
//add your custom location afterwards
//history.back();
document.location = ‘search.aspx’;
}
}
bajb_backdetect.FrameLoaded++;
if (bajb_backdetect.FrameLoaded == 1) {
if (bajb_backdetect.Browser.IE) {
bajb_backdetect.SetupFrames();
}
else {
bajb_backdetect.FrameTimeout = setTimeout(“bajb_backdetect.SetupFrames();”, 700);
}
}
}
Very excellent stuff though! I have been looking forever to find a way to hijack the back button! I very much so appreciate this segment!
Great script!!!! I’ve been trying to get this with little luck at times. Your script works really well.
There are times when it doesn’t work on a dynamic generated page generated by the server after a POST. Anyway is still a great script, congratulations and thanks for posting this. I have no problems with what I mention but decided to tell you if such info is useful for you.
Details:
Firefox 3.6.10
I generate the first page via Perl with your script on it.
Page kinda “flicker” on the back button and then voilá, your script is active.
Then I make the POST
Another dynamic page is generated with the same implementation but this one won’t work. I don’t know why. Perhaps a mousemove will do the trick for me.
Thanks, good luck.
Bryan, please pay no attention to my previous message (except on the congrats!) I got curious and began to play with it, I have some settings and functions that affected the script, it works just fine as expected. Thanks, congrats again.
Excellent . Thanks for your wonderful script.
Good work guys .
Hi bryan,
Excellent work….
It helped me a lot….
But the same script does’nt seem to work with firefox 3.0.5
Any help would be greatly appreciated…
Great code! It’s possible to detect if the page that the browser load is called by BackButton instead of normal navigation?
Bryan,
This is what I was looking for. And it works great.
Apart from this, we are even trying to see if we can override/disable the IE “Recent Pages” link just beside the Back/Forward Buttons.
I know that what I am asking for is overriding the browser functionality… but any suggestions would be really appreciated.
TIA,
Sandy
The code does not work in Chrome browser. Can you help me out?
Nice!
If anyone does not get it to work in Firefox: the script apparently needs blank.html so don’t delete that file (like I did in the first place, to discover it wasn’t working there).
This could be a nice jquery plugin, Brooke!
Kind regards,
Carsten
not working for desktop chrome. on android chrome, it detects it to be safari. any intention to release a fix for chrome?
Chrome has now been fixed
Hi,
Useful stuff!
However, there is no mention of any license in the JavaScript file, so I’m a bit worried about including it in my current project. Could you possible add a license or is it available to use freely?
Feel free to use it where you like.
After replacing “history.back” with URL redirect in your script, it can redirect user to the desired page after back button is clicked. However, it will go back to old page if I click back button continue clicking back button very fast.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards,
Kelly
P.S. this is my seconds post. I don’t know why my first post was removed. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Bryan,
The script is awesome!!! and you have done a gr8 job.
Its working fine for Firefox,IE 8
I have also tested on Chrome,but its not working for me
I have used the latest version after your fix.
Please tell me where i went wrong.
Hello, I’m trying to understand your intriguing code. How does the “bajb_backdetect.FrameLoaded” variable end up with the value of “2″ ? -James
hello Bryan,is this code depends on time ??.
On back i changed your function to redirect another page in js it works good when page loads fast and clicked but same code doesnot work when page loads taking time and goes back instead of redirect.Can u please suggest me for proper solution
Brooke,
I am using your backfix, and it shows my custom alert without problems. However, it always goes back for me after displaying the alert. Based on your replies, it looks like after displaying the alert the browser is not supposed to go back unless history.back() is invoked in the OnBack function override. In my case I just display my alert in the override, just like in your override example. I am using IE 6.0. Thank you.
Hi,
I downloaded just yesterday your script, I think it is VERY GREAT, but it still does not works with chrome (v.10.0.648.133). The chrome fix is an additional script or it has been integrated in the backfix.min.js?
But my bigger issue is another one! I have a page with two iFrames. I linked your script in the header of the parent page, but it does not detect the back button. The OnBack event fires only when I leave from the parent page, but I need to use it within the frames navigation.
Can U help me please?
how prevent user from redirecting to back page
Thank you BB for a well implemented code for an elegant solution.
The only thing wrong with it is the amount of time I spent trying to fid your solution
I imagine that a lot of people looking for a solution to this problem will be in a similar boat to myself – needing to control state browser side – and unable to cater for all eventualities serverside. The 2 major parts of this are controlling the back button – but also solving the new window problem (if only HTML5 had included an API for enumerating windows/tabs!).
For the benefit of those still trying to solve the new window/tab problem – for every browser I’ve used, a new window has no history (but they differ in where the count starts – some start at 0, some at 1). And you don’t need special privileges to read history.length
(note that this might sound like another way to detect the back button – for numerous reasons, it’s not)
HTH
Hey, yes the script is dependent on time. This is due to the limitations with some browsers, as they do not store the history of frames unless they are loaded a while after the original page has loaded.
Can you provide any examples of the page?
Sorry, I have not tested this in IE6. You should probably update your browser, its far too old for the modern world.
May seem stupid, but if you change the line with “history.back();” in the JS file with “document.location=document.location;”, it will prevents the user from going back and you don’t hardcode the page name!
Yes, you can do that, however, the script is only to detect the click. The action you take once detected is totally your own choice
this unfortunately does not work in chrome..
it accurately displays the alert window, but then goes back to the previous page in the browse’rs history
Hi,
Thanks for that. It is very useful script.
I do have problem though:
I commented out the history.back() lines in your code, so browser will not go back after running the onBack function ( I suppose this is what I needed to do since using the script as it is showed the alert and then went back… ). This work fine but only for the first click on the back button. Second click ( waiting 20 seconds between clicks ) will not be intercepted.
Can you advise on that ?
Thanks
Adi
p.s. that was tried on ie8.
in ff it seems the script worked fine out of the box ( no need to comment the history.back() )
Hey,
Thank you so much for this script it saved my life!
I have to click several times to go back, and it goes back to the main page, not to the previously as supposed. Can you please help me?
It works fine in Chrome, IE and Opera.
Although it doesn’t work in Firefox 4!
Once again, thank you
(sorry for my bad english)
Hi once again
I’ve noticed that in Firefox actualy it works, but only if i wait a few time… How can this happen?
Thanks!
Hi guys,
I’ve try your suggest above ! that’s great ! but I have some problem like :
I have a survey system the work flow of this is
1 List survey available for you to do.
2 Read survey
3 Thanks you for doing survey (there is a button to return list survey)
using your code I am able to prevent user back to Read survey but when they do some cheating
they click on button to return list survey and now they click back to return thanks and then Read survey
My website was crashed.
Hope you guy have some solution to help me
Hi Bryan,
It works great when the page loads fast. However how to handle the situation when the page takes lot of time to load?, In My case, it is calling the back function as the page is taking lot of time to load.
Please suggest.
-Ravi
Hi,
I have a same kind of requirement like,if we click back button i need to go back to index.jsp/login.jsp.
I have downloaded the source code from the site,which was working,but it was not working in my application,I tried to rename the downloaded files of zip folder.it is not working,Can any body help
Thanks in advance..
Rakesh k