history.back
Causes the browser to move back one page in the session history, equivalent to clicking the browser's back button
Syntax
history.back()Return Value
undefined
Examples
const backBtn = document.querySelector('.back-btn')!
backBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
history.back()
})function goBackOrHome() {
if (history.length > 1) {
history.back()
} else {
window.location.href = '/'
}
}document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
if (e.altKey && e.key === 'ArrowLeft') {
history.back()
}
})Understanding history.back
The history.back method in JavaScript causes the browser to move back one page in the session history, equivalent to clicking the browser's back button. It belongs to the History object and is one of the most widely used methods for working with history values in modern JavaScript and TypeScript applications.
The method signature is history.back(). When called, it returns undefined. Understanding when and how to use back() helps you write more expressive, readable code.
Common use cases for history.back include data transformation, input validation, API response processing, and building reusable utility functions. It works well alongside related methods like history-forward, history-go, history-pushstate, enabling you to chain operations together for complex data manipulation pipelines.
Browser support for history.back is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is also fully supported in Node.js and Deno. For older environments, transpilation with Babel or a polyfill may be needed.
Browser Compatibility
Supported in all modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and Node.js. Part of the ECMAScript standard.
Related Methods
history.forwardCauses the browser to move forward one page in the session history, equivalent to clicking the browser's forward button
history.goLoads a page from the session history, identified by its relative location to the current page
history.pushStatePushes the given data onto the session history stack with the specified title and, if provided, URL
More History Methods
Other methods in the History object
Related Tools
More History Methods
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