aboutblank

About:blank is a special URL used by web browsers to present an empty page. It does not refer to a resource on the web; instead, the browser creates and loads a blank, minimal document within the current browsing context.

Common uses include opening a new tab or window with a blank page, serving as a neutral target for scripts or user actions, and providing a clean context for iframes or popups before the actual content is loaded. Some browsers also show about:blank in the address bar when the page has no navigable content.

Technical notes: About:blank belongs to the internal about scheme used by browsers, and its exact rendering can vary by engine. In many cases, the loaded document is an empty HTML document, though implementations may differ. It is not fetched from a network location and does not require a server response.

Security and privacy: since no network request is made, about:blank does not transmit data to servers and imposes no cross-origin content restrictions. It is commonly used to isolate code loaded into an iframe or to reset a browsing context to a neutral starting point.

See also: other internal browser pages and default blank targets, such as about:home and other about: URLs used by various browsers.