windowlocationhref

Window.location.href is a string property of the Location object in web browsers. It represents the full URL of the current document, including the protocol, host, path, and query string. The property is readable and writable.

Reading window.location.href returns the absolute URL of the page that is currently loaded. Writing to window.location.href assigns a new URL to navigate to that address. The URL can be absolute or relative; a relative URL is resolved against the current document’s URL. When you assign a new value, the browser performs a navigation, and a new entry is added to the session history, so the back button returns to the previous page.

For navigation control, there are related methods: window.location.assign(url) is equivalent to setting href, while window.location.replace(url) navigates to the URL but replaces the current history entry, avoiding a new entry in the session history.

In single-page applications, updating location.href often triggers a full page reload unless client-side routing intercepts the navigation. Many SPAs use the History API (pushState and replaceState) to manage in-page routes without reloading the page.

Compatibility and security considerations: the href property is standardized and supported in all modern browsers. When directing to external sites, validate URLs to mitigate open-redirect risks. Reading href reflects the current URL and updates as navigation occurs.

Example usage: console.log(window.location.href); window.location.href = '/about';