History: go() method

{{APIRef("History API")}}

The go() method of the {{domxref("History")}} interface loads a specific page from the session history. You can use it to move forwards and backwards through the history depending on the value of a parameter.

This method is {{glossary("asynchronous")}}. Add a listener for the {{domxref("Window/popstate_event", "popstate")}} event in order to determine when the navigation has completed.

Syntax

go()
go(delta)

Parameters

• delta {{optional_inline}}
  • : The position in the history to which you want to move, relative to the current page. A negative value moves backwards, a positive value moves forwards. So, for example, history.go(2) moves forward two pages and history.go(-2) moves back two pages. If no value is passed or if delta equals 0, it has the same result as calling location.reload().

Return value

None ({{jsxref("undefined")}}).

Exceptions

• SecurityError {{domxref("DOMException")}}
  • : Thrown if the associated document is not fully active. Browsers also throttle navigations and may throw this error, generate a warning, or ignore the call if it's called too frequently.

Examples

To move back one page (the equivalent of calling {{domxref("History.back", "back()")}}):

history.go(-1);

To move forward a page, just like calling {{domxref("History.forward", "forward()")}}:

history.go(1);

To move forward two pages:

history.go(2);

To move backwards by two pages:

history.go(-2);

And finally, either of the following statements will reload the current page:

history.go();
history.go(0);

Specifications

{{Specifications}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

See also

• {{domxref("History")}}
• {{DOMxRef("History.back","back()")}}
• {{DOMxRef("History.forward","forward()")}}
• {{domxref("Window/popstate_event", "popstate")}} event
• Working with the History API