How to implement a simple routing system in client-side JavaScript?
Jul 22, 2025 am 03:45 AM
To build a single page application routing system that does not rely on the complete framework, client routing can be implemented through the browser's History API. The specific steps are as follows: 1. Use pushState() and replaceState() to modify the URL without refreshing the page; 2. Define the routing map table and write the corresponding view rendering function; 3. Write the navigate() function to call the corresponding processing function according to the current path; 4. Intercept the link click event, block the default behavior and call pushState() to update the URL; 5. Listen to the popstate event to support the browser's forward and backward function; 6. Set container elements in HTML, and dynamically render different views by modifying its innerHTML; 7. Add 404 pages to handle unmatched routes, thereby building a basic but complete client routing system.
When you want to build a single-page application (SPA) without relying on a full framework like React Router or Vue Router, implementing a simple routing system using client-side JavaScript is totally doable. The core idea is to change what the user sees based on the URL, without reloading the page. Let's break it down.
How client-side routing works
Client-side routing relies on the browser's History API — specifically pushState() and replaceState() — to manipulate the URL without triggering a page reload. When the URL changes, your app checks the current path and updates the content accordingly.
Here's the basic flow:
- User clicks a link or navigates directly to a URL
- JavaScript intercepts the navigation
- Based on the path, the app loads or displays the right content
- The URL in the address bar changes, but the page doesn't reload
This is how SPAs simulate multi-page behavior without server-side routing.
Setting up routes manually
To build a simple router, you can define a map of routes and associate each with a function that renders the corresponding view or component.
Here's a minimum example:
const routes = {
'/': homePage,
'/about': aboutPage,
'/contact': contactPage
};Then, you need a function that checks the current URL and runs the matching route handler:
function navigate() {
const path = window.location.pathname;
const routeHandler = routes[path] || notFoundPage;
routeHandler();
}This function should run both when the page loads and when the URL changes (more on that in the next section).
Handling URL changes without page reloads
To respond to in-app navigation (like when a user clicks a link), you need to:
- Prevent default link behavior
- Use
history.pushState()to update the URL - Call your
navigate()function
Here's how you can do it:
document.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
if (e.target.matches('a')) {
e.preventDefault();
const path = e.target.getAttribute('href');
window.history.pushState(null, '', path);
navigate();
}
}); You should also listen for the popstate event so that the back/forward buttons work:
window.addEventListener('popstate', navigate);
This lets your app respond to the user navigating through history without full page loads.
Rendering views dynamically
You don't need a framework to render views dynamically. A simple way is to have a container element in your HTML and update its inner HTML or content based on the route.
For example:
<div id="app"></div>
And in your route handler:
function homePage() {
document.getElementById('app').innerHTML = '<h1>Home Page</h1>';
}If you're loading content from the server or using templates, you could fetch data or load partials inside this function.
Bonus: Add a 404 page
It's good practice to handle unknown routes. You can do this by adding a fallback function:
function notFoundPage() {
document.getElementById('app').innerHTML = '<h1>404 - Page Not Found</h1>';
}And then setting it as the default handler when no route matches.
That's the basic idea. It doesn't need to be complicated — just track the URL, match it to a route, and show the right content.
You can expand from here by adding nested routes, route parameters, lazy loading, or even integrating with a component system.
But for small apps or experiments, this setup works well and keeps things light.
Basically that's it.
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