HashChangeEvent

The HashChangeEvent interface represents events that fire when the fragment identifier of the URL has changed.

The fragment identifier is the part of the URL that follows (and includes) the # symbol.

Event HashChangeEvent

Properties

This interface also inherits the properties of its parent, Event.

HashChangeEvent.newURL Read only

The new URL to which the window is navigating.

HashChangeEvent.oldURL Read only

The previous URL from which the window was navigated.

Methods

This interface has no methods of its own, but inherits the methods of its parent, Event.

Examples

Syntax options for a hash change

You can listen for the hashchange event using any of the following options:

window.onhashchange = funcRef;

or

<body onhashchange="funcRef();">

or

window.addEventListener("hashchange", funcRef, false);

Basic example

function locationHashChanged() {
  if (location.hash === '#somecoolfeature') {
    somecoolfeature();
  }
}

window.addEventListener('hashchange', locationHashChanged);

Polyfill

There are several fallback scripts listed on the Modernizr GitHub page. Basically, those scripts check the hash property of Window.location at a regular interval. Here is a version that allows only one handler to be bound to the onhashchange property:

;(function(window) {

  // Exit if the browser implements that event
  if ( "onhashchange" in window.document.body ) { return; }

  var location = window.location,
      oldURL = location.href,
      oldHash = location.hash;

  // Check the location hash on a 100ms interval
  setInterval(function() {
    var newURL = location.href,
        newHash = location.hash;

    // If the hash has changed and a handler has been bound...
    if ( newHash != oldHash && typeof window.onhashchange === "function" ) {
      // Execute the handler
      window.onhashchange({
        type: "hashchange",
        oldURL: oldURL,
        newURL: newURL
      });

      oldURL = newURL;
      oldHash = newHash;
    }
  }, 100);

})(window);

Specifications

Specification
HTML Standard
# the-hashchangeevent-interface

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser