window.location.href and window.open () methods in JavaScript

What is the difference between window.location.href and window.open () methods in JavaScript?

window.location.href is not a method, it's a property that will tell you the current URL location of the browser. Changing the value of the property will redirect the page.

window.open() is a method that you can pass a URL to that you want to open in a new window. For example:

window.location.href example:

window.location.href = 'http://www.google.com'; //Will take you to Google.

window.open() example:

window.open('http://www.google.com'); //This will open Google in a new window.

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Additional Information:

window.open() can be passed additional parameters. See: window.open tutorial

• window.open will open a new browser with the specified URL.

• window.location.href will open the URL in the window in which the code is called.

Note also that window.open() is a function on the window object itself whereas window.location is an object that exposes a variety of other methods and properties.

There are already answers which describes about window.location.href property and window.open() method.

I will go by Objective use:

1. To redirect the page to another

Use window.location.href. Set href property to the href of another page.

2. Open link in the new or specific window.

Use window.open(). Pass parameters as per your goal.

3. Know current address of the page

Use window.location.href. Get value of window.location.href property. You can also get specific protocol, hostname, hashstring from window.location object.

See Location Object for more information.

window.open is a method; you can open new window, and can customize it. window.location.href is just a property of the current window.

window.open () will open a new window, whereas window.location.href will open the new URL in your current window.

The window.open will open url in new browser Tab

The window.location.href will open url in current Tab (instead you can use location)

Here is example fiddle (in SO snippets window.open doesn't work)

var url = 'https://example.com';

function go1() { window.open(url) }

function go2() { window.location.href = url }

function go3() { location = url }

<div>Go by:</div>
<button onclick="go1()">window.open</button>
<button onclick="go2()">window.location.href</button>
<button onclick="go3()">location</button>