What does "javascript:void(0)" mean?
Matthew C.
—The Problem
You may have come across a website page where the href value of an <a> tag has a value of javascript:void(0). What does this mean?
The Solution
A javascript: URL prefix indicates to the browser that the JavaScript code following the prefix should be executed, instead of navigating to the URL. The void operator evaluates an expression and returns undefined. By running void(0) in the URL JavaScript code, nothing is evaluated or returned.
A link that does not navigate to a new page or section of a page may be used to define empty links during development, but using an href value of ”#” is a better option due to potential XSS vulnerabilities with the use of javascript: URL prefixes. This is further explained in the following article: Which href value should I use for empty JavaScript links, ”#” or “javascript:void(0)“?.
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