The Tool Desk
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What does location.reload(true) do?
Location.reload() reloads the current URL, like the browser’s refresh action. The standard method takes no argument. MDN documents location.reload(true) as a Firefox-only extension that requests a reload bypassing the cache; other browsers are not required to give the argument that effect. See MDN’s Location.reload() reference and the WHATWG HTML Standard.
// Standard, portable page reload:
window.location.reload();Use the no-argument form when your goal is to reload the document. It does not promise that every resource will be fetched without consulting the cache.
Does an ordinary reload use the cache?
An ordinary reload does not necessarily reuse a cached response without checking it. The browser may revalidate a cached resource with the server, for example by sending If-None-Match or If-Modified-Since. A force reload has different cache semantics and asks to bypass cached responses. The exact behavior depends on the request and caching rules; see MDN’s HTTP caching guide.
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How to refresh data without reloading the page
If JavaScript needs fresh data from an API, choose a Fetch cache mode for that request instead of navigating the whole document. MDN describes no-cache as requesting validation and reload as the force-reload analogue that bypasses the cache for the request.
// Ask the browser to revalidate a cached response:
const validated = await fetch(url, { cache: "no-cache" });
// Bypass the cache for this Fetch request:
const refreshed = await fetch(url, { cache: "reload" });These options apply to the individual Fetch request. They do not reload the page or automatically refresh other resources.
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Choose the method by scope and cache intent
| Method | Scope | Cache intent | Portability |
|---|---|---|---|
window.location.reload() |
Current document | Normal reload behavior; cached responses may be revalidated | Standard method |
window.location.reload(true) |
Current document | Requests a cache-bypassing reload where the extension is supported | Non-standard Firefox extension; do not rely on it across browsers |
fetch(url, { cache: "no-cache" }) |
One Fetch request | Requests validation of a cached response | Fetch cache mode |
fetch(url, { cache: "reload" }) |
One Fetch request | Bypasses the cache for that request | Fetch cache mode |
When can reloading a frame fail?
Access to a Location object can be restricted by the same-origin policy. If script accesses a location associated with a page from a different origin, the browser may throw a SecurityError. MDN documents this restriction in its reload() reference.
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