# Why do some webpages not let you use the back button?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 16, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263 "2006-01-16T20:56:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@StewieGriffin420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StewieGriffin420)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/1 "2006-01-16T20:56:08Z")
Have you noticed some webpages will not take you back when you click the back button? However if you select the down arrow and go back that way it will work. Why is this?
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### Author:  [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/2 "2006-01-16T21:02:41Z")
2 possibilities come to mind. The first is that they used Java to disable your back button. If that’s the case, you’re probably at a porn site.
If that’s not it, there may be a redirection happening when you get to the site. What happens then is when you click Back, it goes to the redirection command, sending you right back to the same page.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/3 "2006-01-16T21:03:10Z")
> [@StewieGriffin420](#):
>
> Have you noticed some webpages will not take you back when you click the back button? However if you select the down arrow and go back that way it will work. Why is this?
The usual reason is that the page you linked to is redirected to the one you see, and the back arrow just takes you to the back to the page that redirects. Sometimes, if you click the back button multiple times fast enough, you can manage to back off the redirecting page before it gets to process. What you are doing is better.
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### Author:  [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/4 "2006-01-16T21:03:42Z")
Usually it’s because you were on page A, went to page b, which instantly redirects you to page C. Hitting ‘Back’ only goes to to page B, sending you to page C again.
As a way to trap you on a web page it’s kindof a lame tactic. More likely the people who made the webpage just like page C more than B, but don’t want to shut it down 'cause people still go there, or it’s more convenient, or whatever.
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### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [January 16, 2006, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/5 "2006-01-16T21:56:45Z")
I’ve seen only one remotely useful application of this. One internet banking site disabled the back button to prevent other people “backing in” to your account details if you used a public computer. They’ve since redesigned the site with a better method.
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/6 "2006-01-17T03:31:28Z")
My internet banking site logs you out and tells you off if you use the back button.
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### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2006, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/7 "2006-01-17T03:50:57Z")
Why do porn sites disable the back button?
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/8 "2006-01-17T03:57:27Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#):
>
> Why do porn sites disable the back button?
WAG: If they are advertising supported, and get a fraction of a cent per page-view, forcing you to reload a thumbnail screen (most likely with rotating ads) is better for them than if you just refer to the cached page each time.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/9 "2006-01-17T03:59:21Z")
Or, more likely, the button is disabled on the front page, just to make it a pain in the ass to get back to where you came from, like a Google results page or index.
[/don’t look at enough internet porn, I guess.]
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### Author:  [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)
#### Post date: [January 17, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-webpages-not-let-you-use-the-back-button/340263/10 "2006-01-17T05:41:01Z")
What about Alt Back Arrow? Does that get disabled when the back button is disabled?