Overview
The browser back button navigates backwards historically. In other words, it takes the exact same path as the user did, but in an inverted direction. It goes back page by page regardless if it is a drill-down navigation, a same-level lateral navigation, or even a navigation outside the application.
The browser back navigation may not indicate the destination the user will be navigating to as the breadcrumb. Some browsers offer a dropdown functionality. The user may, nonetheless, undo their browser back navigation and return to the page they were before via the browser forward button.
When to Use
1
do
false
Recommended
- To return to the previous page.
- If there is 1 to 2 levels of hierarchy in the application's navigation.
1
dont
false
Not Recommended
- To return to a specific target screen that may not be the last viewed one.
- To return several screens back.
- When there is a clear hierarchy with several levels in the application.