Have you ever noticed those "#" symbols that sometimes appear in your AngularJS URLs? They can make your website's URL look a bit cluttered and might not be the best for SEO. But fear not! You can actually set up AngularJS routing without those pesky hash symbols. In this article, we'll walk you through how to achieve smooth and hash-free routing in AngularJS.
First things first, why do those hash symbols appear in the URLs when using AngularJS routing? By default, AngularJS uses hashbang URLs for routing. Hashbangs (#!) are used to support older browsers and ensure that deep linking works across all browsers. However, in modern web development, we prefer cleaner URLs without those hash symbols.
To set up AngularJS routing without the hash, you need to enable HTML5 mode in your Angular application. HTML5 mode uses the HTML5 History API to manipulate the browser history, allowing you to use regular URLs without the hash symbol in AngularJS routing.
Here's how you can make this change in your AngularJS application:
1. Update Your Application Configuration:
First, you need to update your application configuration to enable HTML5 mode. In your main Angular module configuration, add the following code snippet:
angular.module('yourAppName', [])
.config(['$locationProvider', function ($locationProvider) {
$locationProvider.html5Mode(true);
}]);
This code tells Angular to use HTML5 mode for routing in your application.
2. Set Base HREF:
Make sure to specify a base HREF in the `` section of your index.html file:
This tag sets the base URL for all relative URLs within your application.
By following these steps, you can enable AngularJS routing without the hash symbol in your URLs. Remember that when using HTML5 mode, you need to configure your server to support client-side routing. This usually involves redirecting all requests to your index.html to let Angular handle the routing.
Additionally, if you encounter issues with refreshing or directly accessing URLs in your Angular application without the hash, make sure your server is set up correctly to handle those requests.
In conclusion, by enabling HTML5 mode in your AngularJS application, you can have cleaner and more SEO-friendly URLs without those hash symbols. This small change can enhance the user experience and make your application's URLs look more professional.
So, go ahead and update your AngularJS routing to get rid of those hash symbols and give your URLs a cleaner look. Your users and SEO ranking will thank you for it!