How to redirect user's browser URL to a different page in Nodejs?

In Node.js, URL redirection typically involves setting the Location field in the HTTP response headers and sending the appropriate status code, usually 302 (temporary redirect) or 301 (permanent redirect). This can be implemented using various Node.js frameworks, such as the widely used Express framework. Below are specific methods and examples for implementing URL redirection with Express in different scenarios:

1. Using the Express framework for redirection

First, ensure that Express is installed in your project:

bash
npm install express

Then, you can set up redirection in your application as follows:

javascript
const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.get('/old-page', (req, res) => {
    // Redirect to the new page
    res.redirect('/new-page');
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('App listening on port 3000!');
});

In the above code, when a user attempts to access /old-page, the server redirects the user to /new-page. Here, a 302 temporary redirect is used. If you want to perform a 301 permanent redirect, you can write:

javascript
res.redirect(301, '/new-page');

2. Implementing redirection in pure Node.js without a framework

If you are not using any framework, you can implement redirection using the native Node.js HTTP module:

javascript
const http = require('http');

const server = http.createServer((req, res) => {
    if (req.url === '/old-page') {
        res.writeHead(302, { 'Location': '/new-page' });
        res.end();
    } else {
        res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'text/plain' });
        res.write('Hello, World!');
        res.end();
    }
});

server.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:3000');
});

In this example, when a user accesses /old-page, the server sets the response status to 302 and adds the Location header to indicate the new URL, then ends the response, redirecting the user to the new page.

Conclusion

In Node.js, implementing redirection is straightforward, whether using the Express framework or the native HTTP module. Redirection is a common technique in web development that effectively guides user flow, handles changes to old URLs, and maintains a good user experience. In practical applications, choose between temporary or permanent redirection based on specific requirements.