Back Buttons and User Expectation

The back button is a commonly used feature on websites, but often users are frustrated when it doesn't take them where they expect to go. User expectation is that the back button will take them back to the page they were previously looking at, even if it's not the exact previous page in the navigational structure. If the back button takes them to a different URL, they may have to re-input data or go through another process to regain their place. To meet user expectations, websites can use the history.pushState() function in HTML5 to seamlessly change the URL without reloading the page. Ensuring that the back button operates as expected can help prevent high abandonment rates.