How to Get the Base Url with Javascript for a Domain or Localhost

by Doug Updated August 25, 2014

Here's a script example to get the base url (root domain) using Javascript. This will get the localhost baseurl or the root url of a domain name.

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In the code below, you will be able to find the baseUrl of your website using javascript. The following javascript code will work when used on your localhost or when it's used in a live site (finds the root url of the domain address).

Just add this javascript function to a .js file or script tag :

function getBaseURL() {
    var url = location.href;  // entire url including querystring - also: window.location.href;
    var baseURL = url.substring(0, url.indexOf('/', 14));


    if (baseURL.indexOf('http://localhost') != -1) {
        // Base Url for localhost
        var url = location.href;  // window.location.href;
        var pathname = location.pathname;  // window.location.pathname;
        var index1 = url.indexOf(pathname);
        var index2 = url.indexOf("/", index1 + 1);
        var baseLocalUrl = url.substr(0, index2);

        return baseLocalUrl + "/";
    }
    else {
        // Root Url for domain name
        return baseURL + "/";
    }

}

If you'd like to test the getBaseURL function in an html page and view the result, simply add the following after the closing tag of the getBaseUrl() function:

document.write(getBaseURL());

Here's an example of the code above placed in an html page: Figure 1

20 Comments

by Ringo on 4/2/2009 Try with this: http://localhost:8080/test-ajax/html/checkBrowser....
by Doug on 4/2/2009 Hey Ringo, That localhost address should work fine with the Javascript code above. As long as the localhost address begins with: 'http://localhost' it will work. The one issue that could occur on a live site is if you had a sub-domain that begins with the name 'localhost', for instance: 'http://localhost.mydomain.com'. That would break the code... If you come up with other solutions, or suggestions to improve the javascript code, definitely let me know. Thanks!
by ajay kumar on 1/6/2010 thank you very much.......... awesome code. saved my time
by Pooppandi on 2/10/2010 works good. thanks for the code.
by Nehal Rupani on 2/16/2010 Hey guys, FOR base url you can use location.host
by Adam Smith on 9/16/2010 function getUrl() { var pos = window.location.href.indexOf(window.location.host); return window.location.href.substring(pos+ window.location.host.length); } should do the trick.
by Randy Hudson on 9/21/2010 DOES NOT WORK. The Base URL may be determined by the <base href="..."/> tag. Your code only gets the window's location, which is NOT the base URL.
by Doug on 9/21/2010 Adam, Unfortunately, your code doesn't get the root domain (or base URL), instead it gets the URL of the page and isn't a fully qualified URL for localhost.
by Doug on 9/21/2010 Randy, Your interperation of Base URL is different than mine... My code example has nothing to do with the html <base href="..." /> tag . My code example above has to do with finding the root domain address (root URL, or base site URL, or web root) for a site using javascript, that works while in development when using a localhost project or on a production server. As a coder, I've always seen it referenced as BaseURL or BaseSiteURL... but you can call it what ever you want as far as I'm concerned. At any rate.... YES, IT DOES WORK...
by yereverluvinunclebert on 10/22/2010 nice little snippet thanks!
by Chris Planeta on 2/2/2011 Yup. It does work very nicely. With your consent I will include it in my naked theme I've been recently working on http://chrisplaneta.com/freebies/cornerstone-nude-opencart-theme/ Of course you will be referenced as an author. Looking forward to hearing from you
by Doug on 2/2/2011 Hey Chris, Feel free to use it in your cornerstone theme. I put the code on here, so it's definitely meant to be used by any and all! Appreciate the reference, - Doug
by Priyank on 4/14/2011 ThanKs,
by tony tran on 12/24/2011 that's awsome ! thanks so much
by Numerizen on 1/26/2012 Excellent script. Simple, straightforward and very usefull. Thanks a lot.
by jon on 12/14/2012 It's right!, Thanks
by mountain1 on 3/15/2013 I am being asked for a : MYSQL CONFIG Base URL: Where do I find the base url?
by Anonymous on 5/2/2014 Thanks this helps.
by Keith on 5/18/2015 2015 and this code proves useful.. it's a pain when the site i'm working on is not in the root folder.. this solves it!
by Josh on 10/27/2018 Thanks!

by Ringo on 4/2/2009

Try with this:
http://localhost:8080/test-ajax/html/checkBrowser....

by Doug on 4/2/2009

Hey Ringo,

That localhost address should work fine with the Javascript code above. As long as the localhost address begins with: 'http://localhost' it will work.

The one issue that could occur on a live site is if you had a sub-domain that begins with the name 'localhost', for instance: 'http://localhost.mydomain.com'. That would break the code...

If you come up with other solutions, or suggestions to improve the javascript code, definitely let me know. Thanks!

by ajay kumar on 1/6/2010

thank you very much..........

awesome code. saved my time

by Pooppandi on 2/10/2010

works good. thanks for the code.

by Nehal Rupani on 2/16/2010

Hey guys,

FOR base url you can use location.host

by Adam Smith on 9/16/2010

function getUrl()
{
var pos = window.location.href.indexOf(window.location.host);
return window.location.href.substring(pos+ window.location.host.length);
}

should do the trick.

by Randy Hudson on 9/21/2010

DOES NOT WORK. The Base URL may be determined by the <base href="..."/> tag. Your code only gets the window's location, which is NOT the base URL.

by Doug on 9/21/2010

Adam,

Unfortunately, your code doesn't get the root domain (or base URL), instead it gets the URL of the page and isn't a fully qualified URL for localhost.

by Doug on 9/21/2010

Randy,

Your interperation of Base URL is different than mine... My code example has nothing to do with the html <base href="..." /> tag .

My code example above has to do with finding the root domain address (root URL, or base site URL, or web root) for a site using javascript, that works while in development when using a localhost project or on a production server. As a coder, I've always seen it referenced as BaseURL or BaseSiteURL... but you can call it what ever you want as far as I'm concerned.

At any rate.... YES, IT DOES WORK...

by yereverluvinunclebert on 10/22/2010

nice little snippet thanks!

by Chris Planeta on 2/2/2011

Yup. It does work very nicely.

With your consent I will include it in my naked theme I've been recently working on http://chrisplaneta.com/freebies/cornerstone-nude-opencart-theme/

Of course you will be referenced as an author. Looking forward to hearing from you

by Doug on 2/2/2011

Hey Chris,

Feel free to use it in your cornerstone theme. I put the code on here, so it's definitely meant to be used by any and all!

Appreciate the reference,
- Doug

by Priyank on 4/14/2011

ThanKs,

by tony tran on 12/24/2011

that's awsome ! thanks so much

by Numerizen on 1/26/2012

Excellent script. Simple, straightforward and very usefull. Thanks a lot.

by jon on 12/14/2012

It's right!, Thanks

by mountain1 on 3/15/2013

I am being asked for a :
MYSQL CONFIG
Base URL:
Where do I find the base url?

by Anonymous on 5/2/2014

Thanks this helps.

by Keith on 5/18/2015

2015 and this code proves useful.. it's a pain when the site i'm working on is not in the root folder.. this solves it!

by Josh on 10/27/2018

Thanks!

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How to Get the Base Url with Javascript for a Domain or Localhost

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