Web/API/Clients/openWindow

The openWindow()' method of the Clients interface creates a new top level browsing context and loads a given URL. If the calling script doesn't have permission to show popups, openWindow() ' will throw an InvalidAccessError.

In Firefox, the method is allowed to show popups only when called as the result of a notification click event.

In Chrome for Android, the method may instead open the URL in an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app previously added to the user's home screen. As of recently, this also works on Chrome for Windows.

Syntax

self.clients.openWindow(url).then(function(windowClient) {
  // Do something with your WindowClient
});

Parameters

url: A USVString representing the URL of the client you want to open in the window. Generally this value must be a URL from the same origin as the calling script.

Return value

A Promise that resolves to a WindowClient object if the URL is from the same origin as the service worker or a null value otherwise.

Examples

// Send notification to OS if applicable
if (self.Notification.permission === 'granted') {
  const notificationObject = {
    body: 'Click here to view your messages.',
    data: { url: self.location.origin + '/some/path' },
    // data: { url: 'http://example.com' },
  };
  self.registration.showNotification('You\'ve got messages!', notificationObject);
}

// Notification click event listener
self.addEventListener('notificationclick', e => {
  // Close the notification popout
  e.notification.close();
  // Get all the Window clients
  e.waitUntil(clients.matchAll({ type: 'window' }).then(clientsArr => {
    // If a Window tab matching the targeted URL already exists, focus that;
    const hadWindowToFocus = clientsArr.some(windowClient => windowClient.url === e.notification.data.url ? (windowClient.focus(), true) : false);
    // Otherwise, open a new tab to the applicable URL and focus it.
    if (!hadWindowToFocus) clients.openWindow(e.notification.data.url).then(windowClient => windowClient ? windowClient.focus() : null);
  }));
});

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
Service WorkersThe definition of 'Clients: openWindow' in that specification.	Working Draft	Initial definition.

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet
`openWindow` Experimental'	Chrome Full support 40 Full support 40 Full support 42 Notes' Notes' Can only open URLs on the same origin. Full support 43 Notes' Notes' Can open any URL. Full support 51 Notes' Notes' URLs may open inside an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app	Edge Full support ≤79 Full support ≤79 Full support ≤79 Notes' Notes' Can only open URLs on the same origin. Full support ≤79 Notes' Notes' Can open any URL. Full support ≤79 Notes' Notes' URLs may open inside an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app	Firefox Full support 45 Notes' Full support 45 Notes' Notes' Extended Support Releases (ESR) before Firefox 78 ESR do not support service workers and the Push API.	IE No support No	Opera Full support 38	Safari No support No	WebView Android Full support 40 Full support 40 Full support 42 Notes' Notes' Can only open URLs on the same origin. Full support 43 Notes' Notes' Can open any URL. Full support 51 Notes' Notes' URLs may open inside an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app	Chrome Android Full support 40 Full support 40 Full support 42 Notes' Notes' Can only open URLs on the same origin. Full support 43 Notes' Notes' Can open any URL. Full support 51 Notes' Notes' URLs may open inside an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app	Firefox Android Full support 45	Opera Android Full support 41	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android Full support 4.0 Full support 4.0 Full support 5.0 Notes' Notes' URLs may open inside an existing browsing context provided by a standalone web app

Legend

Full support: Full support
No support: No support
Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.': Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
See implementation notes.': See implementation notes.

Clients.openWindow() by Mozilla Contributors is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.5.