Non SPA Navigation Feature

9 min

Overview

The non-SPA Navigation feature allows you to disable the default Single Page Application (SPA) behavior and force the app to use traditional server navigation instead. When spa is set to false, all navigation actions will trigger full-page reloads instead of client-side routing. This feature is available only on leanDom

Why was this feature created? This feature was specifically requested by customers for advertising-related requirements. Some advertising networks and tracking systems work better with traditional page refreshes, as they can properly track page views, refresh ad content, and handle ad impressions more reliably when each navigation triggers a full-page reload.

What is the Behavior?

Default SPA Behavior (Disabled):

Clicking links or navigating within the app loads new content without refreshing the page

Faster navigation experience

Page state is preserved during navigation

No SPA Behavior (Enabled):

Clicking links or navigating triggers a full-page reload

Each navigation request goes to the server

Similar to traditional websites where every click refreshes the entire page

Page state is reset with each navigation

Slower navigation but can be useful for debugging or specific requirements

When to Use This Feature

Primary Use Case:

Advertising Requirements: When customers need better ad tracking, impression counting, or ad refresh functionality that requires full-page reloads

Additional Use Cases:

Debugging: When you need to isolate issues related to client-side routing

Testing: To test how the app behaves with traditional server-side navigation

Legacy Support: When certain functionality requires full-page reloads

How to Disable SPA

To enable this feature, you need to modify the experience-config.json file:

Configuration Example

{
  "purple": {
   "leanDom": true,
    "features": {
      "spa": false
    }
  }
}

Configuration Options

Property	Type	Default	Description
spa	boolean	true	When false, forces all navigation to use non SPA instead of SPA routing

What to Expect When Testing

✅ Expected Behavior When Enabled

Full-Page Reloads: Every navigation action causes a complete page refresh

Network Requests: Each navigation generates a new HTTP request to the server

Loading States: You'll see browser loading indicators on each navigation

URL Changes: URLs still change correctly, but with full page reloads

State Reset: Application state is completely reset with each navigation

Ad Refresh: Advertisements will reload and refresh with each page navigation

Better Ad Tracking: Ad networks can properly count page views and impressions

⚠️ Things to Watch For

Performance: Navigation will be slower compared to SPA behavior

User Experience: Users may notice the page "flashing" or reloading

Form Data: Any unsaved form data will be lost during navigation

Troubleshooting

The feature includes fallback logic - if no SPA navigation fails, it will fall back to SPA navigation

Check browser console for any error messages

Verify the experience-config.json file is being loaded correctly

Disabling the Feature

To return to default SPA behavior:

{
  "purple": {ssssss
    "features": {
      "spa": true
    }
  }
}

Or simply remove the spa property entirely from your configuration.