How to Identify If a Webpage Is Being Loaded Inside an Iframe or Directly into the Browser Window?

When working with JavaScript, it is sometimes necessary to determine whether a webpage is being loaded inside an iframe or directly into the browser window. This can be useful for various reasons, such as adjusting the behavior or appearance of the page based on its context.

Fortunately, there are a few different approaches to achieve this. Let’s explore each of them:

1. Using the window.self property:

The window.self property refers to the current window or frame. By comparing it with the window.top property, we can determine if the page is being loaded inside an iframe or not. If they are equal, the page is being loaded directly into the browser window.

if (window.self === window.top) {
    console.log("Page is loaded directly into the browser window");
} else {
    console.log("Page is loaded inside an iframe");
}

2. Checking the window.frameElement property:

The window.frameElement property returns the DOM element that contains the window. If the page is being loaded inside an iframe, this property will have a value. Otherwise, it will be null.

if (window.frameElement) {
    console.log("Page is loaded inside an iframe");
} else {
    console.log("Page is loaded directly into the browser window");
}

3. Using the top !== self comparison:

This approach compares the top and self objects directly. If they are not equal, the page is being loaded inside an iframe.

if (top !== self) {
    console.log("Page is loaded inside an iframe");
} else {
    console.log("Page is loaded directly into the browser window");
}

These are the three main methods to identify if a webpage is being loaded inside an iframe or directly into the browser window. You can choose the one that best suits your needs and implement it in your JavaScript code.

Remember to test your code in different scenarios to ensure it behaves as expected. Happy coding!