Bookmarkable by Design: URL-Driven State in HTMX
Forget complex state libraries. Use the URL as your single source of truth for filters, sorting, and pagination in HTMX applications
When you move from React to HTMX, you trade complex state management for server-side simplicity. But you still need to handle filters, sorting, pagination, and search. Where does that state live now?
The answer is surprisingly elegant: in the URL itself. By treating URL parameters as your single source of truth, you get bookmarkable, shareable application state without needing to install another dependency.
A URL like /?status=active&sortField=price&sortDir=desc&page=2 tells you everything about the current view. It’s not just an address—it’s a complete state representation that users can bookmark, share, or refresh without losing context.
Using pushState creates a history entry for each state change, allowing users to navigate through their filter and sort history with the browser’s back and forward buttons.
