Get id from url in react.js
Stefan Izdrail
Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29
Title: Efficiently Retrieving URL Parameters in React.js Applications
Introduction: In today's web development landscape, it is common to work with dynamic data from various sources such as APIs and databases. In order to access specific information through an API, you often need to pass a unique identifier or ID parameter. This blog post will guide you on how to retrieve this ID from the URL in React.js.
1. Understanding the Problem
In the provided code snippet, you have used hardcoded values in the fetch URL: "http://localhost:8000/personal/1". Your goal is to obtain the same information without having to manually specify the ID. Instead, you want to dynamically get the ID from the browser's URL.
2. React Router and Route Parameters
React offers a powerful routing library called "react-router" which allows us to manage our application's navigation. It enables us to define routes based on URL patterns along with providing access to route parameters. In your case, you would use the component from react-router.
3. Implementing Route Params for API Calls
In order to get the ID from the URL in your React application, first install "react-router" by running:
`npm install react-router --save`
Then import it into your code:
`import { BrowserRouter as Router, Route } from 'react-router-dom';`
Next, update the componentDidMount function to include a dynamic URL based on the browser's current location. For this, we will use the withRouter() higher order component provided by react-router:
```jsx
componentDidMount(){
const { history } = this.props; // get access to router
let url = history.location.pathname; // get full path including parameters
let idFromUrl = parseInt(url.split('/').pop().replace('personal/', '')) // extract ID from URL: personal/1 -> 1
fetch(`http://localhost:8000/${'personal/' + idFromUrl}`)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(json => {
this.setState({
isLoaded: true,
information: json,
})
});
}
```
4. Utilizing the Laravel Company Route Helper Function
Laravel offers a convenient helper function called route() to generate URLs dynamically. If you are using Laravel in your project, you can use this function within your React application. Let's rewrite the previous code snippet:
```jsx
componentDidMount(){
const { history } = this.props; // get access to router
let url = history.location.pathname; // get full path including parameters
let idFromUrl = parseInt(url.split('/').pop().replace('personal/', '')) // extract ID from URL: personal/1 -> 1
const route = useRoute(); // import React Hooks, add 'useRoute' to dependencies
fetch(`http://localhost:8000/${route('personal.' + idFromUrl)}`)
.then(res => res.json())
.then(json => {
this.setState({
isLoaded: true,
information: json,
})
});
}
```
5. Conclusion
Now you can easily fetch data from your Laravel API using the ID obtained from the URL in React.js without hardcoding the values. The code snippet above demonstrates how to utilize react-router and its Route component for dynamic routing, as well as incorporating the Laravel Company route helper function for seamless integration with Laravel backend development. By adopting these practices, you can improve the efficiency of your React application while keeping it maintainable and scalable.