How can I handle WebSocket disconnections and automatically reconnect using JavaScript in the browser?

Question

This question explores JavaScript and addresses practical considerations related to: How can I handle WebSocket disconnections and automatically reconnect using JavaScript in the browser?

Q&A Network · Accepted Answer

To handle WebSocket disconnections and automatically reconnect in the browser, you can create a function that manages the connection and attempts to reconnect when the connection is lost.

let socket;
        const url = "wss://example.com/socket";
        const reconnectInterval = 5000; // 5 seconds

function connect() {
            socket = new WebSocket(url);

socket.onopen = () => {
                console.log("Connected to WebSocket server");
            };

socket.onmessage = (event) => {
                console.log("Message from server:", event.data);
            };

socket.onclose = () => {
                console.log("Disconnected from WebSocket server, attempting to reconnect...");
                setTimeout(connect, reconnectInterval);
            };

socket.onerror = (error) => {
                console.error("WebSocket error:", error);
                socket.close();
            };
        }

connect();

ADDITIONAL COMMENT:
- This code defines a "connect" function that initializes a WebSocket connection to the specified URL.
- The "onopen" event handler logs a message when the connection is successfully established.
- The "onmessage" event handler processes incoming messages from the server.
- The "onclose" event handler attempts to reconnect after a specified interval when the connection is closed.
- The "onerror" event handler logs errors and closes the socket to trigger the reconnection logic.

✅

Ask any question about JavaScript here... and get an instant response.

How can I handle WebSocket disconnections and automatically reconnect using JavaScript in the browser?

Asked on Jan 16, 2026

Answer

Real Questions. Clear Answers.