Redirect in PHP without use of header method

Question

This contact.php form was working to handle a submit and then redirect to a new page and then all of a sudden just stopped working. I have tried adding error handling and also moving header to the top in front of all other, but neither works. The form is still submitting the data as expected, it's just the redirect that doesn't work. Any ideas would be appreciated.

<?php 
include 'config.php';
$post = (!empty($_POST)) ? true : false;
if($post)
{
    $email = trim($_POST['email']);
    $subject = "Downloaded Course Units";
    $error = '';
    if(!$error)
    {
        $mail = mail(WEBMASTER_EMAIL, $subject, $message, 
        "From: ".$email."\r\n"
        ."Reply-To: ".$email."\r\n"
        ."X-Mailer: PHP/" . phpversion());
        if($mail)
        {
            echo 'OK';
            header('location: http://www.google.com.au/');
            exit();
        }
    }
}
?>

Answer 1

Use javascript.

Instead of

header('location: http://www.google.com.au/');

Use,

?>
<script type="text/javascript">
window.location.href = 'http://www.google.com.au/';
</script>
<?php

It will redirect even if something is output on your browser.

But, one precaution is to be made: Javascript redirection will redirect your page even if there is something printed on the page.

Make sure that it does not skip any logic written in PHP.

Answer 2

Replace the header('location: http://www.google.com.au/'); line with the below code to redirect in php without using header function.

$URL="http://yourwebsite.com/";
echo "<script type='text/javascript'>document.location.href='{$URL}';</script>";
echo '<META HTTP-EQUIV="refresh" content="0;URL=' . $URL . '">';

If you're wondering that why I have used both Meta tag and JavaScript to Redirect, then the answer is very simple.

If JavaScript is Disabled in the Browser, then meta tag will redirect the page.

Answer 3

header not working after include, echo. try again without include, echo. OR instead of function header use

echo '<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="0; URL=http://www.google.com.au/">';