What Is A Single Page Application? Guide With Examples

The Internet has become so embedded in our daily lives that we don’t even think about what technology runs the apps we use daily to smoothen our lives. But sometimes it is worth knowing what complex network of servers, codes, and infrastructures is running behind the devices we use every day, giving us quick access to information and entertainment. But as a business owner, when you create an application it is good to understand what is a single page application.

Experts have suggested that by the end of 2025, the single-page app development market will increase at a CAGR of 6.15%. (1) 

In this guide, we will discuss what is SPA, examples of single page applications, advantages and disadvantages of SPA, and how to create SPAs. 

Thrilling, right? Let’s start!

What Is A Single-Page Web Application?

A single-page web application is an app that doesn’t need to reload itself when we are using it. Apps such as Google Maps, Facebook, Gmail, and Google Drive are all examples of SPA. The best thing about these apps is the users don’t have to wait for the app to reload itself and they can be on the same page of the app. This function in the apps is provided by the JavaScript programming language.  

Examples Of Single-Page Applications

Now, to understand what is a single page application example, let’s look at a few of the examples of SPA in detail.

Gmail: Gmail is an excellent example of SPA that we all use every day. When you open Gmail, then a progress bar shows that the app’s page is downloading from the server. But the right and left sidebars will remain static when you write and check emails after the loading.   

Facebook: Facebook is also a good example of SPA. The users of the app can scroll, view friends’ posts, and comment without reloading the page. This happens because on the app the data is dynamically loaded. 

GoogleDocs: GoogleDocs also functions as a single-page application. The left sidebar and the text-filled header settings don’t change when you move between tabs or type. The new comments and recent edits are reloaded.  

Advantages Of Single-Page Applications

Let’s discuss some of the advantages of single page applications in detail. 

Fast: As SPA is used on a single page and not on the entire page. So, it drastically improves the speed of the website. In these pages, app resources such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are only loaded once. A Google study says that if a website takes more than two seconds to load, it impacts its traffic and sales. So, SPA helps generate more traffic and sales to businesses.

User Experience: SPAs are easier to experiment with their appearance. We can also use it when multiple modular services update independently. It can give the users a dynamic and engaging experience. Developers mainly use JavaScript to write code for SPAs. APIs help SPAs registered in one language to function flawlessly with codes written in another language. 

Adaptable: With SPA, you can create a website with a single page and the script. The page can have multiple resources such as CSS and images. It doesn’t upload them separately. It gives you the flexibility to make changes to the website without rebuilding it from the start. That’s a great benefit of SPAs.

Disadvantages Of Single-Page Applications

Let’s look at some disadvantages of SPAs. 

Storing Browsing History: One major disadvantage of SPA is the browser caches all the pages to be loaded. So, if any update happens to the app, it goes with a newer version of the app. So, if the user is visiting the page multiple times in a short time, they will only see the cached version of the app.

Security Issues: Single-page applications are less secure to XSS attacks. Because these pages rely mostly on the client-side scripting. So, the hackers can inject manipulated scripts from the client side into the application. So, user information can be disclosed. If the developers are not aware of the data in the initial page load, then they can expose user information.

Link Sharing: In SPAs, the page has only one URL. This creates a problem when sharing more information and content with the users. It gets more difficult with contents that have intricate development procedures.

How To Create SPAs

Creating single page applications is easy with these steps.

Discovery Phase: For any businesses to create SPAs, they need to do thorough market research, study their competitors, and define their target audience. To stand out in the crowd, identify the problem in your field of work and try to solve the problem with the application.

Get a Design: Having a user-friendly design on the single-page app is important to give your users all the information on one page. The UI/UX of the app should be developed in a way that it is easy for the user to navigate and use the app.

Development: JavaScript frameworks like AngularJS, ReactJS, EmberJS, TezJS, or Vue.js are usually used to create SPAs. These frameworks are highly secure and they help in easy streamlining of the process. It also reduces server-side work and increases efficiency.

QA Testing: After the development is done, the QA engineers test the app for any bugs. If any issues are detected, they are reported to the developers. The developers then fix and verify the issue so that the app can run smoothly. 

Launch and Maintenance: Once the app has cleared all the QA testing, it is ready to be launched. But even after the launch, it is important to have regular updates and security checks of the app to maintain the performance of the app.

FAQs 

What is a single page application in JavaScript?

SPA in JavaScript is a web app that loads a single HTML page. It dynamically updates content with frameworks like AngularJS, ReactJS, or Vue.js. SPAs help in minimizing server requests by handling routing from the client’s side. 

What is a single page application example?

Some popular examples of SPAs are Gmail, Google Maps, Google Docs, and Facebook. All these apps can dynamically update content without reloading the page. It gives the users a smooth experience while using the app.

What is a single page application in React?  

A single-page application in React is made by using ReactJS. The ReactJS is a JavaScript library. It helps the app divide itself into reusable components. It enables a smooth dynamic content update in the app for a seamless user experience.

What is a single-page application in Angular? 

A single-page application in Angular is created by using AngularJS or Angular. It simplifies the process of creating a SPA with two-way data binding, dependency injection, and dynamic views.

Single-page application vs multi-page application

The main difference between a SPA and a MPA is that SPA can dynamically update content without full page reloads. It improves both the performance of the app and the user experience. In the case of MPAs, the app loads a new HTML page for each request. It slows down the performance of the app.