Catch error if iframe src fails to load . Error :-"Refused to display 'http://www.google.co.in/' in a frame.."

Question

I am using Knockout.js to bind iframe src tag(This will be configurable with respect to User).

Now, if user has configured http://www.google.com (I know it won't load in iframe, thats why I am using it for -ve scenario) and that has to be shown in IFrame. but it throws error:-

Refused to display 'http://www.google.co.in/' in a frame because it set 'X-Frame-Options' to 'SAMEORIGIN'.

I have the following code for Iframe:-

<iframe class="iframe" id="iframe" data-bind="attr: {src: externalAppUrl, height: iframeheight}">
    <p>Hi, This website does not supports IFrame</p>
</iframe>

What I want is, if the URL fails to load. I want to display Custom Message. FIDDLE HERE

Now, if I use onload and onerror as:-

<iframe id="browse" style="width:100%;height:100%" onload="alert('Done')" onerror="alert('Failed')"></iframe>

It works fine loading w3schools.com but not with google.com.

Secondly:- if I make it as a function and try like I have done in my fiddle, it doesn't works.

<iframe id="browse" style="width:100%;height:100%" onload="load" onerror="error"></iframe>

I don't know how should I make it run and capture the error.

Edited:- I have seen Want to call a function if iframe doesn't load or load's question in stackoverflow but it shows error for sites that can be loaded in iframe.

Also, I have looked into Stackoverflow iframe on load event Thanks!!

Answer 1

You wont be able to do this from the client side because of the Same Origin Policy set by the browsers. You wont be able to get much information from the iFrame other than basic properties like its width and height.

Also, google sets in its response header an 'X-Frame-Options' of SAMEORIGIN.

Even if you did an ajax call to google you wont be able to inspect the response because the browser enforcing Same Origin Policy.

So, the only option is to make the request from your server to see if you can display the site in your IFrame.

So, on your server.. your web app would make a request to www.google.com and then inspect the response to see if it has a header argument of X-Frame-Options. If it does exist then you know the IFrame will error.