RedirectBack ============ Mark a page to return to. Redirect back to and forget about it later. # before_filter :login_required unless authenticated? return_here! # sets session[:return_to] redirect_to login_url end # def login if user = User.auth(...) login! user redirect_back welcome_url # prefers session[:return_to] over welcome_url end Use hidden_return_to helper to embed a return_to param in forms. Using a form params instead of session allows the user to have multiple tabs open without clashing session values. <% form_for ... %> <%= hidden_return_to %> ... <% end %>