If you want to return to your previous url after login or logout try this : <?php $this -> redirect (Yii :: app () -> request -> urlReferrer ); ?> To set the return url to be the url that was before the login page or registeration page was called you can put following code in views/layouts/main.php file : <?php //this checks id the controller action is not 'login' then it keeps the current url in returnUrl if (CController :: getAction () -> id != 'login' ) { Yii :: app () -> user -> setReturnUrl (Yii :: app () -> request -> getUrl ()); } ?>