A page transition system is described herein that allows for fast switching between a master page and one or more detail pages of a website, without substantial recoding of the website. The system includes a software library that handles link click events in the master page and the back button in detail pages. When the user clicks a link in the master page, the content of the master page is hidden and the content of the detail page is displayed in a hypertext markup language (HTML) iframe or similar construct that occupies the entirety of the browser viewport. When the user clicks the back button in the detail page to return to the master page M, the iframe is hidden or destroyed, and the content for the master page is unhidden. Thus, the system provides smooth page transitions that are faster for users and lower in burden on the server.