The use case we're aiming with this library is that not always you want to refresh the whole page; sometimes you want to update just one section of the app (think Gmail), do something deferred with a worker, or set a timeout.

Also, you want to be consistent across all browsers/platforms, and maybe add a little touch of personality or branding [1].

So, while I agree with you it should be standard, and maybe it should have an API, it has to be flexible enough for every and each thing you want to achieve... so you'll need a library, and we're full circle.

1: https://muz.li/blog/refresh-inspiration/