This link opens in a new tab, and not the existing page....
WTF.
barbara wolff - 13 years ago
I've been wrestling with this question to solve an issue when the external links are to the "parent" site. The article is swaying me a bit to not open a new window, unless the user is given the option with the check box. But what client is going to want a check box taking up real estate on their screen?
I think that the choice of whether to open a link in new page or tab should be down to the user not the website - the exception being terms and conditions pages which could break a user's flow through a multi-page form if they opened in the same window. But if a site has a registration process or mortgage application that consists of multiple forms on multiple pages , and there is a link to a help page, or terms page, then this should open in a new tab or window (if it has not be accommodated in the user flow), because otherwise the form process is abandoned mid-way through, and this can cause problems for the user.
Mattias - 15 years ago
Agree with above comments. I think external links should be opened in separate windows.
One funny thing with this article is that it first says that it's good design to open links in same window because there are ways to work around it (with for example middle-click) and it's bad to open them in new windows because there is no way to work around it. And a bit later it gives a good example of how to do exactly this. Drag the link to the address bar.
And another funny thing is that the link "View Comments" that we clicked on to get here automatically opened a new tab... :-D
john - 15 years ago
I prefer linking to external sites with a new window.. all pages within my domain are the same window. This avoids the accidental clicking of the X to close the browser and subsequently the original page.
Agreed with above too but the article may have changed my mind now.
Middle button click is quite helpful (didn't know about it).
But I'm never ever surprised and actually prefer it when external links open in new window. Its like you are reading a book with a quote + reference and then the full referred article appears in the middle of the book for 10 pages... Hard to come back to the actual content. Instead, if you are interested you go and get the referred book (similar to new window) then close it (close the new window) and get back to the page you were reading... Does it make any sense?
This link opens in a new tab, and not the existing page....
WTF.
I've been wrestling with this question to solve an issue when the external links are to the "parent" site. The article is swaying me a bit to not open a new window, unless the user is given the option with the check box. But what client is going to want a check box taking up real estate on their screen?
I think that the choice of whether to open a link in new page or tab should be down to the user not the website - the exception being terms and conditions pages which could break a user's flow through a multi-page form if they opened in the same window. But if a site has a registration process or mortgage application that consists of multiple forms on multiple pages , and there is a link to a help page, or terms page, then this should open in a new tab or window (if it has not be accommodated in the user flow), because otherwise the form process is abandoned mid-way through, and this can cause problems for the user.
Agree with above comments. I think external links should be opened in separate windows.
One funny thing with this article is that it first says that it's good design to open links in same window because there are ways to work around it (with for example middle-click) and it's bad to open them in new windows because there is no way to work around it. And a bit later it gives a good example of how to do exactly this. Drag the link to the address bar.
And another funny thing is that the link "View Comments" that we clicked on to get here automatically opened a new tab... :-D
I prefer linking to external sites with a new window.. all pages within my domain are the same window. This avoids the accidental clicking of the X to close the browser and subsequently the original page.
.
Any external links I have open in a new tab. All internal links open in the same window.
Agreed with above too but the article may have changed my mind now.
Middle button click is quite helpful (didn't know about it).
But I'm never ever surprised and actually prefer it when external links open in new window. Its like you are reading a book with a quote + reference and then the full referred article appears in the middle of the book for 10 pages... Hard to come back to the actual content. Instead, if you are interested you go and get the referred book (similar to new window) then close it (close the new window) and get back to the page you were reading... Does it make any sense?
agreed with above comment.
I think is a good idea to open internal website links in the same page and external links (that point to any other domain ) in a new page/tab.