What is the best practice for opening a link in a new window / tab?

Question

Is there a best practice on whether to open a new link in a new window / tab (or redirect the current window / tab to a new link)?

Answer 1

It’s good practice to open the link in a new window / tab if:

• The target is located on another website, and the user is likely to continue browsing your site after it is completed.
• The main purpose of the link is to print content, so it does not contain navigation
• A link is a detour from a standard workflow (for example, a man page in the middle of a form with a few steps

Answer 2

A good guideline in web design is the back button. This is a single user interface that almost all web users know how to use.

Thus, the only suitable place to use links that open new windows is in states that cannot be easily obtained using the back button.

A striking example of this is the links in the middle of the forms:

If users click on the form, the "Back" button will not receive them in the state in which they were - with a partially filled form.

This does not mean that target="_blank links are the only or even a particularly good solution to this problem, but they are the only place where users expect them, and they can be really useful.

Answer 3

Internet users like me are used to "open the page in a new tab", so just leave all your links as usual :) But, of course, not everyone does, but please reduce to a minimum.

Answer 4

Typically, when a new link points to an external resource, users may want to keep the original page open. Otherwise, the agreement should not confuse users and retains links to link links and go to a new page. Advanced users can always hold the shift / ctrl key to open a new tab / window.

Answer 5

Between opening a page in a new window and a new tab:

If you need to open the link in a new window or tab, use target="_blank" . You can use a transitional doctype with your pages or use JavaScript to enter this attribute. The browser will decide, based on user preferences, whether to open it in a new window or tab.

Answer 6

Non-developers will prefer to see a new window, as it is more clear what they are reading. Developers and developers are a bit technically different.