Links Not Opening In New Windows
Open in new window
This is just one of those little things I find annoying. This is what’s bugging me today!
There are many people who don’t like links opening in new windows but I’m not one of them. When I’m reading a blog/website and click on an external link I like having it open in a new window and keeping the original blog/website open so I can easily go back to it.
If I don’t find the link interesting, I just close down the window and I still have the original blog/website to continue reading.
A good reason to have external links open in new windows is to keep your visitor on your blog as long as possible. Because if your visitor finds the link you’ve provided very interesting he/she may never make it back to your blog.
This is how I like to handle links on my blog.
- External links – open in new window
- Internal blog links – open in same window
The default when you choose to add any hyperlink is to open in the same window.
WordPress offers us the option of linking to other sites through Zemanta and the “Recommended Links“, the major one being Wikipedia. Even though the default is to open in the same window, you can change this by editing the hyperlink and clicking on the “Open link in a new window/tab”.
If it’s photos you’re adding from Wikipedia or another site you have to go to the Advanced Settings tab and scroll down to check the box to have the link open in a new window.
By doing this, you now keep your visitor on your blog and the other site opens in a new window. I find this especially important if you list other sites in the “Related Articles“. This gives your visitor a chance to read any comments and hopefully add their own comment to your blog.
How about you? Do you like links opening in new windows?
This is what’s bugging me today!
🙂
Quote for today
The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose.
J. Martin Kohe
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Things in life I find annoying 
I totally agree with you Rose. I other the external links so that I can always return to the originally blog/site. I think it benefits all parties involved…the trader has access to the originating sure plus new site and the original site will have the reader return.
Thanks Stacey, I love the tabs feature in browsers, it makes this so easy. One of my reasons for using FireFox many years ago. 🙂
Thank you! This is a pet peeve of mine as well. I prefer links to open in new windows and set it that way for my posts. Occasionally I may forget with the preselected “recommended” links but try to fix it as soon as possible when found.
Honestly, I don’t know why the default isn’t to open in new window/tab. It just makes sense because you want to keep your visitors on your site, not have to click back which, as you pointed out, they may not do if they get engrossed in the other site.
As usual, excellent information!
Thanks Indigo, I think it’s just something that was set up that way before we had tabs in our browsers and it’s never been changed. I don’t understand though why the option so open in new window is always at the bottom of a window or hidden behind the main window on advanced settings. 🙂
I prefer opening links in a new tab/ window with the same reason as yours 🙂 and opening them on the same tab/ window Is not advisable for me because I tend to forget easily that I might not be able to go back to the previous page anymore.
Thanks Leianne. I think everybody feels the same way. 🙂
completely agree and wish that was the default setting. Can we suggest that to wordpress somehow?
Hi Joss, I don’t think it’s just a matter for WordPress but the entire Internet in general. It’s a throwback to the time before tabs. 🙂
I also agree. It’s very annoying, especially when I have a few windows open and can’t remember the name of the previous site I was looking at. If the link opens in a new window, I can, just as Rose said, click it off, which lands me right back at the original site.
I certainly want my readers to be able to do the same thing. I didn’t know about revising the links on the pics and Related Articles. I was so dissatisfied with the latter, though that I did my own Related Articles, used the “blank” option to put the link in a new window, and put a little more information on the text part of the link to show what site I was actually linking to.
Hi Sandra, now you know where you can find the option and don’t need to use the “blank” option. Should make things much easier. 🙂
Good point Rose. That is something that I don’t think to do when I put links into my posts. I will try to remember from now on. I even went back & edited the links in yesterdays post. Thanks for the good advice
You’re welcome Tony. Glad I could help you on this. Sometimes I even forget to change one to new window but when I notice it I go back and change it. 🙂
P.S. I’d never heard of Zemanta so I went searching WordPress for info. Hey what a great idea. I have activated it now & will give it a try.
Hi Tony, Zemanta is great and I like using it because it always brings up my own related articles. 🙂
I agree. I always click the box for links to open in a new tab when I post. Also when I am browsing, I usually right click and select ‘open link in new tab’. Annoyingly, on Chrome it is the top option of the list while on Firefox it is the second, so I keep accidentally opening new windows rather than new tabs if I browse in Firefox. I prefer tabs as otherwise my bottom bar gets full.
Hi Knotrune, I use the right-click option all the time but of course when I forget that’s when it opens in the same window which means going back in the browser and trying it again. 🙂
I agree.
Send a link with this post (and our “signatures”) to WP and tell them we’d like the default changed. 🙂
Hi Nancy, I wish it was that easy. 🙂
I agree, it’s much preferable to have the link open in a new window for all the reasons stated above. WP need to set it as the default.
Hi Barb, I’m not sure that is something WP would do since it’s the default in most programs on the Internet. 🙂
I totally agree Rose!! Good post 🙂
Thanks Princess, I’m amazed that so many agree with me on this because I know there are plenty of people who don’t like the new window option. 🙂
It doesn’t bother me either way but it’s a good option for sure.
BTW, I have given you a Versatile Blogger award. Stop by to collect it! 🙂
Elizabeth
Oh Rose, I should have added that I right click on links to open them in a new window and that is why I don’t think about what the original link is doing. 🙂
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth, I usually right-click too but it’s annoying when I forget. 🙂
I totally agree, links should always open in a new window! I usually press the crtl key on the keyboard to make sure the link opens in a new window. Works like right clicking and selecting open in new window but I think it’s easier.
That’s another thing I do too! It’s just so much easier though if I could just click on it and know that it will open in a new window. 🙂
Totally agree with you Rose. Internal in same window, external new window. I’ve developed a habit of right clicking on a link and choosing open in a new tab for virtually every link.
I’m sure WordPress changed the way you put links in your posts. The chain icon for adding a link used to have a different pop up box, I could add a url and choose where i wanted it to open and just click ok to insert said link. But now when I click it and add a link into my posts it asks me if i want to navigate away from the page. Weird. So I end up switching to html view and clicking the blue “link” word to insert a link. Very odd.
Hi Noobcake, I’ve got the same habit, but it doesn’t help when you forget. I haven’t noticed anything different with WordPress. Is this recent or some time ago? 🙂
I find this very annoying too, Rose.
Thanks Shell, you’re not alone. 🙂
i am definitely a new window kind of girl. i usually want to take a peek, and then go back to what i was reading before!
Hi Phrogmom, it seems like you agree with the rest of the crowd commenting here. 🙂
I am a “open in new window” voter. I can’t imagine the other. Bet when I experience it, I won’t like it. Or, it just might be it has but haven’t noticed before. Since you are bringing it to my attention, I know I will realize it when it does happen, and will have an opinion, for sure.
Hi Jaxie, join the crowd! 🙂
Blogging is a tough game – the web is filled with traps and pitfalls.
I need a new window