The debate over external links automatically opening in a new window goes far back. For many years, giving links their own window was considered a crime almost as grievous as ambushing visitors with a pop-up window (i.e. a window that automatically comes up without the user clicking an external link). Then, seemingly out of nowhere, browsers developed tabs, allowing users to open multiple web pages at once in what was actually a single browser window. Web addicts around the world cheered for joy; many developers pronounced the opening of external links in a new window an official best practice.
In mid-2008, however, Smashing Magazine posted what is arguably the most definitive article on the subject to date arguing that, in fact, forcing external links to open in a new window was still wrong. Many vehemently disagreed and continue to disagree to this day (just take a look at the comments posted below said article). In fact, there was initially a unanimous vote against Smashing Magazine’s decision within our own office. Our logic was as follows:
The Argument for Opening Links in a New Window
It’s undeniably poor form to force something on your user that he or she doesn’t want (again, think popup windows). The problem is that many of us do want our links to open in an external window.
Consider the link to the Smashing article above. You probably clicked it when you got to it and may have wandered onward from there, only to remember later that you wanted to finish this article. Alas, it wasn’t saved in a separate tab for you, so you were forced to either pound the back button into submission or [gasp!] not come back. Our blog ends up losing a reader who fully intended to come back. What could possibly be worse?
Why That Argument is Wrong
Unfortunately, the employees of McCormick and Winter and the readers of Smashing Magazine are not average web users. When you work as a web developer, it’s easy to forget that there are people out there who type URLs into the Google search box, struggle to find the back button, and insist on double clicking links. Not everyone knows that they can set their browser to open new windows as new tabs instead, and some might not even realize what’s going on when a new window opens. When they discover that the back button no longer takes them back, they get frustrated and irrationally angry (just like the rest of us when we encounter a “Please Take our Stupid Survey” popup).
Of course, you don’t have to be a novice to be confused by new window links – you could also be blind. According to developer Brian Teeman, users browsing with assisted technology such as JAWS (which reads web pages out loud) have a particularly difficult time navigating back through links that open in a new window. Frankly, we’re not entirely clear on the details, but the point is that just because you want your external links to open in a new window doesn’t mean that everyone else does.
Convinced?
Here are some tips for making the switch:
Fix your site
If your site is built on Drupal, there’s a handy module you can download that will solve all your link related woes. The aptly named External Links module allows you to add a small icon next to all outbound links so visitors will know when they’re about to be transferred away. The module also contains a checkbox that can be used to make all external links open in a new window, so in the unlikely event that you change your mind once you’ve manually removed all the target=”_blank” code from your links, you can change them back with a single click of the mouse (notice that it is NOT checked by default; we assume this means that the creators of the module side with us in this debate).
Change your browsing habits
Many more advanced web users will right click on a link and use the context menu to open the link in a new tab. However, as the Smashing article wisely points out, you can accomplish the same thing with a lot less effort by simple middle clicking on a link. Get in the habit of it and who knows, you may soon find you prefer being the one to decide which links open in a new window.
