![]() ![]() If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. Maintaining consistent link behavior throughout your website helps your users know what to expect when they are navigating through your website.Home › Browsers › Firefox › Force Firefox to open links in new tabĮxpert Tip: Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. ![]() If a user clicks on a link, they shouldn’t be surprised by what happens. Stay ConsistentĪ critical part of user experience is maintaining a mutual understanding and expectations for what it means to interact with a website. Linking to a new tab in these cases can help the user find additional information without causing issues or forcing the user to start over. Linking in the same tab or screen in these situations could cause the user to lose the work they’ve done or have to start over. when a user is filling out a form or viewing a video). The only time it is recommended that you open a link in a new tab is when opening in the same screen would interrupt a process (e.g. Keeping links set to open in the same tab allows users of different preferences to engage with your website in the way they like best.If a user prefers for links to open in the same tab, but the link is set to open in a new tab, the user is forced to adapt to this linking behavior or they can leave your website. This option is always available to users no matter how a link is set to open. If a user prefers that links open in a new tab, they can open the link in a new tab using a right-click or by continuing to press down on the link on a mobile device.Having links open in the same tab eliminates this issue and helps make sure our websites are accessible for all of our users.Then when they try to click on the Back button in the browser, nothing happens, because there is no previous link to go back to in a new window or tab.” Sighted users can see the new window open, but users with cognitive disabilities may have difficulty interpreting what just happened. Older screen readers do not alert the user at all. “Newer screen readers alert the user when a link opens a new window, though only after the user clicks on the link.For example, WebAIM, an organization that leads the way with tools and resources for web accessibility, explains how these kinds of links can cause issues for users using screen readers: Opening links in a new tab can quickly cause usability issues.Opening in the same tab also keeps the “back button” as an option for users to return to the previous page, which they wouldn’t be able to utilize if they were in a new tab and maybe didn’t know it. Having links open in the same tab reduces the chance of mobiles users getting lost or unable to locate a previous tab.Given the small screen size of mobile devices, it can be difficult for people to navigate between tabs and can create confusion if a user doesn’t know a link just opened in a new tab. According to Statistica, 52.2 percent of worldwide website traffic was generated through mobile phones in 2018.Opening links, whether they are to the same website or another, in a new tab can pose a variety of issues for users, especially as web traffic from mobile devices continues to increase. If you’ve ever googled something along the lines of “should a link open in a new tab,” you know that this seemingly minor detail is a major topic of debate in UX communities.Īlthough the debate continues, here’s why I choose to have website links open in the same tab. ![]()
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