In a recent comment, Liza Shaw asked if I could make the links at QBT open in a new window. Should links open in a new window?
My Linking Policy
For the purpose of this post, “open in a new window” can also mean “open in a new tab”. This simply means I don’t have to keep saying “open in a new window, or tab, depending on your browser settings”.
I prefer links that don’t open in a new window. If you want to open a link in a new window, you can CTRL+click the link to achieve this.
If you force a link to open in a new window, then if someone wants to open that link in the same window, there’s no way to do that.
Forcing links to open in a new window might be helpful if you’re partway through a post. However, as I wrote in my recent post about blog design and readability, it’s good to put the links at the end of a post rather than scattering them throughout the content. If you do this, there is very little need to force the links into a new window.
Quotes from the Web
There are a lot of opinions on this topic. I’ve collected a few of the comments below.
Whilst new windows might scrape a few extra page views out of half-interested users, the annoyance it poses will hurt your potential for building the good relationships that you really want.
from Pro Blog Design
In short, forcing the visitor to open another tab or window is disruptive. Your audience has the tools they need to open a new window if they wish to, and those confused by window management will also be confused by an imposed new window / tab.
from 10up
Users leaving to go to booking screens or other websites in fact lose the Back Button and History in their browser making it less likely they will come back to the original website and more likely they end up back at their favourite search engine.
from Tribalogic
Of course, there are exceptions: in some situations it is right to open links in new windows and wrong to open links in the same windows. Jakob Nielsen suggests to use new windows in case the linked document is not a .html-document. In this case he recommends to use a pop-up-windows without browser control toolbar. In such case it is reasonable to let the user know upfront how the links will be opened.
from Smashing Magazine
I think the last quote is good as it shows that sometimes, there may be a reason to open links in a new window. I also think it’s generally a good idea for ads to open in a new window.
But on my blog, I prefer links that don’t open in a new window.
Discussion
What do you do on your blog? How do you prefer other sites to handle this?
I like to keep them in same tab if on the same site. But if it ‘s a different site I’m linking to I usually link out in a new window. That way they don’t my site too. I may have to reconsider this Ben after reading the input you have here. Thanks! Interesting post and one that I haven’t seen a lot of info on either.
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Hi Lisa
I think if we post a link, it could make some people leave our blogs regardless of whether the link opens in a new window, or not. But forcing a new tab takes the option away from the user.
Thanks for adding your views, Lisa!
I too am of the opinion that the reader should decide, not us bloggers. By now, right-clicking a link to open it in a separate tab is a firmly established practice. We’re all grownups here. If a reader wants to leave your site, that’s their choice.
Plus there’s the issue of browsers behaving differently. Some open separate tabs in the background; others bring them to the fore by default. I’m thinking specifically of Opera (yes, people use it, including myself on occasion) which gives separate options for “open in new tab” and “open in background tab.”
You know, sometimes on my desktop I just want to launch a [resource-hungry] application without it stealing the focus from whatever I’m doing at the moment — like, for example, launching Photoshop while I’m reading a blog article. Default behavior for several applications is to put themselves in front of your eyes no matter what you’re doing, and that annoys me a little bit. Because it takes away my feeling of being in control. When a browser does something similar because a blogger added a little html to make it so, it’s not pleasant either.
I’m all for letting readers choose. I guide myself by the golden rule in that respect, do unto others.
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Hi Bell
Amen to that! Great insights re: background tabs. Apps stealing focus annoy me too. I’ve also noticed that if you go to a Facebook page that you own, click into the status field and start typing before the page has finished loading, the field loses focus within a couple of seconds. It’s infuriating!
I agree with you Ben. I like to open all links in the same window, and I want the reader to decide what to do. I like to decide what to do myself, and sometimes I open links in a new window when I visit other blogs, but most of them time I don’t.
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Hi Jens
Yes, I like to decide too! Ctrl+Click is helpful if I need it. However, I’m used to sites opening links in a new tab, and find myself doing it anyway most of the time. I just like to have the choice.
It doesn’t matter so much to me on another site. I use the keyboard shortcuts to open it in a new window myself if I want that. On my own site I usually leave it to open in the same window, except for the odd time.
Hi Laura
What about if you’re on another site and you don’t want a link to open a new window, but the site forces that on you?
Its very true what you have brought out here Ben. I follow something very similar to what Smashing Magazine has highlighted. If its a PDF or an external file, i prefer using open in new window, if not its best to open the post in the same window. As for the links in the post, I believe that its best to keep links all through the article for reasons being you will get readers interested in specific aspects of the post. And if your link (call to action ) is attractive enough, you will find your readers clicking on them to read more. Try to apply click tracker to find the links readers are clicking on and you will get to know what works best for you. Thanks for the nice article once again.
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Hi Eddie
Using click trackers is a great tip. However, some sites won’t tell you if a link opens in a new window or the same window until you click it. By that point, the click tracker will have fired already. The tracker might work if you have two links, one for same window, one for new window, and you want to see which one gets clicked more.
Ok I see your point, everyone has different ideas, sadly I’m on a tablet, so no mouse and therefore no rightclick. To get the rightclick have to press and hold which doesn’t always work. So for those of us on tablets get very frustrated when we want to follow a link, but want to continue reading too.
In the particular article, Ben was linking to a variety of resources, I got frustrated with having to keep hitting the back button (the hold for right clicking was tempermental that day) that I didn’ check the last few. Of course if just 1 or 2 links, its no such issue
Anyway, everybody has different ideas, there’s no right or wrong, its just down to personal preference. Thanks anyway for the link back.
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Hi Liza
Now that’s a good point about tablets. Press+Hold usually works ok for me, but to be honest it’s a bit of a pain. That said, I’m not really much of a tablet user, at least not for browsing the web or reading articles. I prefer using my laptop. I do use my iPhone for emails, photos, and games, but haven’t quite found a setup where I actually enjoy reading on a mobile device. What tablet do you use? I have the 2nd gen iPad and the iPhone 4S. I might check out the iPad mini.
I’m using the samsung 500T, its a win8 tablet, which I use to do pretty much everything. Tried the ipads and android tablets but found them useless for surfing, reading etc. My phone is also a windows7.5 on a HTC (asking hubbie for a nokia lumia win8 for b’day next month we’ll see.)
I do have a laptop, but with disabilities, I find a laptop to heavy and cumbersome. The tablet is easier and much lighter.
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Hi Ben,
Very interesting – the opposite of what I’ve always been taught and believed. I’ve thought about this, but I still prefer to make links open in another window – I actually prefer this myself when I’m browsing so I don’t loose my place on the source site. I don’t really see why it’s such a big deal – it’s easy enough to close the source window down if you want rid of it. And I’d rather not risk people navigating away from my site accidentally. I’ve more often been annoyed when I’ve done that myself unintentionally – I’ve never objected to having a link open in a new tab.
I’ll continue to reflect on the issues you’ve raised, though – it’s good to hear a different point of view – good to make us think. Thank you!
Sue
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Hi Sue – thanks for adding your views. The third quote from Tribalogic gives the opposite viewpoint – as in, forcing a new window or tab is more likely to result in someone leaving your site than if you make links open in the same window.
I think there’s some mileage in my other suggestion of including most if not all of your links at the end of the post. Certainly there are cases where it’s more effective to include links within the post. But I think if you find yourself linking to more and more sites in a single post, collecting those links at the end of the post means it probably matters a lot less if you go for a new window/tab or the same window/tab.
In fact, if you do list links at the end of a post or you want to open one link followed by another, forcing the new window/tab option on a user actually won’t work well at all – as it prevents you from opening the next link without going back to your site first.
I like Bell’s suggestion above of “open in background tab”. This seems to be the default if you CTRL+Click in Chrome. For instance, I’m mid-way into writing my comment and I might decide to open your recent post link for reading once I’ve finished writing this comment. But if that link opens in a new window, it will take the focus away from my comment. CTRL+Click opens the link in a new tab but keeps me where I am, so I can go to the new tab later if I like.
I think there is a big difference between opening in a new tab and having the user’s focus taken away to that tab immediately, vs. opening it in the background but still in a new tab. That puts a new spin on this debate, for sure
Hi Ben,
Interesting topic. I’d never really thought about it much. I used to have all of my links open in the current window. I changed that in one of my USP series posts because at the very beginning I linked to the first 2 or 3 posts I had already written on the topic. I wanted people to be able to get back to my main post easily.
I definitely see your points, though. I always open links in a separate tab by right clicking it. That being the case I hadn’t really put much thought into it other than I already mentioned.
You’ve definitely given me some food for thought.
Have a great weekend!
~Barry
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Hi Barry
Welcome to QBT! Thanks for adding your thoughts. I like the sound of your blog, so I’ve added it to my feed reader.