Open hyperlinks in new or same window?

[wahmsuzanne]

This is something I've been wanting some advice on for some time now ... when you are reading a blog post and someone puts in a link to something that interests you would you rather it open in the same window (taking you out of the current post and to the other site) or would you rather it open in a new window?

I personally get easily distracted (and frustrated) when it opens in the same window because I start reading the other post/page and I often don't finish the article/post I was reading that lead me there.

So ... I'd love to hear what you prefer to have while you are reading OTHER people's blog posts. Thanks! *SmiLes* Suzanne

[JakeCpuNut]

My personal preference when i'm viewing someone's site is to have it open in a new window.. so that's the way i do mine on my own sites. Just a personal preference though, dunno if there's any fact or fiction on whether you lose visitors or not?

[sarahG]

I set mine to open in the same window. I don't like clicking links and have numerous new windows open up. It's a pain for a start. I tend to either click a link to leave the site I'm on and go through to the new site, or open the link in a new tab using the right button mouse menu or Ctrl + Click.

An alternative option, if you really want to accommodate everyone, would be to allow people to choose whether the external links on a site open in a new window or not by having a switch near the top of the site. Then you could use a bit of scripting to make links open externally if the user chooses to.

[Kevin]

All links to pages on your own site should be opened in the same window. In general I make all links open in the same window though I occasionally make advertisement links open in a new window.

[ap4a]

I personally get easily distracted (and frustrated) when it opens in the same window because I start reading the other post/page and I often don't finish the article/post I was reading that lead me there.

Ctrl +click in Firefox and IE 7 will open the page in a new tab, as will middle clicking with a mouse wheel. In IE 6, IE 7 and Firefox shift +click will open the link in a new window, or in a new tab in Opera.

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I personally prefer to use those keystrokes to open new tabs or windows when I want new tabs or windows, and I hate having a site force a new window on me. However that doesn't happen too often as I use Firefox and I'm able to stop it very easily in that browser.

As a developer I avoid opening links in new windows as much as possible, from both a usability and accessibility perspective. However there are times when it's advantageous (such as for links to non-web documents such as PDFs), however I include a warning and use javascript to carry out the function rather than the target attribute. I'll also on rare occasions use new windows on client sites when they absolutely won't accept advice to the contrary and insist upon it.

[wahmsuzanne]

Here's what I'm thinking ... I'd never heard of those key strokes to which would accomplish exactly what I want to have happen ... for the times when I want the link to open in a new window ... I'd have control over that. So ... back to what I'm thinking ... I think that more advanced uses know the key strokes and don't want to be bothered with links that "force" them to open in a new window ... but for those of us who are newer and inexperienced ... we prefer that it open in a new window so we can multi-task without losing our place ... make sense. So, we need to get the word out about using the key strokes so everyone will be happy and have the control over how they want to view the link. Make sense? *SmiLes* Suzanne

[JakeCpuNut]

I should have made it more clear.. if i'm linking to an ad or different site, then i open in new window.. if i'm linking to another page within my site, i open in same window...

[Rarst]

I think that all links (except very specific ones like service/widget popups) should be opened in same window. Links opening in new windows are usability hell.

I am opening lots of links in new tabs (have middle click set up for that) but that's my choice. If that choice is taken for me by publisher - will probably close his page as well as the one that he forced in new tab on me. :)

[ap4a]

I should have made it more clear.. if i'm linking to an ad or different site, then i open in new window.. if i'm linking to another page within my site, i open in same window...

I got what you meant. Either way, for me, it's a nuisance to have a new window open. If I'm clicking a link then I'm intending to leave where I was and go to the new site. If I want the external site in a new tab I ctrl+click, otherwise I just leave the first site. If I want to go back after reading the linked page I hit the back button. If I don't want to go straight back but might want to at a later date I bookmark the site I was on. If someone forces me to open new windows then several of those steps don't happen, I don't bookmark the original site, I don't keep the original window open, and I don't go back again. (Although that's moot when browsing in FF as I override site settings and force links to open in the same window, and usually in the same tab.)

[akira07]

I'm always read the entire of that article first, then in the end, i will click a link in that article. So, no need to me to open it at new tab/window.

[wahmsuzanne]

Wow! I am so glad I asked about this! I can see that the more experienced bloggers are very passionate about this issue and I would NOT want to turn you off on my blog! I will need to change as many links as possible to open in the same window ... and maybe limit it to advertisments only. Would that be more acceptable? Is there an easy way to find/replace these? LOL Thanks for all of you information and your honesty. *SmiLes* Suzanne

[narendra.s.v]

well i did suggest new window coz readers must stick to the current even if you refer them to something interesting but all my internal links will open in same window.

[ap4a]

and maybe limit it to advertisments only. Would that be more acceptable?

Possibly, but you'd need to know about your visitor's browsing behaviour when on your site first. You could ask them whether or not they click links, and if they do at what point in their browsing of your site do they do it. I would guess that most would be clicking out once they've finished reading what they came for, in which case there'd be no point. Once you've established what they do you can decide how to proceed, or ask them how they would prefer to proceed.

Is there an easy way to find/replace these?

It's not likely if you've manually added the attribute to links as you've posted. In the short term you can just stop adding it, then when you get time update a few posts at a time, rather than trying to do it all in one go.

well i did suggest new window coz readers must stick to the current

Why must? If I've finished with that page why must I be forced to stick with it? How does it benefit me as a visitor or you as a site owner?