Stop opening links in new tab in modern pages
Please stop opening links in a new tab by default in modern pages.
It is against standard web behaviour (https://www.w3.org/TR/2012/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20120103/G200), and is confusing to users when they end up with 10+ tabs open when navigating even the simplest site.
Make it optional by all means, it makes sense in a number of cases, just please not by default.
Cameron Monks
shared this idea
In modern pages, we open links within SharePoint in the same tab by default, and external links in a new tab. In the text web part, users can specify to open links in a new tab, but that isn’t the default behavior. Similarly, for navigation links, they follow the same rule (within SharePoint, same tab, external to SharePoint in a new tab). This is true of the modern web parts that support linking as well (hero, quick links, images, etc.) This is the pattern we’ve adopted for consistency.
After reviewing other areas of modern sites, like the site pages library, document libraries, lists, site contents, etc. we did find some different opening behaviors which we’ll review and resolve.
Can you help us understand if this pattern isn’t meeting your expectation, if we have some inconsistencies within modern pages we’ve missed, or if it’s the other areas of modern sites where we need to focus more attention?
281 comments
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J DesChenes
commented
PLEASE provide an easy option to open images in a new tab. Default within Sharepoint in same tab is fine, but in some cases we want the user to have both tabs open. Need the option to properly manage our sites!
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Lin Zhang commented
This is really annoying! You can easily get 10+ tabs in a few minutes. It shouldn't be that hard to fix it!
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Angela Ashby
commented
Wholehearted support for this issue.
At present, forcing users to open external links in a new tab goes against the WCAG 2.1 AAA standard (https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/#change-on-request) - by 'standardising', you are disadvantaging disabled users. Your design is *not* putting accessibility first, as recently asserted by a Microsoft employee at the Kent Digital Accessibility Conference, and it is one step away from being illegal.
Please change this link behaviour to be a default, rather than the only option. As stated below, site owners need the ability to choose where their links open to better address the needs of their users.
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Mandino Nabula
commented
I would like Microsoft to add the option to open links in the same tab or a new tab. Sometimes it is needed to open on the same page and sometimes you need to open in a different tab. It has nothing to do with "Standardization", it has to be the decision of the site owner where you need the link to open, and I found it really annoying that Quick Links don't allow you to open links in a different tab.
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Andrew
commented
So I am going to go against the grain here. While I am with most of you that is frustrating when designing pages, could you add an option to open a quick-link/other webpart links in new tabs?
I have been requested to design a page where links open in new tabs, and DO NOT want to have to do the entire page as plain text to accomplish this. The new webparts are great, but if they can't do what I want, then this site is going to look like trash...but at least it will do what I want?
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Kyle Ohmann
commented
Every time I edit a view it opens in another tab - VERY FRUSTRATING! Please fix this behavior.
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Norman
commented
I find it hard to believe that this is still a problem, has any one
managed to find a work around for this? -
Rob Stewart
commented
Adding another voice to this request.
When navigating via a document library, clicking on a document opens that document in a new tab. This makes sense because you would otherwise lose your SharePoint navigation. The same applies with hyperlinks outside of SharePoint.
It doesn't make sense that opening a SharePoint page from a Page Library opens in a new tab, because the SharePoint navigation would be preserved on the new page. Moving between SharePoint pages should feel like part of the same system, not like the second-class citizen in a new tab.
Annoyingly I can create this system-like flow by manually managing the Quick Launch menu and using Highlighted Content to navigate around, because neither of these need to generate a new tab to transition. So why are Page Libraries treated differently?
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Daniel
commented
It is asinine that links continue to open in new tabs. Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus that this needs to be fixed pronto.
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Edward Stansfeld
commented
For me, new tabs arise each time a Title link in a "Document Library" webpart is clicked. We use lists in document libraries for site navigation (or we would if they did not create dozens of pages).
Quick links and hyperlinks open in same tab.
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Effy
commented
For me all well,
all links, are opened in a new tab.
in in site contents -> click on Documents -> new tab.(modern site spo)
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Bil Simser
commented
2017: identified as a problem
2020: tell us me about this. in modern pages we open links within SharePoint in the same tab by defaultNo. No you do not.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Click cog wheel on a site and select Site Contents
2. Click on *anything* in the contents (file, folder, library, list) and it opens in a new tabSeriously you need more information after 3 years? Just click on content in your own site and count the number of tabs you have open after 2 minutes.
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Juli Reid
commented
To add to the madness here, I have seen behavior where using the Quick Links webpart to go to another internal page does not bring the user back to the original page when using the back button.
This is just as bad as not giving us a choice how our links open. People frequently need to be able to get back where they started.
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Anonymous
commented
Whenever I open a new list or library from the contents list, it always opens in a new tab. By the time I am done just trying to update a page, I end up with 10 or more open tabs of the same page half the time.
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Stephanie
commented
So my problem is this: I NEED a link to open in another tab, as the link is coming from a central "portal page" and we need them to be able to go back and chose another options from the "Portal page" but I cannot custom script due to company security requirements.
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Bryan Costin
commented
It's still inconsistent. There should be a target option available for each link so that the default behavior can be overridden as needed.
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usaid
commented
on a teams sharepoint site, why do some left navigation links open in same tab and othets open in new tab. how to make it consistent?
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David
commented
It's unbelievable that a simple change takes soooooo long. I'm sure it could be done in a day.
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Fredrik Sundlöf
commented
Just got back from the tab-jungle where I have been lost for 3 weeks. Clicked a link in Sharepoint mid February, got lost and was not found until rescue personel find me wandering around naked in the tab-jungle. My wife and kids reported me missing and the search was intense.
Watch out for the links in Sharepoint everybody, always tell someone where you are going and stay safe out there. Or you will end up with crrraaaazzzzzyyyyy number of tabs.
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Astrid
commented
NB! Please make it an option to open a new page or document in a new tab in lists and web parts. Even though it is against web standard, it sometimes is necessary and creates a better user experience. I am working on a project were it is important that documents open in a new tab, but unfortunately they open in the same tab when user click an URL in the list web part.
