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?
238 comments
-
Anonymous
commented
The newsfeed webpart is opening in new tabs. Its so frustrating, the behaviour seems to keep changing
-
Barry Zickuhr
commented
As the initial entry says, this violates standard web behavior. Any link should open in the current tab unless it is clear that it opens in a new window. As others have expressed, it is very frustrating for users to open a link, click the back button and nothing happens - only to realize that they now have multiple tabs open.
Bad design. Please make this an optional toggle at the very least.
-
Mike
commented
Please allow the option to control the new tsb option..
-
Anonymous
commented
Field of type "Hyperlink" in a list leads to a document library. This link is created manually. No option to say if it should open in new tab or not --> will always open in new tab
-
Mandino Nabula
commented
I need Quick Links to open on a new tab and I can't do it.
It's 2019 already, and Sharepoint still don't give the user the option to open on same tab or new tab of any link.. -
Carolyn Connors
commented
As a site administrator, I want the ability to specify if the button link opens a new tab or stays in the same window!
-
Gilles Couzin
commented
@ADMIN
This is an issue with the 'Quick links' web part, for which there is no option to choose. So currently it can only be used for external links.
It would be good to have the choice as in the Text web part (i.e. links open in the same tab/window by default with the option to open them in a new tab).
-
Derek D'Amore
commented
This honestly can't be that difficult to resolve... For system pages (Site Contents, Editing Views, etc...), DO NOT OPEN THEM IN A NEW TAB!!! It's crazy that we have to build custom extensions and deploy to the tenant to fix this.
Only open new tabs if the link is external to the tenant!
-
Anonymous
commented
This is annoying to users!!! Users do NOT like it!
-
Misty Miller
commented
We need a choice for all web parts and navigation. Each customer is unique and has specific requirements.
-
Will Cooper
commented
This behavior is so broken. Microsoft please fix this issue. It is quite aggravating that I spawn 10+ tabs in my browser just navigating around in a modern site.
-
Max
commented
As there is still no solution from Microsoft (!!!) - I just used this one - easy to install and to deploy and it will just stop opening SharePoint Modern sites in new tabs: https://www.tecconsult.at/products/sharepoint-online-open-link-in-same-window-tab
-
Dave S
commented
0-100 (Tabs) in under 4 seconds... Faster than a Tesla
-
Jeff Benetti
commented
Interesting to note that this page DOES NOT open new tabs when you click links. I'm guessing that its because the new tabs behavior is REALLY ANNOYING. For real site development I generally only open a new tab if the link is external to the organization.
-
LLB
commented
Yes, extremely annoying to have multiple windows open for each app - would prefer a new tab (not have ump-teen different windows). Super irritating!
-
KTNN
commented
It would be important to have links to files always open in a new window because users have been used to open files in client applications and close the application when they finished reading.
The pattern offered by Microsoft is interesting (May 15, 2019) because it allows at least some consistency. However it would be more convenient to let users choose. If you search for 'open link new window' you will see plenty of more votes in this direction.
-
Scott
commented
Why is there a restriction in the first place and not user choice?
Difficulty I am having is setting a default, but some users may want to open content in a different tab. The usual way they would do this is to hold ctrl or right click, but doing this on a link in a Hero web part opens the image in a new tab! This is bizarre behaviour, there is no use case for that when someone is expecting a web page.
Please fix this, allow users to make a choice when they are browsing sites. I'm already fielding questions about it.
-
Anonymous
commented
Is there a roadmap on when this will be addressed? It seems crazy that there is not an option for an organization to choose the behavior they are expecting for their customers.
-
Anonymous
commented
Clicking to edit a library view opens a new tab, clicking to edit metadata opens a new tab. In 30 min I have 23 tabs open and can't figure out which one is which. Have resorted to closing the browser and starting over. Multiple times. Very frustrating. If I was a user with visual restrictions, either not seeing the new tab opening or seeing only a very small portion of the screen it would be even harder to work with this. Please, please fix or give an option for site collection admins to set all links to open in same tab.
-
Anonymous
commented
Every click in Site Contents opens a new tab - when working on a new site recently, I ended up with over 20 tabs open! This should be default "open in same tab" with the ability for users to customize "open in separate tab" as needed. It's counter-productive to search through 20 tabs to figure out where I started, and to then have to close all the redundant tabs to continue working.
