Control whether links in leading text open in new tab
in progress
Wes Cossick
When editing a page’s leading text, links should offer the ability to control whether they open in the same tab or a new tab.
Log In
Wes Cossick
in progress
Dale Mask
The article below clearly states: Open Links to Documents In a New Window: All links to documents should open in a new window.
When to Set Links to Open in the Same or a New Window
Updated: 1 year ago
With this article, you can learn when a link should open in the same window or tab and when a link should open in a new window or tab.
Best Practice
Open Links to Documents In a New Window: All links to documents should open in a new window.
Reasoning: When people finish using/reading PDF files and similar documents, research has shown that they click the window's close box and do not use the back button. This action closes their entire browser window. Instead, you should point them back to the webpage from where they started.
Open Links to Internal and External Web pages In the Same Window: All links to other pages within the same website should open in the same window.
Reasoning: When new web pages open in the same browser window, users can access their browser tools (e.g., the Back button) throughout their web experience. Research shows that the Back button is the second most used feature on the Internet (after hyperlinks).
Dale Mask
I want the link inserted into a page to go to a file and to open that file in a new window. Now it will only open in the same window. And when that window is closed it closes the website down. The user then has to reopen the entire website. And I don’t want the user to have to “right click” on the link to make the file to open in anew window.
Dale Mask
How do you make that happen? Thanks
Meredith Owens
Dale Mask: To clarify, the above request is to have the option for links added to a page’s text open either in the same or a new tab. However, this won’t change how our system handles opening documents uploaded to the website.
We certainly understand your perspective on why you’d like to see those files open in a different tab. In fact, we’ve had our platform behave in both ways at different times—opening files in the same tab and opening files in new tabs. We see the merits of both options; however, whichever way we’ve had it set, we’ve had admins request that it behave oppositely.
Since thousands of communities use our platform and millions of people, and decisions like this apply to everyone, we’ve had to consider what would be the most optimal behavior overall.
The general industry consensus is to reserve new tabs for opening external websites rather than content on the same website. Since one of the primary purposes of a community website is to post documents, visitors often find themselves opening multiple documents during the course of their visit. Therefore, if documents opened in new tabs, it could easily lead to a frustrating number of open tabs, making navigating back and forth between documents on the website more difficult.
By opening the files in the same tab as the website, visitors can simply click the back button on their browser and be taken back to the website to view more documents or other pages without cluttering their browser. If some users need help remembering this, we recommend adding that instruction to the leading text on your "Documents" pages!
Dale Mask
If the user wants a bunch of tabs open, it is probably that they may be comparing information on differed tabs. So be it. Its kind of their choice.
What they don't like is getting kicked off the site for no reason. What other internet site does that? (You can probable find one. But I bet it's not a popular site.)
We want our site to be both user friendly and highly used by our residents.
Meredith Owens
Dale Mask: Would you please expand on the behavior experienced of being kicked off the website? Having more specific information of what the user is doing and the outcome will help us address this concern.
K
Ken Chrismond
Yes, and it would be helpful to add this feature for document links also.
Meredith Owens
Ken Chrismond: We've received this request before for opening documents on the website. The general industry consensus is to reserve new tabs for opening external websites rather than content on the same website. Additionally, because one of the primary purposes of a community website is to post documents, website visitors often find themselves opening multiple documents during the course of their visit.
If documents opened in new tabs, it could cause a large volume of new tabs to open, making navigating back-and-forth between documents on the website more difficult (because you wouldn't be able to use the back button like you can now).
Therefore, we've made the decision for any file uploaded to a "Documents" page to open in the same tab as the website.
Susanne Cassullo
Thank you for working on link page choice.
R
Rosa Wilson
It would be helpful to add this feature for document links as well. Thank you.
Wes Cossick
Rosa Wilson: We’ve intentionally chosen not to open documents in new tabs, to align with the industry standard conventions that website visitors are familiar with. You can read more about this design choice here: https://feedback.hoa-express.com/feature-requests/p/open-files-in-new-tabs.
R
Rosa Wilson
Wes Cossick - Appreciate your swift response. Well unfortunately we deal with an older population that doesn't know how to navigate internet browsers that well. So if it launches into a new window or tab - that at least keeps the user on the site. It would be helpful to provide the admins with more options rather than deciding for us.
Wes Cossick
planned