Open links in a new window for forms, so users don’t lose their progress. In most other cases, avoid opening links in a new window.
When to open a link in a tab
- Almost never.
- In general, you want to leave this option unchecked.
- If your link is within a form, opening links in a new window is helpful so users don’t lose progress.
Other considerations
Users take advantage of browser navigation to go forward and backward between pages. Both users who navigate the website visually and those who navigate with assistive technology rely on this functionality. Opening a page in a new tab removes the page history, so users will not be able to easily navigate back to the previous page. This may be especially challenging for those using screen readers.