Don’t Break the Back Button!
Why forcing links to open in a new window is a mistake
*This blog post was originally published in 2011 and has been updated in 2020 to reflect more modern ideas.
Clients often ask to make their website links open in a new browser window. They say they "don't want visitors leaving the site." We understand. Yet, forcing new browser windows may be the reason why visitors leave.
A Top Ten Mistake
Forcing links to open in a new browser window is considered one of the Top 10 Web Design Mistakes. Here's why…
Clutter is bad
New tabs crowd people's screens with windows they didn't intentionally create. It's like their screen is being hijacked by the website. But there is a bigger reason why links that open in a new browser window are a web design faux pas. It takes away something very near and dear to people's hearts: the "Back" button!
The Back Button is a powerful rewind to previously visited pages
The Back Button is beloved and used a lot by site visitors. We have seen people rapid-fire clicks as they trace back through the pages they have visited (the browser is capable of taking people back through hundreds of web pages and web sites).
Mobile Makes Maintaining Back Button Even More Crucial
The back button (or the back swipe) is especially important for mobile device users. The use of smartphones to browse websites has grown substantially over the last few years. Phones are always in our hands and most of us would never dream of leaving home without it!
When a link opens in a new tab on mobile, it’s more likely to cause frustration and get lost in the shuffle.
Think about your phone’s experience. When a link opens in a new tab, you can’t see the old browser window like you can on a desktop. You have to take an extra 2-3 clicks to get to the last tab.
Remember, your goal is to create an easy and pleasant user experience. Creating frustration goes against that goal!
Broken Back Button = Broken Path
When browsers force new windows, the path through previously visited pages is broken. The Back Button is rendered useless.
For diehard Back Button users, this is bound to cause a ton of frustration. Frustration may prevent users from returning to your site.
New Tab vs. New Window
Interesting to note… Today, web browsers like Chrome and Firefox will open page links in a new tab instead of a new window. But other browsers like Internet Explorer and Safari will still open new windows on users' screens.
Don’t Get Lost in the Multi Tab Shuffle!
Page parking is a phenomenon that is particularly common among younger web users. Basically, page parking is when a user opens multiple pages in quick succession as a way to save items on a page so they can revisit them later.
While everybody has different productivity needs, page parking can make things chaotic. If your website opens a new tab, it may become another brick in a 100 tab wall.
Our Advice: Don't Break the Back Button
Because we love usability and follow best practices for our websites, we make it a point to let our clients know how important it is to not "break" the Back Button by forcing links to open in new windows.