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External Links in New Window / New Tab
Open external links in a new window or new tab. SEO optimized and XHTML Strict compliant.
The facts
- Rating
- 4.5★ from 77
- Active installs
- 30k+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 16 Aug 2026
- Added
- Sep 2010
- Requires WP
- 4.0
- Tested up to
- WP 7.1
- Requires PHP
- 5.2
- Downloads
- 497,473
Our analysis
AI-assistedExternal Links in New Window / New Tab is a WordPress plugin that allows external links to open in a new tab or window. You can specify certain URLs to be forced to open in a new window or to be ignored altogether. The plugin is designed to produce XHTML Strict compliant code and is optimised for search engines.
It uses JavaScript's window.open() function to handle links client-side, ensuring that search engines can follow the links correctly. The plugin is inactive if JavaScript is not supported by the browser, preventing any errors. It is suitable for users looking to manage how external links behave on their WordPress site.
Best for: This plugin suits WordPress users who want to control the behaviour of external links on their site.
What it does well
- ✓Opens external links in a new tab or window
- ✓Allows specific URLs to be forced or ignored
- ✓Produces XHTML Strict compliant code
- ✓Optimised for search engines
- ✓Does not require external libraries like jQuery
Where it falls short
- •Conflicts with other plugins that change the links’ onClick attribute
- •Limited feature set compared to more advanced plugins
Verdict
External Links in New Window / New Tab provides a straightforward solution for managing external links. It is a practical choice for users needing basic functionality without additional complexities.
From the developer
WebFactory's own description of External Links in New Window / New Tab, lightly tidied.
Opens external links in a new tab or a or new window. You can set URLs that should either be forced to open in a new window or ignored.
The plugin produces XHTML Strict compliant code and is search engine optimized (SEO).
This is done using JavaScript’s window.open()-function. It adds only a few lines of vanilla JavaScript to the page, and does not require any external libraries like jQuery.
Most other plugins perform a hack by altering the target parameter (i.e. <a href="http://somewhere.example" target="_blank">). That method is not XHTML Strict compliant.
This plugin handles the links client-side, which lets search engines follow the links properly. Also, if a browser does not support JavaScript, the plugin is simply inactive, and does not result in any errors.
If you need a more advanced plugin, with more options try our free WP External Links plugin.
Credits
Inspired by the Zap_NewWindow plugin by Tom Köhler.
The banner is a photo by Monja Da Riva.
Translations
Danish by Kristian Risager Larsen
Dutch by Paul Staring
Lithuanian by Vincent G
Other translations will be appreciated!
Known bugs
The plugin conflicts with other plugins that change the links’ `onClick´ attribute.
Original developer
Kristian Risager Larsen – kezze.dk
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