Targeting all external links to open in a new tab can enhance user experience by keeping your website accessible while allowing visitors to explore external content. In WordPress, this can be achieved by adding a custom function to your theme’s functions.php file. This function will scan your posts for external links and automatically add “ to these links. This approach ensures that users do not navigate away from your site when clicking on external resources, maintaining engagement with your content.
Implementing the Function
To begin with, you’ll need to access your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor. Here, open the functions.php file of your active theme or child theme. Adding the following code will modify the content of your posts to include “ for all external links:
function sopriza_open_external_links_in_new_tab($content) {
$home_url = home_url();
return preg_replace_callback('/<a>]+href=(['"])(.+?)1[^>]*>/', function ($matches) use ($home_url) {
$url = $matches[2];
// Check if the URL is external
if (strpos($url, $home_url) === false) {
// If it's an external link, add
return str_replace('<a', '<a target="_blank"', $matches[0]);
} else {
return $matches[0];
}
}, $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'sopriza_open_external_links_in_new_tab');Key Points of the Function
Retrieve Home URL: The function starts by getting your site’s home URL using home_url(). This URL will help in identifying whether a link is internal or external.
Regular Expression Matching: The function employs preg_replace_callback to search for all anchor (<a>) tags in the content. This regex pattern matches all links, capturing their href attributes.
Callback Function: Within the callback function, the code checks if the link is external. This is done by comparing the link’s URL with the site’s home URL.
Modify External Links: If a link is identified as external (i.e., it does not contain the home URL), the function modifies the anchor tag to include “. This ensures the link opens in a new tab.
Benefits of Opening External Links in New Tabs
Enhanced User Experience: Opening external links in new tabs helps in retaining users on your site. Visitors can view the external content without losing their place on your site, which can increase the time they spend on your website.
Improved Engagement Metrics: By keeping users on your site, you may see improved metrics such as lower bounce rates and longer session durations. These metrics are often important for SEO and overall site performance.
User Convenience: Users appreciate the convenience of not having to navigate back to your site after visiting an external link. This small enhancement can contribute to a better overall experience on your site.
Additional Considerations
Compliance with Web Standards: While opening links in new tabs can be beneficial, it’s also important to ensure that your site remains accessible. Make sure to include appropriate attributes like rel="noopener noreferrer" to maintain security and performance.
Added like this:
function sopriza_open_external_links_in_new_tab($content) {
$home_url = home_url();
return preg_replace_callback('/<a>]+href=(['"])(.+?)1[^>]*>/', function ($matches) use ($home_url) {
$url = $matches[2];
// Check if the URL is external
if (strpos($url, $home_url) === false) {
// If it's an external link, add and rel="noopener noreferrer"
if (strpos($matches[0], '') === false) {
return str_replace('<a', '<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"', $matches[0]);
} else {
return str_replace('<a', '<a rel="noopener noreferrer"', $matches[0]);
}
} else {
return $matches[0];
}
}, $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'sopriza_open_external_links_in_new_tab');Performance Impact: Modifying content on the fly can have a slight impact on performance, especially on very large posts or sites with a lot of external links. However, for most sites, this impact will be negligible.
Testing and Validation: After adding the function, thoroughly test your site to ensure that it’s working as expected. Check various posts and pages to confirm that all external links are opening in new tabs and that internal links are unaffected.
Customization: This function can be further customized to suit specific needs. For instance, you can modify it to add other attributes or classes to the links or to only apply to certain post types or categories.
Leveraging External Links for SEO
Link Juice: While external links are important for providing valuable resources to your readers, they also play a role in SEO. Properly managing how these links are opened can affect your site's link juice and overall authority.
Anchor Text Optimization: Ensure that the anchor texts of your external links are relevant and descriptive. This not only helps with SEO but also improves user experience by giving clear context about the link destination.
Tracking External Link Clicks: Consider using analytics tools to track clicks on external links. This data can provide insights into what external resources your users find valuable and how often they engage with them.
Alternatives to Manual Functions
Plugins: There are several WordPress plugins available that can automate this process without needing to manually add code. Plugins like "External Links" or "WP External Links" offer extensive options to manage external link behavior.
Gutenberg Block Customization: For those using the Gutenberg editor, custom blocks or reusable blocks can be created with predefined settings for external links. This approach allows for more control and consistency across posts.
Summary
By implementing a function to target all external links and open them in new tabs, you can enhance user experience and engagement on your WordPress site. This method is straightforward and effective, requiring only a small addition to your theme’s functions.php file. It ensures that visitors can explore external content without losing their place on your site, leading to better user retention and satisfaction. Additionally, considering SEO implications and leveraging analytics can further optimize the impact of your external links. With thoughtful implementation and testing, this simple function can significantly improve the navigational flow and overall user experience on your website.