# Issue opening external links in new tab

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [March 31, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732 "2022-03-31T17:29:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![santiyounger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/santiyounger/32/252655_2.png) [@santiyounger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/santiyounger)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732/1 "2022-03-31T17:29:37Z")

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I really need this too. Would love to have any hyperlink posted in my community open in a new tab?

Is there any solution for this, happy to use a plugin or use workarounds

Thanks

Edit:

I found this setting in Admin \> settings \> (searched for this: default other external links in new tab)

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/c/0/c0c762d109022a71a14ad1b23bc97dad0ff0fdc2.png)

but even after checking that box, it doesn’t seem to open external links in a new tab, any ideas?

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### Author: ![JammyDodger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/jammydodger/32/254611_2.png) [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732/2 "2022-03-31T17:45:06Z")

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Did you check your Preference/Interface page to see if you had it ticked in there too?

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### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2022, 7:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732/3 "2022-03-31T19:57:51Z")

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> [@santiyounger](#):
>
> it doesn’t seem to open external links in a new tab, any ideas?

Did you see a message like this when you changed it?

> [@](#):
>
> Would you like to apply this change historically? This will change preferences for 81 existing users.

It might be that you need to reload after this setting is changed.

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### Author: ![maiki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/maiki/32/233950_2.png) [@maiki](https://meta.discourse.org/u/maiki)
#### Post date: [April 4, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/issue-opening-external-links-in-new-tab/222732/4 "2022-04-04T21:01:32Z")

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Hi @santiyounger. 👋

Did your external links begin working as expected? I tried various configurations, but I’m unable to reproduce this issue.

I’ve noted in the past that browser and other caching sometimes require a hard refresh for a setting to apply. And of course checking your preferences as @JammyDodger pointed out. 🙂

> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> Did you see a message like this when you changed it?
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > Would you like to apply this change historically? This will change preferences for 81 existing users.

@pfaffman I just tried this and it didn’t give me the user change message as no one (in my sandbox site) had modified the external link setting. After changing it for one account and reapplying the default setting I was prompted to change it for 1 user.

 ![Screenshot 2022-04-04 at 14-05-29 Admin - Sandbox Discourse Kit](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/a/c/ac2f52bb3d4f3662a491163770497d3c6b6efbe8.png)

That makes sense, but surprised me. 🤨

(I express surprise with my eyebrows.)