Link to external site remains in forum context somehow

Product Support

AI-generated summary

After upgrading to Discourse 3.2, some users have reported a bug where clicking on links on the main website redirects them to a forum error page, despite the links not pointing to the forum. The issue seems to be related to the URL remaining on the forum subdomain while browsing the main website, as if the main website is being loaded within an iframe of the forum. mentalstring has been unable to reproduce the issue, but it has been reported by multiple users, mostly on mobile devices (iPhone/iPad using Safari and Chrome). Moin suggested a possible connection to an iOS issue and mentalstring plans to investigate further, suspecting mixed content between the two subdomains.

1

A couple of days ago we upgraded to Discourse 3.2 and since then some of our members started experiencing a weird bug and I’m lost at what might be causing this.

Sometimes when they leave the forum to our main website and are browsing through it, clicking on links on our main website suddenly sends them to a forum error page saying the (forum) page doesn’t exist. The links they are clicking absolutely do not point to the forum, and yet, they are landing back on the forum.

And, oddly, the reports include screenshots where people are clearing seeing our main website but the URL in the browser is still showing them in the forum (sub)domain – as if they were browsing our main website through an iframe of sorts within the forum.

If relevant, we use the Custom Header Links (icons) component to add a direct link to our main website which is how people are reaching our main website.

Screenshot 2024-07-05 at 12.02.46
Screenshot 2024-07-05 at 12.02.46394×136 8.54 KB

As far as I can see, this generates a regular <a href> link. The link opens in the current tab.

Discourse runs at a subdomain.example.com and main website is at www.example.com. They run in distinct IP addresses/servers.

I have been unable to reproduce this myself, but this is happening to multiple people (and multiple times) since we upgraded a couple of days ago. It does not always happen, but I have not found a common pattern.

Any idea what I should be looking into here? Importantly, how can one be browsing a different website while the URL still showing them as if they are still browsing the forum? :exploding_head:

2

Does this affect all or only certain browsers?

3

Will confirm, but all reports so far seem to be on mobile, with references to iPhone or iPad (Safari, and “Chrome”).

4

Have you read this?

5

Although not a CSS issue in this case, it does seem related in that two subdomains (the forum and the main www one) seems to be experiencing weird mixed content. Will follow up there - this can be closed.