# Links don't open in a new tab
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [October 12, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898 "2017-10-12T01:38:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jonobacon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jonobacon)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/1 "2017-10-12T01:38:34Z")
Currently using **v1.9.0.beta12 +21** in a deployment and have the option checked to open links in a new tab and it opens in the same tab.
I am testing this in Chrome on a Mac. The issue occurs in both starting posts in a new topic and replies.
Anyone else seeing this?
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### Author:  [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 1:43am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/2 "2017-10-12T01:43:48Z")
From memory there is a site setting and an individual user setting for this. Are both set to open in new windows?
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### Author:  [@jonobacon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jonobacon)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/3 "2017-10-12T01:51:51Z")
> [@HAWK](#):
>
> From memory there is a site setting and an individual user setting for this. Are both set to open in new windows?
I believe so. The site setting is definitely enabled and I haven’t configured this differently for my account and other users on the forum are experiencing this too.
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/4 "2017-10-12T01:56:19Z")
> [@jonobacon](#):
>
> The issue occurs in both starting posts in a new topic and replies.
What do you mean by this? As the setting is for external links to open in new tabs. Not every link.
> [@jonobacon](#):
>
> The site setting is definitely enabled and I haven’t configured this differently for my account and other users on the forum are experiencing this too.
Also, did you enable that setting after the others accounts were created? As it doesn’t backfill, they would still need to update their own preference, the global setting only impacts new accounts created.
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### Author:  [@jonobacon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jonobacon)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/5 "2017-10-12T02:06:12Z")
> [@cpradio](#):
>
> What do you mean by this? As the setting is for external links to open in new tabs. Not every link.
I mean that if an external link is shared in the opening post in a topic or an external link is shared in a subsequent reply, the problem still applies.
> [@cpradio](#):
>
> Also, did you enable that setting after the others accounts were created? As it doesn’t backfill, they would still need to update their own preference, the global setting only impacts new accounts created.
I tested on new posts after I changed the setting and the problem was there (but to your point, if accounts are not updated, it would remain the same behavior). I will check for new accounts (I did a bunch of invites today I can test). I will follow up after I have a chance to check.
As a side note, if accounts are not updated with this setting, should this be considered a bug? I would have expected accounts to reflect global policy.
Thanks.
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### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/6 "2017-10-12T03:01:56Z")
> [@jonobacon](#):
>
> I would have expected accounts to reflect global policy.
There lies the rub, it isn’t a global setting. It is a default setting for newly created accounts.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2017, 12:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/7 "2017-10-12T12:25:32Z")
How links open is a personal preference.
You can issue a rails command to change them all, especially if it’s a new forum, but it’s bad manners to change people’s settings from what they’ve chosen.
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### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/links-dont-open-in-a-new-tab/71898/8 "2018-02-21T22:00:20Z")