Do text links that open in a new tab or browser window have appropriate warning?

Goal

Ensure that users are notified when a link is going to open in a new tab or browser window.

Why this matters

It’s helpful for users to know if a link is going to open a new window, especially if they use a screen reader or screen magnifier. Without the notification, it’s easy for users to become lost, not knowing that their context has changed.

How to implement

Giving users advanced warning when opening a new window by the W3C outlines two methods for ensuring that the warning is both read aloud and visibly displayed on the page.

How to test

Manual testing

For each text link that opens a new window:

  • Does the text warning the user that a new window will open display on the screen?
  • Is the content as specified by Writer?

Screen reader testing

For each text link that opens a new window:

  • Does the text warning the user that a new window will open get read by the screen reader?
  • Is the content as specified by your Writer?