Open Menu Links in New Tab

Selected custom menu links open in a new tab with safe rel attributes.

Overview

WordPress menus combine internal Page links, taxonomy items, Posts, and Custom Links (raw URLs). Custom Links do not always surface the same “Open link in a new tab” checkbox behavior designers expect—yet those entries often point to PDFs, ticketing vendors, or social profiles where leaving the primary site in place is intentional UX. This module normalizes Custom Link menu items to open in a new browsing context with rel=”noopener noreferrer” (and nofollow when applied) so reverse tabnabbing risks drop and bots understand link intent per your policy.

It focuses on programmatically generated Custom Link items rather than every menu entry, keeping internal navigation in-tab unless editors explicitly choose otherwise elsewhere.

Who is this for?

Universities linking to Learning Management Systems, nonprofits linking fundraising platforms, and SaaS docs linking bug trackers all benefit from consistent new-tab behavior for off-site Custom Links. Accessibility reviewers still expect visible cues (iconography, text) when new tabs open—pair this module with design guidance.

Features

Custom Link Targeting

Applies to Custom URL menu item types as defined by the module’s walker or filter hooks.

Security-Conscious rel Attributes

noopener blocks window.opener exploits; noreferrer limits referrer leakage; nofollow follows module defaults for untrusted destinations.

Frontend Consistency

Every registered theme location inheriting standard wp_nav_menu output picks up the adjustment.

Zero Manual Checkboxes

Reduces training burden for menu editors who forget per-link settings weekly.

How It Works

Enable the Module

Enable "New Tab for custom menu items" in WP PowerSuite.

Maintain Menus Normally

Under Appearance → Menus, add Custom Links with full URLs to partners or document hosts.

Save Menu and Clear Caches

Purge menu-specific or full-page caches used by optimization plugins.

Verify Frontend HTML

Inspect anchors: expect target="_blank" plus rel including noopener.

Regression Mobile

Tap targets on phones should still meet minimum size guidelines alongside new tab icons if you add them in CSS.

Performance Note

Filters adjust markup during menu render—microseconds per request relative to database menu lookups. Cached HTML stores final attributes until expiry.

Installation & Activation

Install WP PowerSuite

Activate plugin.

Enable Module

Toggle on from module list.

Communicate Policy

Document which off-site properties belong in Custom Links vs Page wrappers.

Avoid Double Attributes

If themes or builders also force target blank, inspect for duplicate targets.

Requirements

PHP 8.1 or higher WordPress 6.0 or higher Permission to manage options (Administrator)

Use Cases

FooterLinks
Footer columns linking to status pages and third-party SLAs.

DownloadLinks
“Download PDF” menu shortcuts that should never replace main browsing tab.

ExternalSchedules
Conference schedules linking to Sched.com or similar hosted agendas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this affect Page or Post menu items?
Core Page/Post entries still follow the Screen Options checkbox per item; module focuses on Custom Links as documented.
Will rel=nofollow hurt partners?
Policy choice—coordinate SEO agreements; some teams prefer sponsored links to remain follow.
Mega menus and page builders?
Builders re-walking menus may bypass filters—test each builder version.
Accessibility concerns?
WCAG encourages warning users when opening new windows—use visible text or aria-label patterns in theme CSS.
Multilingual menus?
WPML/Polylang duplicate menus per locale—retest each translation’s Custom Links.

Troubleshooting

No change after enabling
Purge LiteSpeed, WP Rocket, or Cloudflare HTML caches; confirm menu location uses wp_nav_menu.

Attributes duplicated or malformed
Deactivate overlapping plugins that also inject target blank globally.

Custom links still same tab on AMP
AMP templates may sanitize attributes—use AMP-approved link components if required.