By default, WordPress opens menu links in the same tab, but sometimes you may want your links to open in a new tab, especially when linking to external websites, PDF files, or other resources that shouldn not replace your current page. However, WordPress makes it easy to do this through the built-in menu settings. You do not need any plugins or custom code. Just follow these simple steps:
- Log in to your WordPress Dashboard and go to:
Appearance > Menus. Here you will see the list of menus you have created on your site. - At the top-right corner of the screen, click on “Screen Options”. A panel will drop down showing several checkbox options. Find and check the box that says “Link Target” as shown in the following figure. This enables the option to open links in a new tab when editing individual menu items.
- Now, scroll down and expand any menu item by clicking the downward arrow next to it. You will now see a checkbox labeled: “Open link in a new tab”. Check this box for each link you want to open in a new tab.
- After making your changes, click the “Save Menu” button at the bottom of the page.
That’s it! Now, when visitors click those menu links, they will open in a new browser tab.