What is Noopener?
The term “noopener” refers to the rel="noopener" HTML attribute added to links that open in a new tab or window for security purposes. This attribute provides an added layer of security by preventing the website you’re linking to from gaining control over the browser tab through the window.opener property. Without the “noopener” attribute, a third-party site could potentially manipulate the page that opened it, posing security risks.
Here’s an example of how it appears in HTML code:
<a href="https://example.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Visit Example</a>
In this case, if you were linking to a blog post or external article and wanted it to open in a new tab, using rel="noopener". This ensures that the target page cannot access or control the window that originated the link. This is particularly useful when linking to untrusted sites (which you should avoid).
Importance of Noopener
Without the rel="noopener" attribute, a linked website could potentially take control of the browser tab where the link originated and redirect it to malicious sites, such as phishing pages. This could lead to the theft of personal data or the installation of malware.
By adding the “noopener” attribute to external links, you protect your website visitors from this security vulnerability. It’s a simple way to improve user safety without affecting your site’s SEO, making it a safe addition to all external links.
Since 2017, WordPress has automatically added this attribute to links that open in a new tab or window (it’s best practice to manually add it to all external links, regardless of the platform you’re using).
Fortunately, since 2020, most modern browsers treat links that use target="_blank" as if the rel="noopener" attribute is already in place, further ensuring user safety by default.
