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"Send user to link" in form submission to open in a new tab/window

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Hi Community, I'd like to suggest a feature or ask, "Is it possible to have the links that are attached in "Send user to link" in form submission to open in a new tab/window when the user submits a response?" Currently the links open in the same window. 

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22 votes

Idea Submitted · Last Updated

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  • Kyle Chipman
    Kyle Chipman Overachievers
    edited 05/03/23
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    In full agreement - opening the links embedded in a field's help text opens the link in the same tab by default, erasing all field entries made to the webform. Links are a liability. Every Help Text link needs to default with opening in a new tab.

    There was a helpful workaround solution posted by @sharkasits in this thread, by adding &target=_blank or ?&target=_blank (if there isn't already a ? in the URL) to force a new tab. It worked for me, hope it serves as a workaround for you. Using "Click here to..." as opposed to a big gnarly url to copy / paste is a much more elegant solution.

  • PatrickC
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    This no longer works in my form. Was there an update to Smartsheet?

  • Kyle Chipman
    Kyle Chipman Overachievers
    edited 05/04/23
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    @PatrickC Sheesh. Launching a new tab by editing the url worked for me yesterday in-browser when I replied, but it's not working for me now, either. I'm on the same machine using the same browser. How disappointing. How strange. I will go back to manually inserting the full string for copy / paste or removing the link entirely.

    I don't know if there was an update that would directly impact this - all I'm aware of were updates to the Desktop Application between then and now.

    Best I got is to send this thread / wishlist item out to your people to get as many upvotes as possible, as it's almost four months old, now, and won't benefit from being at the top of the timestream for additional eyes.

  • JessicaDraper
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    @Kyle Chipman @PatrickC I think there may have been an update -- same thing happened to me (had ?&target=_blank appended to URLs to get the new tab working, now they open in same tab) but after simply making any change to the help text where the link is (e.g. as basic as adding and deleting a space), new tabs started working again, and even works now without the ?&target=_blank in the URL. After "editing" all my help text that include links, new tabs seem to be working again. Not sure whether this is true for form submissions when set to send users to a link, though...

  • jtullo
    jtullo ✭✭
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    I was experiencing this recently as well. I had two forms with similar links, one work and one didn't. I just saved the one that didn't open links correctly again and that fixed it.

  • AliceA
    AliceA ✭✭
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    This random behavior is really not providing a nice user experience, a specific feature to make sure selected links will always open in another tab is really needed, thanks!

  • Natasha Stephenson
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    This is a really bothersome issue. Our form is rather long and detailed, and when clicking on the link results in a page loading in the same tab, erasing the entered form data, users are (rightfully) not happy. I've added ?&_blank to the ends of all my URLs, but I'm nervous about it reverting as others have described here. I can put some help text advising folks to Ctrl + Click, but I can't get people to read the important text emphasized elsewhere, so I'm not optimistic.

  • dune
    dune ✭✭
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    We have a Smartsheet form that includes a link to a supporting Smartsheet form. Currently the supporting link opens is the same window and the data entered in the original form is lost. I tried appending ?&target=_blank to the supporting link but with no success.

  • Genevieve P.
    Genevieve P. Employee Admin
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    Hi all - happy to share there has been an update regarding clicking on hyperlinks from Forms! Please see this announcement for more information.

    I've left this Idea open as the original request has to do with when the form reloads after it has been submitted.

    Cheers,

    Genevieve