Unlock the Secret: Make Your Next.JS Link Inside a Link Open a New Tab with Internal URL Only

Are you tired of dealing with pesky links that redirect to external URLs when all you want is to open a new tab with an internal URL? Well, put your worries to rest because today, we’re going to dive into the world of Next.JS and explore the ultimate solution to this common problem!

Understanding the Issue

Before we dive into the solution, let’s take a step back and understand the issue at hand. In Next.JS, when you create a link inside a link (yes, you read that right – a link inside a link!), the default behavior is to redirect to an external URL when clicked. This can be frustrating, especially when you want to open a new tab with an internal URL.

The Problem: Default Behavior

import Link from 'next/link';

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <a href="https://external-url.com">
      <Link href="/internal-url">
        Click me!
      </Link>
    </a>
  );
}

In the above code snippet, when you click the “Click me!” link, Next.JS will redirect you to https://external-url.com instead of opening a new tab with /internal-url. This is because the outer anchor tag takes precedence over the inner Link component.

The Solution: Using theTARGET Attribute

Now that we understand the issue, let’s explore the solution. To make the inner Link component open a new tab with the internal URL, we need to add the target attribute to the outer anchor tag.

Adding the TARGET Attribute

import Link from 'next/link';

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <a href="https://external-url.com" target="_blank">
      <Link href="/internal-url">
        Click me!
      </Link>
    </a>
  );
}

By adding the target="_blank" attribute, we’re telling the browser to open the link in a new tab. But wait, there’s more! We need to make sure that the inner Link component is configured to prevent the default redirect behavior.

Preventing Default Redirect Behavior

import Link from 'next/link';

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <a href="https://external-url.com" target="_blank">
      <Link href="/internal-url" passHref={true}>
        Click me!
      </Link>
    </a>
  );
}

By adding the passHref={true} prop to the Link component, we’re telling Next.JS to pass the href prop to the underlying anchor tag. This prevents the default redirect behavior and allows the inner Link component to control the link behavior.

Putting it all Together

Now that we have the solution, let’s put it all together!

import Link from 'next/link';

function MyComponent() {
  return (
    <a href="https://external-url.com" target="_blank">
      <Link href="/internal-url" passHref={true}>
        Click me!
      </Link>
    </a>
  );
}

With this code, when you click the “Click me!” link, Next.JS will open a new tab with the internal URL /internal-url and ignore the external URL https://external-url.com.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Now that we’ve covered the solution, let’s discuss some common pitfalls to avoid when working with links inside links in Next.JS.

• Forgetting the TARGET Attribute: Make sure to add the target="_blank" attribute to the outer anchor tag to open the link in a new tab.
• Omitting the PASSHref Prop: Don’t forget to add the passHref={true} prop to the Link component to prevent the default redirect behavior.
• Incorrectly Configuring the Link Component: Ensure that the Link component is correctly configured with the href prop set to the internal URL.

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! With this comprehensive guide, you should now be able to make your Next.JS link inside a link open a new tab with an internal URL only. Remember to add the target="_blank" attribute and the passHref={true} prop to ensure that your links behave as expected.

Attribute/Prop	Description
target="_blank"	Opens the link in a new tab
passHref={true}	Prevents the default redirect behavior and allows the inner Link component to control the link behavior

By following these guidelines and best practices, you’ll be well on your way to creating links that work exactly as you want them to in your Next.JS application.

Happy coding!

Note: This article is SEO optimized for the keyword “How to make a Next.JS Link inside a Link only open a new tab with internal url and not redirect to external url”.

Frequently Asked Question

Having trouble with Next.js links? Worry no more! Here are some frequently asked questions about making internal links open in a new tab while keeping external links intact.