Death To _blank
Keeps links from opening new tabs by removing the _blank attribute
Many web page links use the "_blank" target to open in a new tab. This is usually annoying (if I wanted to open a new tab, I would have done so myself!).
Death To _blank removes the "_blank" target from links, causing them to open in the current tab. This script also catches a few other targets (such as "blank" and "_new") that developers use. If you find any targets I've missed, let me know and I'll add them to the list!
You can add pages to a whitelist in the options page, which causes Death To _blank to ignore those pages. I find this useful for sites like GMail that I would rather keep open all the time. You can also specify this as a blacklist, if that suits your fancy.
This script now works on pages that dynamically load additional content using AJAX, such as Facebook and Twitter.
NOTE! This extension does not stop javascript popups (or flash popups, or anything of the like). If you still find links that open up new pages after installing this plugin, they're probably either javascript popups (which I can't do anything about), or other, invalid _blank-like targets (in which case forward me the link and I'll update the extension).
If you have comments/suggestions, please use the Feedback link (or better yet, email me!). Don't post a complaint in your review! I don't get notifications about those. :-(
CHANGELOG
Version 2.1.1 (2025/9/25)
- Small bugfix in fenced frames (really just an annoying log message).
- Made config page dynamic, no "Save" required. So fancy.
Version 2.1.0 (2025/9/19)
- Significant optimizations and performance improvements.
- Removed jQuery dependency, other optimizations.
- Reduces memory usage and should improve page load performance as well.
Version 2.0.4 (2025/9/17)
- Version 2.0.3 was a rollback to version 2.0.1.
- Fixed a bug in 2.0.2 which reversed the behavior of white and blacklisting, effectively breaking the extension. Sorry!
Version 2.0.2 (2025/9/9)
- Fixed a bug in rewriting links with rels.
- Made the extension overall more robust, fixed some possible race conditions.
- Made the options page prettier.
Version 2.0.1 (2024/10/18)
- Fixed a bug where some features are disabled after updating (sorry!).
Version 2.0 (2024/10/15)
- Updates to manifest V3
- Big rewrite under the hood. Settings are not persisted from previous version, sorry. I do this in my spare time and I didn't have the gumption to spend more time on this than it already took to just get the basic functionality working again...
Version 1.9 (2020/10/15)
- Bugfix: previous version of the script did not work when the "Filter HTML forms" option was deselected.
Version 1.8 (2017/12/16)
Big change
- Should be noticeably faster (only monitors updated/added elements on page, rather than rescanning the whole page on modification).
- Added ability to enable/disable by clicking on extension button (also added a toggle in the options page).
- Added the __blank (two underscores) target.
- Requires fewer permissions, should be fewer corner cases that it misses.
Version 1.7 (2015/11/25)
- Allows the user to specify what the "_blank" target should be rewritten to (don't do this if you don't know what it means!).
Version 1.6 (2015/10/25)
- Now disables _blank (etc.) on the <base> tag as well.
Version 1.5 (2014/03/07)
- Now works on HTML forms as well. Can be disabled in the options menu if you prefer (although please tell me why, if you do!).
Version 1.4.3 (2013/11/8)
- Fixed one more migration bug. Sorry 'bout that.
Versions 1.4.1, 1.4.2 (2013/11/6)
- Fix bugs that wouldn't allow upgraders to use this script (sorry!).
Version 1.4 (2013/11/6)
- Exceptions can now be specified as a blacklist instead of the default whitelist.
Version 1.3 (2013/9/15)
- Fixes a javascript development error (probably invisible to most people).
- Upgrades to jQuery 2.0 internally, which may make things a bit faster (but is actually probably completely unnoticeable).
Version 1.2 (2013/7/7)
- Now works with pre-rendered pages (frequently generated from Google searches). As a side-effect, now requires the webNavigation permission to know when new pages are loaded or swapped in.
Version 1.1 (2013/6/1)
- Added _hplink to bad targets, which is used by Huffington Post (don't judge me).
Version 1.0.1 (2013/3/10)
- No changes; reuploading due to bug in Webstore.
Version 1.0 (2013/3/9):
- Now works on dynamically-loaded AJAX content. Useful for sites like Twitter and Facebook.
- Added a whitelist option.
- Now requires permission to view your tabs, so that I can know which page you're browsing (needed for the whitelist).
Version 0.9 (2013/3/3):
- Now catch rel=ext and rel=e, which are sometimes used to open new windows in javascript-based techniques.
Version 0.8 (2012/7/3):
- A change in the previous version meant that my script didn't operate while the page was still loading. Fixed now.
Version 0.7 (2012/7/3):
- Various changes due to Chrome updates. No user-visible changes.
Version 0.6 (2011/6/24):
- Added the _newtab target
Version 0.5 (2011/04/29):
- Now works for file:// URLs as well.
Version 0.4 (2010/10/28):
- No longer needs permission to view your tabs or history (mind you, it wasn't making use of this permission before). It still needs permission to access "Your data on all websites", but there's no getting around that -- it rewrites the links on every page you browse!
Version 0.3 (2010/10/28):
- Removes rel=external (which doesn't necessarily open a new window, but some pages use javascript to open such links in new windows).
Version 0.2 (2010/07/21):
- Now blocks the _new target as well.
Latest reviews
Great extension. Does exactly what it needs to! 5/5
For some reason, It did not remove the attribute in: <a href="#4" class="sb-link" style="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Апрель</a>
Not all heroes wear capes
great
РАБОТАЕТ! наконец-то ссылки в яндекс поиске, яндекс картинках не открываются в новой вкладке!
Works great
2023 july, and the extension still working correctly. Thanks.
2023 july, and the extension still working correctly. Thanks.
То о чем я так долго мечтал! Спасибо!
на конец то)
Amazonで商品詳細が新規タブで開いてしまうのを防ぐために導入しました。大変便利です。
Круть, все везде работает. Было бы еще лучше иметь отделанный черный список для конкретных Div по классам. Если у кого есть такое расширение на примете киньте мне.
Thanks for your great help let me more comfortable to surffing China's website.. XD
Thanks for your great help let me more comfortable to surffing China's website.. XD
В яндексе не работает.
Nice job! Fxxk those sites abusing _blank attribute in `a` tag like ithome, those are piles of TIHS. Another Must-Install extension, thank you!
Nice job! Fxxk those sites abusing _blank attribute in `a` tag like ithome, those are piles of TIHS. Another Must-Install extension, thank you!
good job! But I need a opposite function.I can only find this exension.
good job! But I need a opposite function.I can only find this exension.
Спасибо! Работает! Избавили от открывающейся кучи вкладок
Doesn’t work for me. Links still open in new tabs.
Doesn’t work for me. Links still open in new tabs.
コレ、やっと見つけました。
Can't live without this extension. It works for about 95% of sites and only fails when there's complex JS-based link handlers, like on Quora.
Can't live without this extension. It works for about 95% of sites and only fails when there's complex JS-based link handlers, like on Quora.
Спасибо пока всё отлично
It's does work and convenient to use! Perfect solution to void open page in new tab.
It's does work and convenient to use! Perfect solution to void open page in new tab.
Didn't do what I was hoping. There's a website I frequent that has hidden links in places users would click which cause an unintended occurrence of a new tab opening with a different website. Upon using Death to _blank on that site all it does is prevent the new website from being open in a new tab. It does not however prevent that other website from being loaded. Instead, now that website loads in the same tab as the original site. So, essentially this just makes the problem worse.
Didn't do what I was hoping. There's a website I frequent that has hidden links in places users would click which cause an unintended occurrence of a new tab opening with a different website. Upon using Death to _blank on that site all it does is prevent the new website from being open in a new tab. It does not however prevent that other website from being loaded. Instead, now that website loads in the same tab as the original site. So, essentially this just makes the problem worse.
Thank you ... works perfectly as stated. Kills all links with "_blank" target (which creates new tabs) from appearing, unless they're javascript powered (in gmail and some other sites), which is fine. Keeps it much cleaner for me!! Thank you!
Thank you ... works perfectly as stated. Kills all links with "_blank" target (which creates new tabs) from appearing, unless they're javascript powered (in gmail and some other sites), which is fine. Keeps it much cleaner for me!! Thank you!
As of 04-20-2018 I've been using "Death To _blank" now about 30 days GREAT EXTENSION!! You saved me from writing my own script, THANK YOU. I'd highly recommend this to anyone that goes to sites that open additional pages that start out as; "about:blank" in a new tab & then goes to a new website you don't want! Works we'll with Ad Blocker Plus and VPN service, even using on old Chrome Version 49.0.2623.112m running under Win XP SP3.. One other thing I've noticed if anyone is having it not working on a site try unchecking the "Allow access to file URLs" setting under the; "Manage extensions" area. I think some people have just not figured out how to set it up to use it before they give up on it, even though it is SO VERY EASY TO USE.. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING THIS AVAILABLE!
As of 04-20-2018 I've been using "Death To _blank" now about 30 days GREAT EXTENSION!! You saved me from writing my own script, THANK YOU. I'd highly recommend this to anyone that goes to sites that open additional pages that start out as; "about:blank" in a new tab & then goes to a new website you don't want! Works we'll with Ad Blocker Plus and VPN service, even using on old Chrome Version 49.0.2623.112m running under Win XP SP3.. One other thing I've noticed if anyone is having it not working on a site try unchecking the "Allow access to file URLs" setting under the; "Manage extensions" area. I think some people have just not figured out how to set it up to use it before they give up on it, even though it is SO VERY EASY TO USE.. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR MAKING THIS AVAILABLE!
Pas de possibilité de mettre à la fois des sites bloqués et des sites autorisés. C'est soit l'un soit l'autre.
Doesn't work on chan.sankakucomplex.com Great extension though.
Doesn't work on chan.sankakucomplex.com Great extension though.
That was simple! It really fixed my issue I had with a website opening new tabs all over the place. I used the blacklist so no other websites are affected.
That was simple! It really fixed my issue I had with a website opening new tabs all over the place. I used the blacklist so no other websites are affected.
Awesome! This app is a must-have on Chinese websites (they seem to love opening new tabs)
Awesome! This app is a must-have on Chinese websites (they seem to love opening new tabs)
Great app!
Great app!
Works on google images.
Works on google images.
doesnt work on eztv.ag
doesnt work on eztv.ag
Отлично работает!
Works.
Works.
