We are putting together a site and would like to get some advice on external links, particularly best practices on UX and UI.
It seems the only (?) reference to external links is in Link component:
External link icon: to navigate to a different website or web page outside the current domain.
On this forum, there is this advice: Removing the external link icon - #2 by amy.howard
NSW Design System does not encourage the use of the external link icon so supports your move to remove them.
What is the current recommendation for external links?
This is a strategy that I’d like to put forward, and for you to dissect:
- Should we use the external link icon at all?
- Should we add the external link icon to inline/plain text links?
- And if so, automating this with JS seems ideal? Should the DS put together some kind of re-usable JS?
- Should we add the external link icon, for example to cards, and other link-wrappable components?
- How/best practice?
And,
- Should we, or should we not, launch external links or documents in new window/tabs.
- Or, is it your advice we do not?
- Should it be automated with JS, at least for inline/plain text links (target=_blank)
- And other best practices and advice related to opening links in new windows/tabs