If you need to know how to open external links in a new tab with Rank Math or Yoast, the short answer is that you usually handle this in WordPress content rather than through the SEO plugin itself. In most sites, the editor, theme, or custom code decides whether a link opens in the same tab or a new one, while the SEO plugin focuses on metadata, sitemaps, schema, and other optimisation tasks.
This matters for WordPress SEO because link behaviour affects user experience, engagement, and how visitors move through your site. It does not directly improve rankings on its own, but it can support clearer navigation, better internal linking, and more controlled outbound linking across blogs, business sites, and ecommerce pages.
What opening external links in a new tab actually does
When an external link opens in a new tab, the visitor stays on your page while the destination opens separately. This can be useful for citations, partner resources, documentation, or reference links where you want readers to keep your content open. It can also be helpful on longer pages where losing the current page may interrupt the reading flow.
That said, opening every outbound link in a new tab is not a universal best practice. Some users prefer to manage tabs themselves, and too many new tabs can feel cluttered, especially on mobile devices. From an accessibility and usability perspective, the decision should be based on context rather than a blanket rule.
Rank Math or Yoast: what they do and do not control
Yoast SEO and Rank Math are WordPress SEO plugins that help with title tags, meta descriptions, schema, XML sitemaps, canonicals, and related on-page and technical SEO tasks. They do not automatically control all link behaviour across a website. In many cases, whether a link opens in a new tab depends on the WordPress editor, the block or page builder, or custom theme templates.
Before changing plugins or settings, check whether the link is being added in the block editor, a reusable block, a page builder module, or a custom template. If a theme or plugin adds its own link output, that may override what you set in the post editor. For a safe WordPress SEO setup, keep one primary SEO plugin and avoid installing multiple plugins that perform the same core functions, as that can create duplicate metadata or conflicting canonical tags.
Using the WordPress editor
In the block editor, you can usually edit a link and choose the option to open it in a new tab. This is a content-level choice rather than an SEO setting. It is a good fit for editorial links in blog posts, resource pages, and guides where the visitor may benefit from keeping your article open.
If you want to understand the broader editor workflow, WordPress’s own editor documentation for adding and editing content is a reliable starting point. The exact interface can change, so always check the current version of your site before training a team or updating templates.
How to open external links in a new tab with Rank Math or Yoast
In practical terms, the process is often the same regardless of which plugin you use: select the external link in the content editor and set it to open in a new tab. If the link appears in a menu, footer, sidebar, or template part, the setting may need to be changed in that area instead of inside the SEO plugin.
For Rank Math or Yoast, the important SEO question is not the tab behaviour itself, but whether the page remains technically sound after editing. Check that the page still has a clear title tag, a useful meta description, clean internal linking, and a sensible canonical URL. If you are updating pages as part of a broader optimisation project, review them alongside a structured WordPress SEO audit process so you can spot duplicate metadata, broken links, and indexing issues at the same time.
Where plugin settings may still matter
Although SEO plugins are not usually the place where you set outbound link target behaviour, they can influence how the page is interpreted overall. For example, they may help you manage canonical URLs, schema output, breadcrumbs, or robots directives. Those elements affect crawling and indexing more directly than whether a link opens in a new tab.
If you are reviewing plugin choice or migration, check official documentation for the current interface and feature names. Rank Math’s knowledge base and Yoast’s help centre can be useful for version-specific guidance, but always confirm the current behaviour on your live setup before making site-wide changes.
Best practice for SEO, usability, and accessibility
For most WordPress sites, the safest approach is to open external links in a new tab only when there is a clear user benefit. Typical examples include source references, downloadable documents, partner tools, and support articles that your audience may want to revisit after reading your page. For routine editorial links, either approach can be acceptable if it fits the experience.
Keep anchor text descriptive so users know where the link goes. Avoid vague phrases such as “click here”. Also consider mobile SEO: opening too many tabs can be awkward on smaller screens. If you run WooCommerce, think carefully before applying new-tab behaviour to checkout steps, payment flows, or account actions, because the wrong tab handling can disrupt the purchase journey.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do not change outbound link behaviour just to chase plugin scores. Readability and SEO scores are only guidance, not search-engine ranking signals. Do not add the same SEO plugin feature in multiple places, and do not rely on a theme setting without checking the rendered page.
Avoid using new tabs to mask poor site structure. Internal linking, category architecture, and clear navigation are still more important for crawlability and content discovery. If your site has a lot of external references, make sure they are relevant, up to date, and not broken.
Testing, technical checks, and ongoing maintenance
Any change to links, templates, or plugin settings should be tested on a staging site first if possible. After updating a page, inspect the rendered HTML if you need to confirm whether the link has target behaviour applied. This is especially useful if the link comes from a custom block, page builder, or theme component rather than standard post content.
Check that the change has not affected canonicals, sitemaps, or noindex settings, especially if you are also updating titles, redirects, or schema. In Google Search Console, the URL Inspection tool can help you review how Google sees a page, but it does not guarantee inclusion in search results. If you are tracking outcomes, compare Search Console, Google Analytics 4, and your own user engagement metrics separately, because they measure different things.
When you are improving a site’s broader link strategy, it can also help to look at backlink and content support activities. Backlink Works publishes SEO education on website growth and online visibility, which can sit alongside internal linking, content quality, and technical upkeep as part of a wider strategy.
Conclusion
Opening external links in a new tab is a small WordPress decision with practical user-experience implications, but it is not an SEO shortcut. Rank Math and Yoast are useful for technical and on-page SEO, while link target behaviour is usually handled in the editor, theme, or custom code. The safest approach is to set new-tab behaviour only where it improves the experience, then test the page carefully afterwards.
As with all WordPress SEO work, results depend on content quality, site structure, crawlability, indexing, page speed, mobile usability, and ongoing maintenance. If you make link changes as part of a wider SEO update, review titles, meta descriptions, internal links, canonicals, redirects, and analytics together rather than treating one setting as a complete fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rank Math or Yoast automatically open external links in a new tab?
Not usually. Link target behaviour is often controlled in the WordPress editor, theme, or page builder rather than by the SEO plugin itself.
Is opening external links in a new tab better for SEO?
Not directly. It may help with user experience in some cases, but it is not a ranking factor on its own.
Should I open all outbound links in a new tab?
Not necessarily. Use new tabs where it clearly helps readers, such as citations or reference material, and avoid overusing the feature on mobile-heavy pages.
Can changing link targets affect indexing?
The tab setting itself does not control indexing, but related page changes can. If you also edit canonicals, noindex tags, redirects, or internal links, test those carefully.
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