[External Tools] Automatically open new tab for links/external tools set to 'Load in a new tab'

[tokheimc]

Previously under the title "Link to External URL"

When linking to an external url that Canvas will not (or cannot) embed, link should automatically open in a new tab or window.  Currently, Canvas opens another page saying you have to open it in a new tab, then you have to click that link to do that.  Why not just go directly to that page in a new tab?  Links in other locations already do this.

If Canvas is worried a user would be confused by being outside of Canvas suddenly, perhaps they could flash a redirect page saying they are leaving the course and to close this tab to return, or something along those lines.  

Comments from Instructure

New behavior governing external tool links was released to production in November 2019. For more information, please read through the Canvas Deploy Notes (2019-11-20)

[GideonWilliams]

Used to be the case with the Office365 integration then it went back to the interim page with that button...

[mfuller2]

I went into Beta to see what had changed for this. I went into the settings for the Redirect Tool app, and as far as I can tell, nothing has changed there.  I read through the information about the new option, and I'm honestly not sure where the change is that you made. Here are the release notes for whatever was changed in Beta:

External URL Module Items Link

External URL module items set to load in a new tab automatically display to students in a new browser tab.

Change Benefit

This change minimizes the number of clicks required to view an external URL module item.

Affected User Roles

Instructors

When an external URL item is added to a module, and the Load in a New Tab checkbox is checked in the module item window, users who click the external URL in a module will view the URL in a new tab by default.

All Users

Any module item with the external URL icon indicating the link will open in a new window automatically displays in a new tab. Previously the link opened a new window that only displayed a button to view the external content. The button had to be clicked a second time to view the external content.

Can someone point me to what exactly they changed? 

[erinhmcmillan]

Hi, Matt,

Douglas Brace created a gif that shows the previous behavior, which no longer exists in either the beta or the production environment since this change was made back in November 2019. As the gif indicates, previously the link opened a new window that only displayed a button to view the external content. The button had to be clicked a second time to view the external content.

Thanks,

Erin

[mfuller2]

Ah I see. So the Redirect Tool did not also get fixed... 

[aashbaugh]

Current behavior is bananas. How confusing is this text to my poor users? They clicked a link, thinking it would open a page, and instead they get a page that says: "This site was opened in a new browser window." What's the deal with that? The text says the opposite of what really happened, since the site was *not* opened in a new browser window at all, but instead opened inside canvas. Here's a screenshot of the silly page.

Please fix, Canvas!

[kapp_will]

YESSSS!!  I'm developing a course for an entire year online and I am slowly losing my mind having to push Ctrl-K for every single link so it opens in a new tab.  Save my brain!

[hechla]

I agree with the comments. Users should NOT see a window that states The site was opened in a new window along with a button to actually load the external URL in a new tab. Just clicking the original link should open the item. 

I don't see a way to actually vote for this. 

[ErykStacy]

Please allow us to open the external URL directly.

[Landmark_Coll]

@mfuller2 Thanks for your gif. The four pages of comments here seem to be just slightly off topic when it comes to the Redirect Tool. The Redirect Tool has nothing to do with Modules, and there is no purpose of showing an intermediate page when trying to navigate to an external link from the course navigation menu. I wonder if @eschiebel can address this issue with respect to the Redirect Tool.

[j_vanbelle]

Thanks for the great ideas. But still ..this issue is not fixed for most of our users (students). So much for the UX of canvas (not my words).

When I choose: "Load in a new tab", then I expect it to open in a new tab.
Users expect behavior similar to normal browser behavior. They don't expect and intermediate page stating: open in a new window... just because this is the Canvas LMS. Ask the students opinion. 99% thinks the same about this issue. And because they are the future, and main end-users... they are right. And a fix should be implemented.

If opinions about a solution (or desired behaviour) are not the same, then just add an extra option that can be checked when adding an external link to a module. E.g. the checkbox : "Really really open in a new tab" ;-).

Most of the time... end-users know better.