Target _blank – Force links to open in a new tab
v3.6by Codexpert, Inc · updated 1 year ago
Force links in posts or pages to open in a new tab
- Rank
- #12,236
- Down43 vs yesterday
- Active installs (est.)
- ≈ 235
- 200+ reported · High
- Total downloads
- 10.2K
- 10,168 all-time
- Rating
- 3.0/5
- 2 reviews
- Support resolved
- –
- 0 of 0 threads, last 2 months
Target _blank at a glance
Target _blank is a WordPress plugin by Codexpert, Inc with 200+ active installs, the #12,236 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 5 times, about the same as the month before. It’s rated 3.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews. Version 3.6 came out on Jun 3, 2025, more than a year ago. It is tested up to WordPress 6.8.12. Among the 9 plugins tagged “target blank”, it ranks #3. It was first released in 2014.
Chart time range
Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 10, 2026, 30 days.
Downloads over time
Download stats120 downloads · the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Target _blank |
|---|---|
| Nov 8, 2026 | 6 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 5 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 8 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 3 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 6 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 4 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 10 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 8 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 5 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | 5 |
| Oct 25, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 24, 2026 | 3 |
| Oct 23, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 22, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 21, 2026 | 4 |
| Oct 20, 2026 | 0 |
| Oct 19, 2026 | 6 |
| Oct 18, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 17, 2026 | 3 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 3 |
| Oct 15, 2026 | 2 |
| Oct 14, 2026 | 7 |
| Oct 13, 2026 | 6 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 11, 2026 | 1 |
| Oct 10, 2026 | 6 |
Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.
Estimated installs
≈ 235 · 0.0% in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Estimated installs |
|---|---|
| Nov 9, 2026 | 235 |
| Nov 8, 2026 | 237 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 235 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 236 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 237 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 228 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 229 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 228 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 230 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 228 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 227 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 229 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 235 |
Rank over time
#12,236 · up 208 in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 9, 2026 | #12,236 |
| Nov 8, 2026 | #12,193 |
| Nov 7, 2026 | #12,257 |
| Nov 6, 2026 | #12,235 |
| Nov 5, 2026 | #12,203 |
| Nov 4, 2026 | #12,169 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | #12,466 |
| Nov 2, 2026 | #12,444 |
| Nov 1, 2026 | #12,462 |
| Oct 31, 2026 | #12,408 |
| Oct 30, 2026 | #12,476 |
| Oct 29, 2026 | #12,499 |
| Oct 28, 2026 | #12,456 |
| Oct 27, 2026 | #12,444 |
Growth %
Average 0.00% a day in the last 30 days
View as table
| Date | Growth |
|---|---|
| Nov 9, 2026 | -0.84% |
| Nov 8, 2026 | +0.85% |
| Nov 7, 2026 | -0.21% |
| Nov 5, 2026 | -0.42% |
| Nov 4, 2026 | +3.95% |
| Nov 3, 2026 | -0.44% |
| Nov 2, 2026 | +0.44% |
| Nov 1, 2026 | -0.87% |
| Oct 31, 2026 | +0.88% |
| Oct 30, 2026 | +0.44% |
| Oct 29, 2026 | -0.87% |
| Oct 28, 2026 | -2.55% |
Active installs band
200+ on WordPress.org
View as table
| Date | Daily snapshot |
|---|---|
| Nov 9, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 8, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 7, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 6, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 5, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 4, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 3, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 2, 2026 | 200+ |
| Nov 1, 2026 | 200+ |
| Oct 31, 2026 | 200+ |
| Oct 30, 2026 | 200+ |
| Oct 29, 2026 | 200+ |
| Oct 28, 2026 | 200+ |
| Oct 27, 2026 | 200+ |
Search rankings
Where it appears in WordPress.org search for the searches you track, checked every day.
See where Target _blank ranks in search
Track this plugin to check its position for the searches you choose, daily, with an alert when it moves.
Change log
From our daily snapshot of WordPress.org- Rank #12456 → #12203Downloads +83.3%
- Tested up to 6.8.11 → 6.8.12
Versions in use
Share of active installs on each published version, from WordPress.org.
- v3.669%
- v2.018%
- v3.18.2%
- v3.04.8%
Rating trend
3.0★★★★★2 reviews · steady in the last 30 days
Requirements & info
Version history- Version
- 3.6
- Requires WordPress
- 6.0
- Tested up to
- 6.8.12
- Requires PHP
- –
- First released
- Jul 24, 2014
- Last updated
- Jun 3, 2025
- Releases, last 12 months
- …
Questions about Target _blank
How many websites use Target _blank?
Target _blank is active on 200+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #12,236 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.
How many times has Target _blank been downloaded?
10,168 times in total since 2014. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 5 times. See download stats
When was Target _blank last updated?
Version 3.6 came out on Jun 3, 2025 (1 year ago).
Is Target _blank compatible with the latest WordPress?
Target _blank’s readme says it’s tested up to WordPress 6.8.12, while the current version is 7.1. That doesn’t mean it breaks, but its author hasn’t confirmed it works with the latest releases.
Is Target _blank still maintained?
Its last release was 1 year ago, so it may no longer be actively maintained. No support threads were opened in the last two months.
What rating does Target _blank have?
3.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews on WordPress.org.
What are the best alternatives to Target _blank?
The plugins most like Target _blank, by the tags they share, are External Links in New Window / New Tab (30K+), Open Links In New Tab (800+) and Codious External Links Opener (20+). Compare all alternatives
Latest reviews
Analyze reviewsReview stats
3.0
★★★★★
2 reviews
- 5 stars: 1 reviews, 50%
- 4 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 3 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 2 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
- 1 stars: 1 reviews, 50%
- Positive
- 50%4–5★
- Mixed
- 0%3★
- Critical
- 50%1–2★
- About 1 more 5★ reviews would lift it to 3.1.
- Each new 1★ review takes 1 five-star review to balance out.
Compare with competitors
Add up to 1 competitor. No account needed.
| Metric | |
|---|---|
| Estimated installs | ≈ 235 |
| Reported installs | 200+ |
| Rating | 3.0 |
| Reviews | 2 |
| Total downloads | 10.2K |
| Author | Codexpert, Inc |
| First released | Jul 24, 2014 |
| Version | 3.6 |
| Requires WP | 6.0 |
| Requires PHP | – |
| Last updated | Jun 3, 2025 |
Alternatives to Target _blank
Compare all alternativesPopular plugins with the same tags, the most in common first.
External Links in New Window / New Tab
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Opens external links and internal links in a new window depending on user settings. Manage all external & internal links on your site.
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Codious External Links Opener
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Automatically adds target="_blank" and rel="noopener noreferrer" to external links in post content to improve user experience and security.
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- Installs
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Broken Link Checker
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Broken Link Checker helps you catch broken links & images fast, before they hurt your SEO or UX. Scan and bulk-fix issues from one easy dashboard.
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Lets you make a WordPress page (or port or other content type) link to a URL of your choosing (on your site, or on another site), instead of its norma …
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Internal links & external links manager: open in new window or tab, control nofollow, ugc, sponsored & noopener. SEO friendly.
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