WooCommerce

WooCommerce currently opens External/Affiliate product links in a new browser tab by default, without providing merchants a setting to control this behavior.

While opening a new tab makes sense for products linking to third-party websites, it isn’t always appropriate.

For example, an External/Affiliate product may link to another page on the same website, such as a reservation inquiry form, registration page, or custom landing page. Opening a new tab unnecessarily interrupts the customer’s navigation experience.

PROPOSED ENHANCEMENT

Add a configurable Link Target setting to the External/Affiliate product’s settings, alongside the existing Product URL and Button Text fields.

SUGGESTED OPTIONS:

• Same tab/window (_self)
• New tab/window (_blank)

For backward compatibility, existing products should retain their current behavior unless the merchant explicitly changes the setting.

Ideally, this setting would be configurable per product, allowing merchants to choose the appropriate behavior based on the destination URL.

BENEFITS

• Improves navigation and user experience.
• Supports internal landing pages, forms, and reservation workflows.
• Eliminates the need for custom PHP, template overrides, or JavaScript workarounds.
• Gives merchants greater control without introducing unnecessary complexity.

This would be a small but valuable enhancement to WooCommerce’s existing External/Affiliate product functionality.