On the Add New plugin page the WordPress Plugin Directory link opens the link on the same page.

[tahmidulkarim]

When the link 'WordPress Plugin Directory' is clicked, the WordPress plugins directory page is opened on the same page. As it is an external link (​https://wordpress.org/plugins/), I think it should open on a new tab and that will be more convenient from a user's perspective.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Hi there, welcome back to WordPress Trac! Thanks for the ticket.

This appears to be related to #20839 and #41202.

Quoting from comment:4:ticket:41202:

There is an ongoing discussion about links with target _blank, see https://core.trac.wordpress.org/query?keywords=~target-blank.

Ideally, users should have the choice to open a link. Browsers have tabbed navigation since years and years. In very, limited, specific cases, for example to avoid data loss, it might make sense to use target _blank. In this case, users should be informed the link is going to open in a new tab (or window, depending on browser settings).

See also:

• Related discussions in #52407 and #52807.
• #23432 for reviewing the usage of target="_blank" in other links across the admin.

[krupalpanchal]

For the _blank link, Can we use the dashicons-external that shows that this link will open in a new tab?

There are multiple references in WordPress. Like ​https://prnt.sc/NH5JBsxr50dN

[ryokuhi]

We reviewed this ticket during today's Accessibility Team's bug scrub.

As pointed out, a general discussion is happening in #23432 regarding links opening in a new tab.

From the accessibility point of view, in general, it's better to avoid opening links in a new tab, as they cause changes of context, which are ​defined in WCAG 2.1 as

Major changes in the content of the Web page that, if made without user awareness, can disorient users who are not able to view the entire page simultaneously.

Users already have the opportunity to open a link in a new tab if they want, and leaving them such a choice is generally better than making a choice for them. There are a few situations when it might be better to open a link in a new tab (for example, in case a user is filling a form and opening a link in the same tab would cause a data loss), but this is not the case here.

That said, in case a link opens in a new tab, users should be aware of it in advance: adding an icon for this purpose might be an option, but icons are ambiguous. For example, using the dashicons-external icon isn't really correct, as it should be used for external links and not for links opening in a new tab: external links often open in a new tab, but these are really two different concepts. A written-out sentence would be in general better, but adding " (opens in a new tab)" in the middle of a sentence isn't probably the best option here.

As pointed out by @costdev during the bug scrub, the actual problem here is that there's

a potential communication issue. Uploading a plugin via Zip file is given instructions there, whereas a user may click the WordPress Plugin Directory link thinking this is the right next step to "automatically install plugins".

So, a better phrasing of this sentence would probably solve the issue without making the link open in a new tab.

A possible plan to solve the issue would be:

• propose possible rephrasing,
• ask for copy review,
• write the patch.

Thanks to @sabernhardt, who during the bug scrub checked if the link previously had a target attribute.

[ryokuhi]

Here's my attempt at rephrasing the sentence.

Original phrasing
You may automatically install plugins from the ​WordPress Plugin Directory or upload a plugin in .zip format by clicking the button at the top of this page.

Possible rephrasing
You may install plugins in the ​WordPress Plugin Directory right from here or upload a plugin in .zip format by clicking the button at the top of this page.

[ryokuhi]

First attempt at new rephrasing

[ryokuhi]

Here's the patch containing the rephrasing of the introductory sentence in the Featured tab of the Add Plugins screen.

The text is slightly different from the one suggested above, as I added a comma to mark even more the difference between installing a plugin from the official repository and uploading a Zip file.

[costdev]

This ticket was discussed during the bug scrub.

57155.diff looks good to me. Adding for commit consideration.

Additional props: @audrasjb

---

This string was introduced in [8540]. Setting Version to 2.7

[audrasjb]

Great! Self-assigning for commit.

[audrasjb]

In 55197:

Plugins: Rephrase Add Plugins screen description for better clarity.

This changeset rephrases the Add Plugins screen description to clarify the purpose of the two available options for installing plugins.

Props tahmidulkarim, audrasjb, costdev, ryokuhi, krupalpanchal, SergeyBiryukov.
Fixes #57155.