Make Safari bookmark open in a new tab by default

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Level 1

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Make Safari bookmark open in a new tab by default

Over the years, there have been several questions regarding how to make Safari open a bookmark (for example, a Favorite) in a new tab by default (that is, without using the command key). There doesn't seem to have been any solution posted.

One way to do it is to manually edit each bookmark you want to open by default in a new tab so that its URL is embedded in a bit of Javascript. The Javascript template I use is this:

javascript:function%20openInNewTab(url)%20{var%20win%20=%20window.open(url,%20'_ blank');win.focus();};openInNewTab("PUT_YOUR_URL_HERE")

This code defines a small function to open a URL in a new tab, then calls the function with the given URL.

The way I set it up is to save the bookmark as usual, then copy everything in the above code through the first doublequote into the paste buffer. Then I Edit Bookmarks, and paste the copied material as a prefix to the left of the bookmark's URL. Then I type the ") on the right.

It's kind of painful to do the editing, but the method does appear to work. There may be some way to automate the editing, but I don't know what it is.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014), macOS Sierra (10.12.4)

Posted on Apr 22, 2017 8:05 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

tygb

Level 9

64,582 points

Apr 23, 2017 1:48 AM in response to greg.shenaut

Open safari and its preferences > General > click on drop down arrows of New windows opens with and select the option choose tabs folder .

A window appears , you can select the desired folder and click on Choose .

In the same way click on drop down arrows of new tabs open with same page .

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Answer 2

greg.shenaut Author

Level 1

10 points

Apr 25, 2017 8:56 AM in response to tygb

I'm not exactly sure what problem that solution solves, but it isn't the problem I was addressing with my post.

As several people have mentioned in the past, it is a minor inconvenience that by default, when you click on a bookmark or Favorite, Safari opens it without creating a new tab. That is, it opens on top of the page you are looking at. Of course, it is possible to make it open in a new tab (assuming you have set new windows to open in tabs) by holding down the command key; this is the inconvenience my post was addressing. For any bookmark that you click on where you have made the modifications suggested in my post, Safari will now create a new tab, open the bookmark in it, and then focus (i.e., display) that new tab.

I note in passing that with that javascript, if you hold down the command key when clicking on the link, it will still create the new tab and open the link in it, but it will now keep focus on the original page.

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Answer 3

Oct 13, 2017 7:56 AM in response to greg.shenaut

Thanks Greg, I was getting ready to reply the same answer to tgyb's response. Your java script solution is helpful, unfortunately I have 100+ bookmarks organized in folders and will need to find a way to script this if possible. The really bad part for the way I work is that this doesn't work with url's in history, often times I don't bookmark a url, but may want to revisit it later in the day or the next week or two. I would like a new tab or window to open whenever I select a site from history as well. I personally would like it if there was a preference or key combination that would make every link, bookmark, etc that I click on open a new tab or window. Even if it meant I have to clean up after myself and close opened tabs or windows. Currently you can only Alt-Click on a folder to open all bookmarks in that folder in new tabs, but no way to open individual url's in a new tab.

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Answer 4

Dec 28, 2017 11:41 AM in response to Richard Davis7

This is not quite my problem, but it is a Safari tab issue. I like the old default key combination for a new thing to be a new window, not a new tab. I cannot find a way to switch back to the old option where what opened when you pressed the combination for a new Safari item, it was a new window. I will keep poking around the support conversations, but this seemed somewhat related.

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Answer 5

Dec 28, 2017 11:44 AM in response to Richard Davis7

This is not quite my problem, but it is a Safari tab issue. I like the old default key combination for a new thing to be a new window, not a new tab. I cannot find a way to switch back to the old option where what opened when you pressed the combination for a new Safari item, it was a new window. I will keep poking around the support conversations, but this seemed somewhat related. (Sorry, this finally posted twice at once; no idea how to delete one, or if that is even possible. Dratted Internet service!)

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