What is the purpose of the “noopener” tag, and should rel=”noopener” be eliminated from WordPress?

Ever wondered how your browser knows what to do when you click a link online? In HTML, the “rel” attribute acts as a secret instruction manual for browsers. One important tag within this manual is “noopener”, which plays a crucial role in security. When you click a link on another website, noopener prevents them from exchanging information with yours using JavaScript commands. This helps to shield your website from potential security risks. Another important “rel” tag is called nofollow. This one tells search engines to ignore a specific link, whether it points to another page on your website or an external website.

What’s the deal with the noopener tag in HTML?

While the noopener tag might seem repetitive at times, it serves as a vital security tool for your website. By preventing unauthorized data exchange through JavaScript, it significantly reduces the risk of data theft when you click on external links. This enhances the overall security of your website and protects your valuable information.

In web development, a feature called “window.opener” allows a newly opened window (like a tab) to interact with the window that opened it. While this can be useful, it also poses a security risk. Hackers can exploit this feature to create fake websites that look legitimate. This can trick you into entering personal information in one window while the information is actually being stolen in another window, hidden from your view.

Therefore, implementing the noopener tag offers an additional layer of security by effectively preventing the execution of specific JavaScript commands. It’s important to remember that HTTPS, which encrypts data in transit, remains crucial for overall website security.

In November 2016, WordPress (which previously used the classic TinyMCE editor) integrated the rel=”noopener” tag into its editor with the release of version 4.7.4. This tag helps prevent information theft by blocking specific JavaScript commands when including links to external websites.

Does the rel=”noopener” tag have any impact on SEO, positive or negative?

While concerns exist that the rel=”noopener” tag might inadvertently apply a nofollow attribute to links, impacting SEO, it’s crucial to understand its true function. This tag does not affect the SEO value of the link itself. Instead, it instructs browsers not to execute the window.opener command, which helps prevent information theft from your website. The rel=”noopener” tag has no impact on your website’s ranking in search engines like Google or on the performance of SEO tools like Moz and Ahrefs.

Should rel=”noopener” be eliminated from WordPress?

While the explanations provided highlight the security benefits of the rel=”noopener” tag by preventing information theft attempts, there might be rare instances where disabling it becomes necessary. However, it’s strongly recommended to keep the tag enabled unless such specific scenarios arise, as it significantly enhances the overall security of your website and user data. The method for doing so will depend on your chosen SEO plugins, editor, or other tools. Please consult the documentation for your specific tools to determine the appropriate steps for removing the noopener tag.