The rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute is a small but important detail that can have a big impact on the security and performance of your website.

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into what the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute does, how to use it, and whether or not it affects search engine optimization (SEO).

What is the rel=’noopener noreferrer’ Attribute?

The rel attribute is used in HTML to specify the relationship between the current webpage and a linked webpage. There are many possible values for the rel attribute, including nofollow, noopener, and noreferrer.

The rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute is a combination of the noopener and noreferrer values and it indicates that the linked webpage should not have access to the browsing context of the source webpage.

In other words, when a user clicks on a link with the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute, the linked webpage will open in a new window or tab, but it will not have access to the source web page’s window object or any of its information.

This can be useful in cases where the linked webpage could potentially manipulate the source webpage or steal its information, such as through a cross-site scripting (XSS) attack. By using the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute, you can help to protect your website and its users from these types of security vulnerabilities.

How to Use the rel=’noopener noreferrer’ Attribute:

Using the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute is simple. All you need to do is add it to the rel attribute of a link in your HTML code. Here’s an example of how to do it:

<a href="https://example.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to example.com</a>

You can also use the rel="noopener" attribute by itself, which will prevent the linked webpage from having access to the source web page’s browsing context, but will still allow the source webpage to be included in the linked webpage’s referral information.

<a href="https://example.com" rel="noopener">Link to example.com</a>

It’s important to note that the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute only works on links that open in a new window or tab, such as those with the target="_blank" attribute. If you use the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute on a link that opens in the same window or tab, it will have no effect.

What is target="_blank" ?

The target="_blank" attribute is an HTML attribute that is used to specify that a link should open in a new window or tab when clicked. This can be useful when you want to allow a user to access a linked webpage while still keeping the original webpage open, or when you want to prevent the user from leaving your website.

Here’s an example of how to use the target="_blank" attribute in an HTML link:

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank">Link to example.com</a>

With the rel="noopener noreferrer":

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Link to example.com</a>

One alternative method is to use JavaScript to open the link in a new window or tab. For example, you could use the following code:

<a href="#" onclick="window.open('https://example.com');">Link to example.com</a>

This will prevent the linked webpage from having access to the source web page’s browsing context. It can help to protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks and other security vulnerabilities.

Does the rel=’noopener noreferrer’ Attribute Affect SEO?

One question that often comes up when discussing the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute is whether or not it affects SEO. In short, the answer is no.

The rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute is primarily a security feature, and it has no direct impact on the ranking of a webpage in search engine results. It will not affect the ability of a link to pass PageRank or influence the ranking of the linked webpage.

That being said, it’s important to remember that SEO is about more than just ranking in search results. It’s also about providing a good user experience and ensuring that your website is as secure and well-maintained as possible. Using the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute can help to improve the security of your website and protect your users from potential malicious activity, which could indirectly impact your SEO efforts in a positive way.

It’s also worth noting that Google has stated that it may use security as a ranking signal in its search algorithms. While the specific details of how these works are not publicly disclosed, it’s possible that a website with strong security measures, such as the use of the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute, could potentially receive a slight ranking boost as a result.

Safety Measures and Best Practices for Website Security (Tips).

In addition to the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute, there are other measures that you can take to improve the security of your website and protect against potential attacks. Some best practices for website security include:

• Keeping your website’s software and plugins up to date
• Using strong and unique passwords
• Enabling SSL/TLS encryption for your website
• Regularly scanning your website for vulnerabilities
• Implementing effective input validation and sanitization measures

By following these best practices and staying vigilant about security, you can help to ensure that your website is as secure as possible and that your users can trust in the safety of your site.

Other Commonly Used Values of the rel Attribute in HTML Links.

• nofollow: Indicates that the link should not pass PageRank or influence the ranking of the linked webpage in search results. This is often used for links to untrusted or low-quality websites.
• ugc: Indicates that the linked content is user-generated content and may not be trustworthy.
• sponsored: Indicates that the linked content is sponsored or paid for by the source website.
• canonical: Indicates that the linked webpage is the preferred or “canonical” version of the content and should be used for indexing and ranking in search results.

People Also Ask?

What is the difference between noopener and noreferrer?

The noopener attribute prevents the linked webpage from having access to the source web page’s browsing context, while the noreferrer attribute prevents the source webpage from being included in the referral information for the linked webpage. When used together, as in rel="noopener noreferrer", these attributes provide a higher level of security by both isolating the linked webpage and preventing the source webpage from being used as a referrer.

Is it better to use noopener or noreferrer?

It depends on your specific needs and the type of link you are using. If you are linking to a webpage that you do not trust or that could potentially manipulate your website, using both the noopener and noreferrer attributes can provide the highest level of security. On the other hand, if you are linking to a trustworthy webpage and want to allow the source webpage to be included in the referral information for the linked webpage, you can use just the noopener attribute.

Can noopener and noreferrer be used with other values for the rel attribute?

Yes, the noopener and noreferrer attributes can be used in combination with other values for the rel attribute. For example, you could use rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" to indicate that the link should not pass PageRank and that the linked webpage should not have access to the source web page’s browsing context or referral information.

Is it necessary to use noopener and noreferrer on all external links?

It is not necessary to use the noopener and noreferrer attributes on all external links, but it is generally a good idea to use them on any links to untrusted or potentially malicious websites. This can help to protect your website and its users from potential security vulnerabilities.

How does the noopener attribute work?

The noopener attribute works by preventing the linked webpage from having access to the source web page’s browsing context. This means that the linked webpage cannot access or manipulate the source webpage or any of its information through the window object. When the noopener attribute is used, the linked webpage is isolated from the source webpage and cannot interact with it in any way.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute and its role in website security. We’ve learned that this attribute is used to prevent the linked webpage from having access to the source web page’s browsing context, which can help to protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks and other security vulnerabilities.

We’ve also discussed whether or not the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute affects SEO, and concluded that it does not have a direct impact on ranking but can still be beneficial for improving the overall security of a website.

Overall, it’s important to understand the role that the rel="noopener noreferrer" attribute plays in website security and to use it appropriately when linking to external websites.

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