HTML Guide for target

The target attribute on <a> elements can’t be blank.

This attribute defines the browsing context for links, that is, where should the linked documents be opened. This was used extensively on the now deprecated <frame> element, so you could give the name of the frame to open the document in, but is now more used to force links to open in a separate tab or window using target="_blank". Another option is using a name, so the new browsing context can be referred to on subsequent clicks on links with the same target.

For example, this will force the links to open on a new tab:

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank">will open a blank tab</a>

The value used in the target property of an <a> element has been identified as a keyword because it starts with an underscore _, but it’s not a valid keyword.

Values starting with an underscore for the target property are used for reserved keywords like _blank, _self, _parent or _top.