HTML Guides for target

The target attribute specifies where a linked document should be opened. When the validator encounters target="", it reports an error because the HTML specification requires browsing context names to be at least one character long. An empty string is not a valid browsing context name and has no defined behavior, which means browsers may handle it inconsistently.

This issue commonly arises when a target value is dynamically generated by a CMS, template engine, or JavaScript and the value ends up being empty. It can also happen when a developer adds the attribute with the intent to fill it in later but forgets to do so.

Setting target to an empty string is problematic for several reasons:

• Standards compliance: The WHATWG HTML specification explicitly requires valid browsing context names to be non-empty strings. An empty value violates this rule.
• Unpredictable behavior: Browsers may interpret an empty target differently — some may treat it like _self, others may behave unexpectedly. This makes your site harder to test and maintain.
• Accessibility concerns: Screen readers and assistive technologies may announce the target attribute or use it to inform users about link behavior. An empty value provides no meaningful information.

To fix this, choose one of the following approaches:

1. Remove the attribute if you want the default behavior (opening in the same browsing context, equivalent to _self).
2. Set a valid keyword like _blank, _self, _parent, or _top.
3. Set a custom name if you want multiple links to share the same browsing context (e.g., target="externalWindow").

Examples

❌ Invalid: empty target attribute

<a href="https://example.com" target="">Visit Example</a>

This triggers the validation error because the target value is an empty string.

✅ Fixed: remove target entirely

If you want the link to open in the current browsing context (the default), simply remove the attribute:

<a href="https://example.com">Visit Example</a>

✅ Fixed: use _blank to open in a new tab

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Example</a>

Note the addition of rel="noopener" — this is a security best practice when using target="_blank", as it prevents the opened page from accessing the window.opener property.

✅ Fixed: use _self explicitly

If you want to be explicit about opening in the same context:

<a href="https://example.com" target="_self">Visit Example</a>

✅ Fixed: use a custom browsing context name

You can use a custom name so that multiple links reuse the same tab or window:

<a href="https://example.com" target="externalWindow">Example</a>
<a href="https://example.org" target="externalWindow">Example Org</a>

Both links will open in the same browsing context named externalWindow. If it doesn’t exist yet, the browser creates it; subsequent clicks reuse it.

Dynamic templates

If your target value comes from a template or CMS, make sure the attribute is conditionally rendered rather than output with an empty value. For example, in a templating language:

<!-- Instead of always outputting target -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="">Visit</a>

<!-- Only include target when a value exists -->

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

In your template logic, conditionally omit the target attribute entirely when no value is provided, rather than rendering it as an empty string.

The target attribute on the <area> element tells the browser where to display the linked resource — in the current tab, a new tab, a parent frame, or a named <iframe>. According to the WHATWG HTML living standard, a valid navigable target must be either a keyword beginning with an underscore (_self, _blank, _parent, _top) or a name that is at least one character long. An empty string ("") satisfies neither condition, so the W3C validator reports:

Bad value “” for attribute “target” on element “area”: Browsing context name must be at least one character long.

This commonly happens when templating engines or CMS platforms output target="" as a default, or when a value is conditionally set but the logic fails to produce a result.

Why this matters

• Standards compliance. An empty target violates the HTML specification and produces a validation error.
• Unpredictable browser behavior. While most browsers treat an empty target the same as _self, this is not guaranteed by the spec. Relying on undefined behavior can lead to inconsistencies across browsers or future versions.
• Code clarity. An empty target signals unclear intent. Removing it or using an explicit keyword makes the code easier to understand and maintain.

How to fix it

1. Remove the target attribute if you want the link to open in the same browsing context. This is the default behavior, equivalent to target="_self".
2. Use a valid keyword like _self, _blank, _parent, or _top if you need specific navigation behavior.
3. Use a named browsing context (e.g., target="contentFrame") if you want to direct the link to a specific <iframe> or window. The name must be at least one character long.
4. Fix your template logic if the empty value is being generated dynamically. Ensure the target attribute is only rendered when a non-empty value is available.

Examples

Invalid: empty target attribute

This triggers the validation error because target is set to an empty string:

<img src="floor-plan.png" usemap="#rooms" alt="Floor plan">
<map name="rooms">
  <area shape="rect" coords="10,10,100,60" href="/kitchen" alt="Kitchen" target="">
</map>

Fixed: remove target for default behavior

If you want the link to open in the same tab (the default), simply remove the target attribute:

<img src="floor-plan.png" usemap="#rooms" alt="Floor plan">
<map name="rooms">
  <area shape="rect" coords="10,10,100,60" href="/kitchen" alt="Kitchen">
</map>

Fixed: use a valid keyword

Use _self to be explicit about same-tab navigation, or _blank to open in a new tab:

<img src="floor-plan.png" usemap="#rooms" alt="Floor plan">
<map name="rooms">
  <area shape="rect" coords="10,10,100,60" href="/kitchen" alt="Kitchen" target="_self">
  <area shape="rect" coords="110,10,200,60" href="/bedroom" alt="Bedroom" target="_blank">
</map>

Fixed: target a named <iframe>

If you want to load the linked resource into a specific <iframe>, give the <iframe> a name attribute and reference it in target:

<iframe name="detailView" src="about:blank" title="Room details"></iframe>
<img src="floor-plan.png" usemap="#rooms" alt="Floor plan">
<map name="rooms">
  <area shape="rect" coords="10,10,100,60" href="/kitchen" alt="Kitchen" target="detailView">
</map>

Fixed: conditionally render target in templates

If your target value comes from a variable, make sure the attribute is only output when the value is non-empty. For example, in a Jinja-style template:

<area shape="rect" coords="10,10,100,60" href="/kitchen" alt="Kitchen"
  {% if target_value %} target="{{ target_value }}"{% endif %}>

This prevents target="" from appearing in your HTML when no value is set.

The target attribute specifies where to display the linked resource. The HTML specification defines a set of reserved keywords that all begin with an underscore: _blank, _self, _parent, and _top. Any other value starting with an underscore is considered invalid because the underscore prefix is reserved for current and future keywords defined by the specification.

This matters for several reasons. First, browsers may handle unrecognized underscore-prefixed values inconsistently — some might treat them like _blank, while others might ignore them entirely or treat them as named browsing contexts. This leads to unpredictable behavior across different browsers. Second, using reserved but undefined keywords signals a likely typo or misunderstanding of the attribute, which could cause navigation to behave differently than intended. Standards compliance ensures your links work reliably for all users.

The valid keywords and their meanings are:

• _self — Opens the link in the current browsing context (the default behavior).
• _blank — Opens the link in a new, unnamed browsing context (typically a new tab).
• _parent — Opens the link in the parent browsing context, or _self if there is no parent.
• _top — Opens the link in the topmost browsing context, or _self if there is no ancestor.

If you need to target a specific named frame or window, simply use a name without a leading underscore. Any string that doesn’t start with _ is treated as a valid named browsing context.

Examples

Incorrect: Invalid reserved keyword

These examples use underscore-prefixed values that are not recognized keywords:

<!-- Typo: "_blanks" is not a valid keyword -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_blanks">Example</a>

<!-- "_new" is not a valid keyword -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_new">Open in new tab</a>

<!-- "_tab" is not a valid keyword -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_tab">Open link</a>

Correct: Using a valid keyword

<!-- Use "_blank" to open in a new tab -->

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

<!-- Use "_self" to open in the same tab (also the default) -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_self">Example</a>

<!-- Use "_parent" to open in the parent frame -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_parent">Example</a>

<!-- Use "_top" to open in the topmost frame -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="_top">Example</a>

Correct: Using a custom named browsing context

If you intend to target a specific named window or frame rather than using a keyword, remove the underscore prefix:

<!-- Valid: "myframe" is a custom browsing context name -->

<a href="https://example.com" target="myframe">Open in myframe</a>

<!-- Valid: targeting a named iframe -->

<iframe name="content-frame" src="about:blank"></iframe>
<a href="https://example.com" target="content-frame">Load in iframe</a>

A common mistake is using _new with the intention of opening a link in a new tab. While some browsers may treat _new similarly to _blank, it is not a valid keyword. Use _blank instead. Note that when using target="_blank", it’s a good security practice to also include rel="noopener" (though modern browsers now do this by default):

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