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Why Do You Need the Underscore in target="\_blank"?

Pratik Patel

1.  Feb 25, 2025
2.  4 min read

![](/_astro/Screenshot_2025-02-25_at_3.45.00_PM.width-1000_Z2fPdvp.webp)

If you've ever used target="\_blank" in HTML, you know it opens a link in a new tab or window. But have you ever wondered why the underscore is needed? Let’s break it down.

**The Target Attribute Explained**

The target attribute in an <a> tag specifies where to open the linked document. Here are its main values:

*   **\_blank**: Opens the link in a new window or tab.
*   **\_self**: Opens the link in the same frame (default).
*   **\_parent**: Opens the link in the parent frame.
*   **\_top**: Opens the link in the full body of the window.
*   **<framename>**: Opens the link in a named frame.

**A Bit of History: Frames and Naming**

Before HTML5, developers used <frameset> tags to divide a browser window into multiple frames. Each frame had a unique ID, like id="sidebar" or id="content". The target attribute allowed links in one frame to load content into another frame:

<a href="/pricing" target="content"></a>

Here, clicking the link would load the /pricing page in the frame named "content."

Now, if you used:

<a href="/" target="blank"></a>

The browser would look for a frame named "blank." If none existed, it would open a new tab and assign it the name "blank." Clicking the same link again would reuse that tab because the browser had already named it.

**Why the Underscore?**

The underscore (\_) was introduced to differentiate special values from user-defined frame names. For example, \_blank explicitly tells the browser to open a new tab every time, without reusing an existing one. Similarly, \_self, \_parent, and \_top are reserved keywords, each serving a specific purpose.

**Modern Best Practices**

Since <frameset> is deprecated in HTML5, there’s usually no need to name frames. Instead, use \_blank for opening new tabs. Just remember to include rel="noopener noreferrer" for security and performance reasons:

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

This prevents the new tab from accessing the window.opener object of the original page, safeguarding against potential security vulnerabilities.

**Conclusion**

The underscore in target="\_blank" exists to distinguish built-in behaviors from custom frame names. Although frames are mostly a thing of the past, this convention remains essential for maintaining compatibility and ensuring predictable browser behavior.

_P.S. Don’t use <frameset>—it's deprecated in HTML5._

About Author

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Pratik Patel

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