Title: WordPress removing target attributes Last modified: August 18, 2016 --- # WordPress removing target attributes * [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/) * Can anyone think of any reason why worpdress would be removing the target attribute from anchors? * I have a series of posts where we enter ‘target=”_blank”‘ in the anchor but after saving it the target attributes are removed. * We’ve run into this problem using the web based editor as well as the xmlrpc interface * TIA Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/page/2/?output_format=md) * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359631) * If you’re using the wysiwyg, yes, this will happen. Try when needing to add the target attribute disabling the wysiwyg for that post. * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359643) * >> If you’re using the wysiwyg, yes, this will happen. * This happens even when using the xmlrpc interface. * Is there some way to disable this as it seems rather heavy-handed to be messing with my HTML * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359644) * >> If you’re using the wysiwyg, yes, this will happen. * So why the heck does the WYSIWYG editor have an option to do this? I can add the target attribute in the WYSIWYG editor and then it just removes it? * That doesn’t make any sense at all. * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359646) * Just confirmed it. Add a link with a target attribute in the WYSIWYG editor and then save it and the editor removes the attribute. * Where do you report bugs and does anyone know of a fix for this? * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359648) * Is it a bug, per se? Or is it a case where the editor is trying to keep your xhtml compliant? * Out of curiosity, what happens if you go to Options -> Writing and uncheck the option: `"WordPress should correct invalidly nested XHTML automatically"`? * Same or different behavior? * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359649) * Bugs to: [http://trac.wordpress.org/](http://trac.wordpress.org/) * I don’t know what the “xmlrpc interface” is or does, but usually you can get around the stripping code problem by disabling the wysiwyg editor and using the normal one. * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359650) * >> Is it a bug, per se? * If the editor adds a tag attribute and then rips it out then I can’t see that it is anything other than a bug. * >> Out of curiosity, what happens if you go to Options -> Writing and uncheck the option: “WordPress should correct invalidly nested XHTML automatically”? * Its not checked. * The bug only happens, it appears, when I add a post with the WYSIWYG editor. I’ve added a draft post using w.bloggar and then editied it repeatedly and while the editor does indeed modify the HTMl adn moves the tag it does not remove it. * I need to confirm this with another site author who is using ecto on the Mac. * It only removes it, AFAICT, when I use the WYSIWYG editor. * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359653) * >> I don’t know what the “xmlrpc interface” is or does, but usually you can get around the stripping code problem by disabling the wysiwyg editor and using the normal one. * Well if I’m going to do that then I’ll just not use the web based editor at all as its a bit of a PITA to edit anything other than a small post in the text view of the web based editor. * [Chris_K](https://wordpress.org/support/users/handysolo/) * (@handysolo) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359654) * Well yeah, not to digress but… I’ll agree. I think the wysiwyg thing delivered with 2.x is the devil. * The non-wysiwyg one is tolerable for shorter articles. * Otherwise, I tend to use the [Performancing plugin for Firefox](http://performancing.com/firefox) or w.bloggar. * Sorry for the digression. 🙂 * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359656) * pixelgeek: yes, it’s all a PITA. For short posts, the plain ol’ plain ol’ works okay (at least for me – I don’t post graphics, music, video etc. – and I have autolinks for links, or in a pinch the quickbutton for links works fine). For longer posts I compose in notepad2, then upload using the plain html interface. * Occasionally, I’ve been known to go into the database to edit a post, depending on situation. * But really, the wysiwyg shipped with 2.0.2 is fair useless. * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359664) * >> But really, the wysiwyg shipped with 2.0.2 is fair useless. * Is it a new feature or did it just not get tested before the release? * [vkaryl](https://wordpress.org/support/users/vkaryl/) * (@vkaryl) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359671) * Well, it’s new in the 2.0 branch. As to testing, I couldn’t really say. One assumes things get tested. This has so many bugs, one would equally assume one was wrong…. * All I really know about the wysiwyg is that I’ve had the same one on other programs I use, it’s always been a POS, so even if I’d WANTED to use a wysiwyg with WP, I would have given this one a pass. * But that’s just me: while I don’t hand code, I can so I know what’s good coding. The included wysiwyg doesn’t produce good code. One could justify that by saying“ it makes posting life SO much easier for those who aren’t web-savvy” or whatever. But since it does just the opposite, it’s a complete bust. * [Sushubh](https://wordpress.org/support/users/sushubh/) * (@sushubh) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-359672) * i had say the rich text editor should not be the default option in the blog. it sucks to disable it for new users added to the blog… * Thread Starter [pixelgeek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pixelgeek/) * (@pixelgeek) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-360008) * It appears that this happens no matter what editor or input method you use as long as the authors are not at least an Editor. * Somewhere in the code the backend strips out attributes from anchors * [Pizdin Dim](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pizdin_dim/) * (@pizdin_dim) * [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/#post-360012) * > _Is it a bug, per se?_ * I don’t use the RTE nor am I familiar with it but it’s **very likely** to be ** by deliberate design** and not a bug at all. * Unless, of course, it deliberately claims to produce non XHTML compliant code, which is pretty unlikely. Keep in mind that in XHTML the _target_ attribute is depreciated and is destined to be as dead as disco one day. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 17 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘WordPress removing target attributes’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 17 replies * 5 participants * Last reply from: [Pizdin Dim](https://wordpress.org/support/users/pizdin_dim/) * Last activity: [20 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-removing-target-attributes/page/2/#post-360015) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics