DEV 2.4 Do not cause pop-ups or new windows to appear
Pop-ups and new windows are confusing and disorientating (and annoying) for all users. In particular, this can be a problem for users of adaptive technologies.
- Do not cause pop-up windows to occur unless essential.
- Forgivable usage - links to help information about the underlying page, for example on forms, but:
- Always provide a warning on the link that a pop-up will result;
- On the pop-up, always provide an explicit 'close' button;
- The pop-up should avoid obscuring the original page - make it smaller.
What is so wrong with pop-ups?
They cause an unnecessary break in the typical page-based flow of information and, amongst other things, they:
- Cause disorientation;
- Disrupt the history of visited pages;
- Break the 'back' button; and
- Are often blocked by pop -up blockers
