External link

[michelle-rago]

Our research questions for this potential standard include:

• Would consistent labeling of external links on federal government sites be valuable for users?
• How should an external link be defined? How do users define it? Should it be any link that takes users off the current site, or any link that takes users off a .gov site?
• Do users notice and understand the external link icon?
• How do users interpret textual indicators that a link will take them away from the current site (e.g., Get started with Search.gov, How to write meta descriptions [Google.com])?
• Should this standard include guidance on when a link should open in a new window?