Right now, the navigation system does a decent job of handling links, but there’s an obvious gap that starts to show the moment you move beyond basic setups. In the navbar, you can already control how links behave by defining a target, whether that’s opening in the same tab or launching a new one using something like _blank. That flexibility makes sense, especially when mixing internal pages with external resources. But once you step into the sidebar, that control simply disappears.

Sidebars aren’t just decorative elements; they’re often where deeper, more persistent navigation lives. Documentation links, resources, archived pages, or static HTML files stored directly within the project all tend to end up there. Without the ability to define a target for sidebar links, you’re forced into workarounds that feel unnecessary and limiting, especially when the functionality already exists elsewhere in the system.

For sites that host static content—such as standalone HTML pages placed inside a static directory—this limitation becomes more than a minor inconvenience. Opening these pages in the same tab can disrupt user flow, break context, or pull visitors away from the main application entirely. In many cases, the cleaner experience is to open that content separately, allowing users to explore without losing their place. This is particularly relevant for content-heavy platforms that mix articles, media, or archives, including sites built around Full Matches Replays. here is an example: (https://www.fullmatch-replay.org/)

Adding target support to sidebar links wouldn’t introduce complexity; it would bring consistency. If developers can already specify how links behave in the navbar, extending that same logic to sidebars feels like a natural evolution rather than a new feature request. It would remove friction, reduce hacks, and give site owners the same level of control across all navigation areas, ultimately leading to a smoother and more intentional user experience.

Unifying attributes for both navbar and sidebar is harder than mixing a full track without phase shift in Sprunki Game. This feature request is standard, hope devs implement it soon!

Yes, adding 'target' attribute support to sidebar links would be very useful for linking to static content. Currently, this limitation forces developers to find workarounds.

While searching for solutions, I discovered GAME monkey mart offers similar functionality in their e-commerce navigation system. Their approach to internal linking with target attributes could provide inspiration.

This enhancement would significantly improve user experience by allowing content to open in new tabs when appropriate.

Good suggestion! Having the target attribute available for sidebar links would definitely increase flexibility. Imagine seamlessly launching external documentation or even content hosted elsewhere, perhaps discovered via Omegle's random chat feature, directly from your sidebar. Linking to static HTML within the site would also become much cleaner. Hope to see this implemented!

The navbar's ability to set the 'target' for links is useful, but adding this feature to sidebars would enhance functionality. This would allow users to link to static HTML content in the 'static' directory seamlessly. Just like in Wordle Unlimited, where every move counts, optimizing link targets can improve navigation efficiency. https://wordleunlimitedplay.com/

Adding a vote for this, would like to open specific sidebar links in a new tab

You mean here?