In some pages, there are (still) links marked target="_blank".
Safari opens such link in a new tab.
How to have Safari open such link in the same tab ?
I have Safari 7 on Mavericks. I have older Safari as well.
How to have Safari open links with the evil target attribute open in the same tab
safariuiweb-browserweb-browsingwebsites
Related Solutions
In Safari > Preferences > Tabs, there's a preference for setting when pages should open in windows or tabs.
Look here:
- Open Safari > Preferences and select Tabs along the top
- Under the option for "Open pages in tabs instead of windows:" select "Always" from the drop-down.
This will force every application to open links in tabs.
I've experienced the same thing, new windows instead of tabs opening when control clicking, and it has seemed totally random to me, too.
The Safari Extension 'Link Thing' (maybe 'LinkThing' -?) will, by default, open all links in a new tab without your having to hit control unless the page (e.g. DuckDuckGo) disables and overrides the user's browser preferences.
Best Answer
Install the Safari extension LinkThing to customize links behavior. It should be able to solve your problem, additionally, you can also customize the onsite and offsite links behavior.