UCSF School of Pharmacy

Pop-Up Windows

Avoid using pop-up windows for these reasons:

1. They are annoying. Pop-up windows are annoying because they create an unrequested -- and therefore unexpected -- response. When one appears, the visitor is temporarily no longer in control, which can create a negative feeling toward the site.
2. People have been trained to hate them. They are so frequently used for advertisements and non-essential content of all sizes that visitors might instinctively close the window before seeing any of the content within it. If you put a critical message in a pop-up window, what is the consequence if someone doesn't see your message?
3. They can be blocked anyway. The computer a visitor is using may have software installed that blocks pop-up windows or Javascript might be disabled or otherwise unavailable. If the visitor is using a shared computer, such as in a library or cafe or a friend's home, he or she might not know how to disable the pop-up blocking software or enable Javascript.
4. Removing functionality is not our style. Pop-up windows enable the site designer to remove browser menus, address bars, buttons, status bars, and similar chrome, but doing so removes expected functionality from the visitor. For example: How do I bookmark this page? How do I print it?
5. They break the behavior of the Back button, which is arguably the most important navigation element within a Web browser: Every Web browser has it, and everyone who has used the Web knows what it is and what it's supposed to do. Breaking the Back button is like burning a bridge behind you.
6. They can make it harder -- not easier -- for a visitor to return to your site:

   • Some visitors may not realize that a pop-up window appeared, especially if the new window closely or exactly overlaps the parent window. And some visitors may have forgotten that the pop-up window appeared if they continued browsing for a long time in the new window.

     If they try to use the Back button to return to your site, it doesn't work, and they might not immediately understand why. They might eventually close the new window and find your site underneath, but their experience has already been damaged by the temporary frustration.

   • If we use pop-up windows sometimes but not always, a visitor might accidentally close a parent window thinking it was a pop-up window, thereby losing his or her original place in the site. Example: "I've got too many windows open -- I need to close all these new ones that popped up. Oops! That was the window I wanted to keep!"

   In both cases, the pop-up window can be frustrating -- rather than helpful -- in getting users to return to your site.

How to avoid pop-up windows used for important information

If you have particularly important information you want to communicate, such as news or updated information, put it right on your page, then use structured headings, em tags, strong tags, or Boxes to draw attention.

How to avoid pop-up windows used for linking to external sites

If you want to link to an external site, just link to it; don't use a pop-up window. Most Web browsers have a way for the user to open a link in a new browser window, and each browser vendor does this a little differently. Honor your visitor's expectations when he or she has learned that feature of his or her browser by letting him or her remain in control of how windows open. For example: "If I had wanted a new window, I would have opened a new window myself."

Go To: Interaction Design or Style Guide