This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Avatar for Username

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Hierdie gesprek is in die argief. Vra asseblief 'n nuwe vraag as jy hulp nodig het.

How can I prevent "CTRL + Alt + Click" from opening a link?

drkh
drkh
more options

When I want to select the text of multiple links, I can successfully do it for the first link with "Alt + Mouse select," which generates highlight on the link text. But when I proceed to highlight any of the other links with "CTRL + Alt + Mouse select," that link is immediately opened to a new tab after I release the mouse key, though highlighting is still done successfully.

Releasing the mouse key is the completion of a click. So the question is... how can I prevent "CTRL + Alt + Click" from opening a link? Isn't "CTRL + Click" is already there for the same purpose?

"CTRL + Alt + Click" opens a link even in Firefox's safe mode. So, it's not an extension problem.

When I want to select the text of multiple links, I can successfully do it for the first link with "Alt + Mouse select," which generates highlight on the link text. But when I proceed to highlight any of the other links with "CTRL + Alt + Mouse select," that link is immediately opened to a new tab after I release the mouse key, though highlighting is still done successfully. Releasing the mouse key is the completion of a click. So the question is... how can I prevent "CTRL + Alt + Click" from opening a link? Isn't "CTRL + Click" is already there for the same purpose? "CTRL + Alt + Click" opens a link even in Firefox's safe mode. So, it's not an extension problem.

All Replies (3)

Wesley Branton
Wesley Branton
more options

This is the regular behavior for Firefox. The Ctrl + Click combination is used for opening a link in a new tab. There is no preset for the Ctrl + Alt + Click function in Firefox and Firefox will therefore detect that you have pressed Ctrl + Click and will open the last clicked link in a new tab.

If you would like to select multiple links, I would try the Multi Links Plus add-on.

For more information on the Firefox keyboard shortcuts, please refer to this Mozilla support article:

drkh
drkh Vraag-eienaar
more options

Oh, I see! Thanks.

I have Multi LInks Plus, but my goal is to select (highlight) the text of multiple links, not to open them.

If I can not use "CTRL + Alt + Mouse select" for links other than the first one, what else can I utilize?

Wesley Branton
Wesley Branton
more options

You can select multiple sections of text by simply holding down the Ctrl key while clicking and dragging the selection. Unfortunately, it is not possible to highlight text within a link unless you select the entire link because clicking the link will result in the page loading.