# How can I open URLs (not links) in Firefox without C&P. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995 "2009-06-25T22:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/1 "2009-06-25T22:56:56Z")
Can any Firefox Power Users help me out here? I did a little Googling and wasn’t able to turn up anything. Is there a way that FF3 can open a URL in a new tab when that URL isn’t a hyperlink on the web page? Currently FF3 has the ability to highlight a word and within the left-click context menu you can Google the term/phrase, but nothing to open a URL if you highlight it. This seems like an obvious omission and I’m guessing there’s a option or plug-in out there that does this. Thoughts? [http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) I want to be able to highlight the link above and open it without having to copy, open a blank tab and paste it in. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/2 "2009-06-25T22:59:58Z")
This is a hijack but K-Meleon can do that, it’s a great browser and like Firefox it’s based on Mozilla. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/3 "2009-06-25T23:10:09Z")
The Firefox add-on [Plain Text to Link](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/623) lets you do exactly what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/4 "2009-06-25T23:15:11Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The Firefox add-on [Plain Text to Link](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/623) lets you do exactly what you want. Knew it’d be something simple. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/5 "2009-06-25T23:40:00Z")
This isn’t what the OP asked for, but you can highlight the plaintext url with your cursor and drag it to the address bar. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/6 "2009-06-26T00:50:52Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > This isn’t what the OP asked for, but you can highlight the plaintext url with your cursor and drag it to the address bar. That doesn’t open in a new tab, though. I use the [linkification](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/190) extension. It has a little icon at the bottom of the browser to turn it on for the page I’m viewing, so that it doesn’t go nuts with links I don’t need to have. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/7 "2009-06-26T02:40:47Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > This isn’t what the OP asked for, but you can highlight the plaintext url with your cursor and drag it to the address bar. > [@GuanoLad](#): > > That doesn’t open in a new tab, though. It does for me. What am I doing differently? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/8 "2009-06-26T02:47:54Z")
Try [this](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6003) ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/9 "2009-06-26T03:50:12Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > It does for me. What am I doing differently? I believe **rowrrbazzle** meant the tab bar, not the address bar. If I select **Omniscient** ’s link and drag it to a blank bit of the tab bar, it spawns a new tab. This is somewhat suboptimal, though, as it requires the tab bar to be visible, which is not always the case. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/10 "2009-06-26T04:42:05Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > I believe **rowrrbazzle** meant the tab bar, not the address bar. If I select **Omniscient** ’s link and drag it to a blank bit of the tab bar, it spawns a new tab. This is somewhat suboptimal, though, as it requires the tab bar to be visible, which is not always the case. No, I drag it to the address bar and a new tab opens. Although your way works as well. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/11 "2009-06-26T05:42:33Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > No, I drag it to the address bar and a new tab opens. Although your way works as well. Huh, I never knew about the tab bar thing. It could be that _I’m_ the one with the unusual settings, re: address bar dragging. I expect some of my extensions may have changed things around occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/12 "2009-06-26T06:32:36Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Huh, I never knew about the tab bar thing. > > It could be that _I’m_ the one with the unusual settings, re: address bar dragging. I expect some of my extensions may have changed things around occasionally. When I drag it to my address bar it doesn’t open a new tab but instead loads the page in the current one. Dragging it to the Tab bar works like a charm too. That one never occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/13 "2009-06-26T11:40:39Z")
Select the URL by dragging your mouse pointer across it, and then middle-click anywhere in the browser window (except on a link). This works on GNU/Linux; not sure if it will work on Microsoft Windows. If not, try copying the URL into your clipboard (Ctrl+C) and then middle-clicking in the browser window. (Needless to say, this requires a three-button mouse, or a two-button one configured to emulate a third button when both buttons are clicked simultaneously.) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/14 "2009-06-26T20:27:13Z")
> [@postcards](#): > > No, I drag it to the address bar and a new tab opens. Although your way works as well. > [@Omniscient](#): > > When I drag it to my address bar it doesn’t open a new tab but instead loads the page in the current one. I think the two have FireFox options set differently. There are settings for opening a link in a new window or new tab, switching to a new tab when opened, etc. You could probably ask on the FireFox forums, and some expert will explain how to make it work the way you want. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/15 "2009-06-26T20:34:58Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > This is a hijack but K-Meleon can do that, it’s a great browser and like Firefox it’s based on Mozilla. Sorry, but anything K-Meleon can do FF can do three times better with knobs on. 🙂 BTW I’m using Firefox 3.5 Beta and I promise you people are going to be just blown away by its speed when it goes official. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-open-urls-not-links-in-firefox-without-c-p/500995/16 "2009-06-27T03:45:02Z")
Actually, the first source of confusion is that I wrote browser Creole. 🙂 “Address bar” is what the field is called in IE! I should’ve written “location bar”. The other source of confusion is that I use Tab Mix Plus and have it set to always open a new tab if I type in a URL, which also happens if I drag the URL up. But I had no idea it’d work for the tab bar, too! Thanks for pointing that out.