Case ce-0142-link-double-click-select · Scenario scenario-link-click-editing

Double-click on link selects text but may still navigate

OS: Windows 11 Device: Desktop or Laptop Any Browser: Chrome 120.0 Keyboard: US Status: draft
link click double-click navigation chrome

Phenomenon

When double-clicking on a link in a contenteditable element in Chrome, the link text is selected for editing, but the link may still navigate if the double-click is too fast or timing is off.

Reproduction example

  1. Create a link: <a href="https://example.com">Link text</a>
  2. Double-click on the link text quickly

Observed behavior

  • Link text is selected
  • But navigation may still occur
  • Timing is critical
  • Behavior is inconsistent

Expected behavior

  • Double-click should select text without navigation
  • Navigation should be prevented during editing
  • Behavior should be consistent
  • Users should be able to edit link text easily

Browser Comparison

  • Chrome/Edge: May navigate on double-click (this case)
  • Firefox: More likely to navigate
  • Safari: Navigation behavior inconsistent

Notes and possible direction for workarounds

  • Prevent default link behavior on all clicks
  • Handle double-click explicitly
  • Allow text selection without navigation
  • Only navigate on explicit activation
Before
Link element
After Double-Click (Bug)
[Navigated to https://example.com]
Double click selects text but also triggers navigation
vs
✅ Expected
Expected: Double click only selects text, no navigation

Browser compatibility matrix

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Current case
Confirmed
Draft
No case documented

All variants (detailed table)

Complete list of all cases for this scenario with full environment details.

Case OS Device Browser Keyboard Status
ce-0101-link-click-navigation-chrome Windows 11 Desktop or Laptop Any Chrome 120.0 US draft
ce-0142-link-double-click-select Windows 11 Desktop or Laptop Any Chrome 120.0 US draft
ce-0164-link-text-editing-navigates macOS 14.0 Desktop or Laptop Any Safari 17.0 US draft

Playground for this case

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Reported environment
OS: Windows 11
Device: Desktop or Laptop Any
Browser: Chrome 120.0
Keyboard: US
Your environment
Sample HTML:
Event log
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0 events
Interact with the editable area to see events here.

Comments & Discussion

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