Microsoft Edge supports controversial deep-linking feature
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Key notes
- Scroll to text fragment is supported in Microsoft Edge.
- Still, deep-linking in the browser isn't working when it comes to Google featured snippets.
- Would you like to streamline your browsing experience? Check out our Browsers section for tips and guides!
- You may visit the Edge page to learn more about the new Chromium-based browser.
Back in February, Google announced it was implementing a feature called scroll to text fragment in Chrome. The capability debuted with version 80, before several other Chromium-based browsers followed suit, including Microsoft Edge.
Scroll to text fragment allows developers or website owners to deep link a text snippet in the URL to any part of a web page.
When the user clicks this type of link, it leads them to a specific block of text or phrase on the target web page. This way, deep-linking lets web visitors navigate to what they’re after much faster.
Scroll to text fragment works in Microsoft Edge
Recently, the folks at Techdows experimented on the deep-linking feature in Microsoft Edge. They found that the capability is supported in the new Chromium-based browser.
However, it appears that the implementation of scroll to text fragment in Edge isn’t perfect yet.
It is surprising to learn that Scroll to Text Fragment works in the New Microsoft Edge browser, but Google search isn’t creating Scroll to text links for featured snippets in the Edge browser and that’s why Edge is also not highlighting text on websites when a user comes from by clicking a featured snippet.
The main issue is that Google search isn’t generating deep links for featured snippets in Microsoft Edge.
So, when you click a featured snippet, Edge will not highlight the intended block of text or phrase on the target web page.
Why scroll to text fragment is controversial
Right now, Chrome, new Microsoft Edge, and Opera are some of the browsers that support scroll to text fragment. But Firefox isn’t joining them anytime soon.
Those opposed to deep-linking argue that the capability is open to abuse. For example, a bad actor may send such links to a web page looking to retrieve potentially confidential data or information.
What’s your take on the user privacy issues stemming from deep-linking browser capabilities? You can always ask any question or share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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