How to Set Individual Managed Metadata Navigation Links to Open in New Window?

Question

I am using a managed metadata term set for the global navigation in my client's site. Most of the global navigation links point to pages in the current site, and should open in the current browser window/tab as the end user is just navigating within the
site content. However, I have one particular node in the navigation term set that points to related content scattered around other external sites. The client wants these links to open a new window.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to set the target for navigation links in the term set. If I was using standard global navigation, I'd be able to select the "Open in new window" checkbox when setting up the link, but that option doesn't appear to be
supported via MMD navigation.
Any clever suggestions?
Thanks!

Answer 1

I had a similarish requirement at a client once upon a time, they wanted any links that went outside of the intranet web applications to open in a new window.
The way we managed that was to use jQuery to overwrite the standard hyperlink references for any hrefs that didn't point to internal sites to use the same javascript functions that SharePoint used for links configured to open in a new window. It worked out
as being about half a dozen lines; check the URL and if it doesn't begin with a set range of options then overwrite the on click behaviour using standard jQuery behaviour.
If you want it site wide then you just add jQuery and the code snippet to the master page, if you just want it in some places then add a CEWP or a HTML form web part to the relevant pages.