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4 Ways to Preview Website Links Without Opening in Chrome

We are enormously dependent on Google search results for our queries. While Google can help you find the answer to a question, it is up to us to choose the website that can help us. And you’d agree that it’s a hassle to open and check each website link to find our answer. Thankfully, you can visit the website without actually clicking the link. Below are a few working methods to preview search results without opening or clicking links in Google Chrome.

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Preview Search Results Without Opening Links in Chrome

There are several ways to peek at the website without having to open or click on it. You can use third-party extensions, the built-in method in Chrome, and even check if the website is safe to visit without opening it. Read on.


Method 1- Preview Websites With Instant Preview Extension

Instant Preview is an easy-to-use extension that lets you quickly preview search results without opening them. It does an excellent job of letting you access web pages without having to open them, and here’s how to install and use this extension.

Step 1: Visit the Instant Preview extension page. Click on Add to Chrome -> Add Extension.

Preview Website Links Without Opening- Instant Preview Extension

Step 2: This extension needs a little configuration before you start using them. So, click on the extension’s icon in the top right corner.

Step 3: Click on the three dots icon next to the instant preview extension. Now click on Options.

Preview Website Links Without Opening- Instant Preview Extension

Step 4: The default iframe option did not work well in our usage. Hence we recommend selecting the window option in the options menu.

Preview Website Links Without Opening- Instant Preview Extension

Step 5: Now preview the webpage by hovering around the search result, and it will open up in a viewer on the side, where you can access the website as you do normally, in a new tab.

Preview Website Links Without Opening- Instant Preview Extension

Step 6: You will also find a few options to preview the page at the top of this viewer. You can zoom in, zoom out, or even maximize into a new tab.

Preview Website Links Without Opening- Instant Preview Extension

Method 2- Use Link Preview Sidebar Extension to See Without Opening Links

Link Preview Sidebar is another smooth and stable extension that lets you preview search results without opening them in a tab in Chrome. If you are not a fan of being able to preview just by hovering around the link, this extension provides a preview only when you go through a few clicks. Here’s how to install and use this extension.

Step 1: Visit the Link Preview Sidebar extension. Click on Add to Chrome -> Add Extension.

Link Preview Sidebar

Step 2: Once the search results load, right-click on the website you want to preview and click on Open in sidebar.

Link Preview Sidebar- See Website Without Clicking Link

Step 3: You can now access the preview of the website in a small window on the right side of the tab. Just like the previous extension, you can access the website normally within the preview, as you can in a new tab.

Link Preview Sidebar- See Website Without Clicking Link

Method 3- URL Render Extension to See Website Without Opening

URL – Render is probably the most feature-rich extension that allows you to preview search results without opening them in a new tab. It also is the most widely used alternative and is a highly rated extension. And it is safe to say, our experience aligned with our expectations. Here’s a step-by-step procedure to install and use this extension.

Step 1: Visit the URL – Render extension page. Click on Add to Chrome -> Add Extension.

See Website Link Without Opening With URL Render Extension

Step 2: Hover over a link from your search result, and you will have the preview of the same in a window on the right-hand side.

See Website Link Without Opening With URL Render Extension

Step 3: You will also find options to enlarge the window vertically or diagonally or even maximize it into a new tab.

See Website Link Without Opening With URL Render Extension

Step 4: To explore ways by which you can customize the preview, click on the extension’s icon in the top right corner.

Step 5: Click on the three dots icon next to the URL Render extension, now click on Options.

See Website Link Without Opening With URL Render Extension

Step 6: In the options menu, you will find a few settings to tweak the preview. Our favorite feature has to be the delay since it does get quite annoying to have a preview opened up every time you move your mouse. So in case you want a preview of the link, you can set the time delay to hover your mouse for around a second.

See Website Link Without Opening With URL Render Extension

Method 4- Preview Search Results on Mobile Devices

The good news on Android and iOS is that you do not need any third-party extension to preview search results links in Chrome. You can simply use the built-in feature to preview websites, as shown below.

Preview Website Links on Android (Chrome)

Step 1: Load up the search results and long press on the link that you want to preview.

Step 2: In the pop-up menu that opens up, click on Preview Page.

Step 3: A preview will now pop up in your window. You can either scroll and access the website within the preview or even maximize it to a new tab.

Preview Website Links on iOS (Safari)

Like Android, it’s easy to preview links in Google Chrome on iPhones and iPad. However, since Safari is the default browser, here’s how you can do it on Safari:

Step 1: Load up the search results on Safari.

Step 2: Long press the search result website you want to preview.

Step 3: The preview will now open up in a small window.

You also get several options along with it. This includes opening it up as a new tab or quickly bookmarking the website using the Add to Reading list option.

Bonus- Check if the Link is Safe Without Visiting or Opening it

While we can agree that speed and efficiency while browsing is important, we would ideally recommend prioritizing safety above everything else. So before you go visiting all the websites from your search results, take a step back, and ensure whether the link is even safe and secure in the first place. Here’s an easy method to do so.

Step 1: Visit the VirusTotal website. This website allows you to quickly check if the URL of the website is safe and genuine.

Step 2: Click on the URL tab.

Step 3: Now, enter the website URL in the field provided. Click on the search icon in the box, or hit the enter key on your keyboard.

Step 4: Now, you can look at a detailed report regarding how safe the website is. Depending on what VirusTotal says, you can ensure whether the link is safe to visit or not.

Wrapping Up

So these were some of our tried and tested ways to preview search results and links without opening or clicking them in Google Chrome. We hope you go through all of these methods and select the one that suits your preference. Stay tuned for more such articles to enhance your browsing experience on Google Chrome.