"Load webpage" also opens external browser for some websites (e.g. BBC)

Author: pointslinespolygonsCreated Aug 8, 2026Updated Aug 8, 2026

Describe the bug When a feed is configured with Default open target for articles → Load webpage, some articles load correctly inside Fluent Reader but also open simultaneously in the system's default web browser.

This appears to be website-specific. For example, BBC Sport articles exhibit this behavior, while articles from www.thestar.com load inside Fluent Reader without opening the external browser.

To Reproduce

  1. Add or synchronize a BBC Sport RSS feed.
  2. Go to Settings → Sources.
  3. Select the BBC Sport source.
  4. Set Default open target for articles to Load webpage.
  5. Return to the article list.
  6. Select a BBC Sport article.
  7. The webpage loads inside Fluent Reader as expected, but the same article also opens in the system's default browser.

For comparison, repeating the same steps with a source from www.thestar.com results in the webpage loading only inside Fluent Reader.

Expected behavior When Load webpage is selected, I expect the article's webpage to load inside Fluent Reader without also launching the system's default browser.

Screenshots I can provide screenshots of the source configuration showing Load webpage selected and the resulting behavior if helpful.

Platform (please complete the following information):

  • OS: Windows 11
  • Version: Fluent Reader 1.2.2

Additional context The feeds are synchronized from a FreshRSS server using its Google Reader-compatible API.

The issue does not appear to affect all websites. www.thestar.com works as expected with Load webpage, while BBC Sport articles trigger both the embedded webpage and the external browser.

Because the webpage successfully loads inside Fluent Reader, the embedded webpage functionality itself appears to be working. The issue seems related to navigation or redirect behavior specific to certain websites.

Source: yang991178/fluent-reader