What is the purpose of the target and rel attributes on links?

target controls where a linked resource is opened. For example, target="_blank" requests a new browsing context, commonly a new tab.

rel describes the relationship between the current document and the linked resource. For links opened with _blank, modern browsers provide protections against opener access in many cases, but rel="noopener" is still commonly used for explicitness and compatibility. noreferrer additionally suppresses referrer information and implies opener protection.