diff --git a/src/visualBuilder/listeners/__test__/mouseClick.test.ts b/src/visualBuilder/listeners/__test__/mouseClick.test.ts
index cb65241a..cb41cff9 100644
--- a/src/visualBuilder/listeners/__test__/mouseClick.test.ts
+++ b/src/visualBuilder/listeners/__test__/mouseClick.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
 import handleBuilderInteraction from "../mouseClick";
 import { VisualBuilder } from "../../index";
 import { FieldSchemaMap } from "../../utils/fieldSchemaMap";
@@ -250,3 +250,122 @@ describe("handleBuilderInteraction — pauseFeedback guard", () => {
         expect(generateThread).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 });
+
+describe("handleBuilderInteraction — alt+click on anchor", () => {
+    const originalLocation = window.location;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        Object.defineProperty(window, "location", {
+            value: { href: "" },
+            writable: true,
+        });
+    });
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+        Object.defineProperty(window, "location", {
+            value: originalLocation,
+            writable: true,
+        });
+    });
+
+    it("prevents default/propagation and drives navigation itself instead of relying on the native click", async () => {
+        document.body.innerHTML = "";
+        const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+        anchor.href = "https://example.com/blog#anchor";
+        document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+
+        const params = makeParams(anchor);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+        const preventDefaultSpy = vi.spyOn(params.event, "preventDefault");
+        const stopPropagationSpy = vi.spyOn(params.event, "stopPropagation");
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(preventDefaultSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(stopPropagationSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe("https://example.com/blog#anchor");
+        expect(getCsDataOfElement).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("does nothing on alt+click when the target isn't an anchor", async () => {
+        const editableElement = makeEditableElement();
+        const params = makeParams(editableElement);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+        const preventDefaultSpy = vi.spyOn(params.event, "preventDefault");
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(preventDefaultSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe("");
+        expect(getCsDataOfElement).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("opens target=_blank links (RTE 'open in new tab') in a new tab instead of hijacking the iframe", async () => {
+        document.body.innerHTML = "";
+        const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+        anchor.href = "https://example.com/other-entry";
+        anchor.target = "_blank";
+        document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+
+        const openSpy = vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockImplementation(() => null);
+        const params = makeParams(anchor);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(openSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+            "https://example.com/other-entry",
+            "_blank",
+            "noopener,noreferrer"
+        );
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe("");
+        openSpy.mockRestore();
+    });
+
+    it("resolves the anchor ancestor when the click lands on nested formatted text inside the link", async () => {
+        document.body.innerHTML = "";
+        const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+        anchor.href = "https://example.com/bold-link";
+        const bold = document.createElement("strong");
+        bold.textContent = "click me";
+        anchor.appendChild(bold);
+        document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+
+        const params = makeParams(bold);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+        const preventDefaultSpy = vi.spyOn(params.event, "preventDefault");
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(preventDefaultSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe("https://example.com/bold-link");
+    });
+
+    it("blocks unsafe url schemes like javascript: on alt+click", async () => {
+        document.body.innerHTML = "";
+        const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+        anchor.href = "javascript:alert(1)";
+        document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+
+        const params = makeParams(anchor);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe("");
+    });
+
+    it("allows relative hrefs (resolve to the page's own http/https scheme)", async () => {
+        document.body.innerHTML = "";
+        const anchor = document.createElement("a");
+        anchor.href = "/other-entry";
+        document.body.appendChild(anchor);
+
+        const params = makeParams(anchor);
+        Object.defineProperty(params.event, "altKey", { value: true });
+
+        await handleBuilderInteraction(params);
+
+        expect(window.location.href).toBe(anchor.href);
+    });
+});
diff --git a/src/visualBuilder/listeners/mouseClick.ts b/src/visualBuilder/listeners/mouseClick.ts
index 2f34550f..b874a198 100644
--- a/src/visualBuilder/listeners/mouseClick.ts
+++ b/src/visualBuilder/listeners/mouseClick.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ import { fetchEntryPermissionsAndStageDetails } from "../utils/fetchEntryPermiss
 import { isCustomFieldMultipleInstance } from "../utils/isCustomFieldMultipleInstance";
 import { getParentCslp, getWholeFieldElement } from "../utils/getWholeFieldElement";
 
+const SAFE_URL_SCHEMES = new Set(["http:", "https:", "mailto:", "tel:"]);
+
 export type HandleBuilderInteractionParams = Omit<
     EventListenerHandlerParams,
     "eventDetails" | "customCursor"
@@ -84,7 +86,9 @@ export async function handleBuilderInteraction(
     params: HandleBuilderInteractionParams
 ): Promise<void> {
     const eventTarget = params.event.target as HTMLElement | null;
-    const isAnchorElement = eventTarget instanceof HTMLAnchorElement;
+    // resolve nearest anchor ancestor, not just an exact tag match
+    const anchorElement = eventTarget?.closest("a") ?? null;
+    const isAnchorElement = anchorElement !== null;
     const elementHasCslp =
         eventTarget &&
         (eventTarget.hasAttribute("data-cslp") ||
@@ -115,10 +119,20 @@ export async function handleBuilderInteraction(
         return;
     }
 
+    // Alt+click on a link: navigate explicitly, don't rely on the native
+    // click (browsers alt-click anchors as a download, not a navigation)
     if (params.event.altKey) {
-        if (isAnchorElement) {
+        if (anchorElement) {
+            const { href, target, protocol } = anchorElement;
             params.event.preventDefault();
             params.event.stopPropagation();
+            if (href && SAFE_URL_SCHEMES.has(protocol)) {
+                if (target === "_blank") {
+                    window.open(href, "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+                } else {
+                    window.location.href = href;
+                }
+            }
         }
         return;
     }