cloudflare/vinext

Pages Router: `<Link>` `onClick` / `preventDefault()` semantics broken in new-link-behavior mode

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#1,470 opened on May 22, 2026

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Description

This issue was created by an agent analysing CI failures from the Next.js Deploy Suite (vinext main vs Next.js v16.2.6, 2026-05-22).

Problem

The Pages Router <Link> shim does not correctly invoke onClick handlers and does not honor event.preventDefault() when running in new-link-behavior mode. Clicks on a Link with an onClick prop do not fire the user's handler, and preventDefault() inside it does not block the resulting navigation.

onClick prop not fired on Link click; preventDefault() does not block navigation

Estimated Impact

~2 test failures across the deploy suite.

Affected Test Suites

  • test/e2e/new-link-behavior/index.test.ts (2 failures)

Recommendation

  1. Reproduce first in vinext's own test suite. Add a <Link onClick={(e) => { e.preventDefault(); spy(); }} href="/x"> test and assert spy ran and the address bar did not change.

  2. Match Next.js click-handler semantics. Invoke onClick first, check event.defaultPrevented, and only call router.push() if the click is not prevented.

Contributor guide

Research direction
Examine the Pages Router Link shim in vinext's source code. Add a test case that verifies onClick prop is invoked and clicking a Link with onClick using preventDefault() does not navigate. Ensure the shim invokes the user's onClick before calling router.push and checks event.defaultPrevented.
Tech stack
typescriptreactnextjs
Domain
frontend
Issue type
Bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
2
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitNode.js
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60