“Preview links” can mean several different things in Microsoft Edge. Edge can show a thumbnail-like preview of an already open tab when you hover over that tab, but Microsoft’s Edge documentation does not describe a built-in feature that previews the destination of any hyperlink on a webpage before you click it. Edge also has a URL-format setting for copying a page title as a hyperlink, while Microsoft’s richer title-and-thumbnail “Link Preview” feature belongs to Outlook on the web, not the Edge browser.
First identify the kind of preview you need
Use this quick distinction before changing a setting:
| What you want to preview | Where it works | How it is invoked or controlled |
|---|---|---|
| The contents of an open tab | Microsoft Edge on Windows or macOS | Hover over the tab; the ShowTabPreviewEnabled policy controls whether the preview appears |
| A page title instead of a raw URL when pasting | Edge’s copy-and-paste behavior | Settings & more > Settings > Appearance > Browser behavior and features > URL formatting |
| A title, thumbnail and description for a URL in an email | Outlook.com and Outlook on the web | Outlook Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Link preview |
| A larger view of an image | Edge’s image Magnify feature | Right-click an image, or hover over it and press Ctrl twice |
| The destination of a normal hyperlink on a webpage | No general built-in Edge destination-preview feature is documented in the Microsoft material covered here | Do not confuse this with tab previews, URL-formatting, Outlook previews or Magnify |
How to preview an open tab in Edge
Use the hover preview
- Open the pages you want to compare in separate Edge tabs.
- Move the pointer over an open tab in the tab strip.
- When tab previews are available and enabled, Edge displays a preview of that tab’s content.
This is a preview of content that is already loaded in an open tab. It is not a request to fetch and render an arbitrary link destination on the current page.
Check the supported versions and operating systems
Microsoft’s current Edge policy documentation lists tab-preview support for Edge version 141 or later on Windows and macOS. The same policy entry marks Android and iOS as unsupported. If you are on an older desktop build or a mobile device, the documented policy does not provide a supported way to turn this behavior on.
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When an organization controls the setting
The policy name is ShowTabPreviewEnabled. Leaving the policy unconfigured or enabling it allows the hover preview; disabling it hides the preview. This is an enterprise policy rather than a normal consumer toggle, so a managed computer may require an administrator to review it.
- Windows mandatory policy location:
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge - Windows value name:
ShowTabPreviewEnabled - Value type: Boolean
- macOS preference key:
ShowTabPreviewEnabled
Microsoft’s policy page does not provide a consumer Settings-menu path for enabling tab previews. Do not assume that a missing toggle means the browser is broken; the feature may simply be controlled by policy or unavailable on that platform.
Can Edge preview a website before you click its link?
Not as a documented, general Edge browser feature. The policy described above concerns the contents of an open tab when you hover over a tab. It does not describe hovering over a hyperlink and receiving a rendered preview of the destination page.
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That distinction matters because a destination preview would need to load another page, run its scripts and decide what content to show, whereas a tab preview represents a page Edge has already opened. Microsoft’s official Edge material cited for this topic does not establish a universal absence of third-party extensions, so an extension may offer different behavior; extension availability and safety should be checked separately. The built-in behavior documented here is tab preview, not link-destination preview.
Copy a link with the page title instead of the URL
If by “preview” you mean seeing a readable page title when you paste a link, use Edge’s URL-formatting setting:
- Open Settings and more (the three-dot menu).
- Select Settings.
- Choose Appearance.
- Open Browser behavior and features.
- Under URL formatting, select Change URL copy and paste format.
- Choose Link to paste the page title as a hyperlink, or Plain text to paste the address itself.
You can open the relevant Edge settings page directly at edge://settings/appearance/browserBehavior. Edge’s default behavior is a linked page title. The receiving application still has the final say: some apps replace or ignore enhanced copy-and-paste formatting. If you need the address as web text immediately, use Ctrl + Shift + V where the destination app supports that shortcut.
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This setting changes how a copied URL is pasted. It does not create a hover card, thumbnail or preview of the destination page.
Do not confuse Edge with Outlook’s Link Preview
Microsoft’s Link Preview instructions apply to Outlook.com and Outlook on the web. In those email services, a URL in a message can display a title, thumbnail image and description. The feature is on by default there and is managed in Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Link preview.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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What Edge Magnify does—and does not do
Edge’s Magnify feature enlarges an image. It does not follow a hyperlink or render a preview of the linked page.
- Right-click an image and choose the Magnify command when it is available.
- Alternatively, hover over the image and tap Ctrl twice.
Microsoft describes Magnify as available on recent Windows and macOS versions, but availability can vary. A site that blocks the right-click context menu can prevent the first method. Magnify is therefore useful for inspecting a picture, not for checking where a link leads.
Troubleshooting Edge previews
Nothing appears when I hover over a tab
- Confirm that you are hovering over an open tab, not a hyperlink inside the page.
- Check that your desktop Edge version is 141 or later and that you are using Windows or macOS, the platforms listed for the policy.
- On a managed device, ask your administrator to review
ShowTabPreviewEnabled. A disabled Boolean policy suppresses the preview. - If the policy is unconfigured, the documented behavior allows the preview; a missing consumer setting does not necessarily indicate an installation fault.
I expected a preview of the page behind a link
That is a different feature. The documented tab policy cannot provide it because the target is not an open tab. Edge’s official material covered here does not describe a general built-in destination-link hover card.
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Pasting still gives me the URL
- Return to Settings and more > Settings > Appearance > Browser behavior and features and verify the URL-format choice.
- Choose Link when you want the page title as a hyperlink.
- Test in another destination application. The receiving app may override Edge’s enhanced format.
- Use Ctrl + Shift + V when you specifically need plain web-address text.
Outlook shows no title or thumbnail
Check the Outlook web setting at Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Link preview. Do not look for that control in Edge’s browser settings; it is an Outlook feature.
Magnify is missing
Use a recent Windows or macOS Edge build, try the image context menu, and remember that a site blocking right-click menus can prevent that route. Magnify applies to images, not links.
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The Bottom Line
For an open-page thumbnail, hover an Edge tab on supported desktop versions. For a pasted page-title hyperlink, change URL formatting in Edge. Outlook’s title-and-image preview is an email feature, and Edge Magnify enlarges images. None of these documented controls is a general preview of every hyperlink’s destination.
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