---
title: "How to open specific Tab by default in WordPress?"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/open-specific-tab-by-default-in-wordpress/
date: 2023-02-10
modified: 2026-09-14
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "The first tab is not always the one you want people to read first. One setting decides which tab is already open when the page loads. For every Tabs Tours..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/open-specific-tab-by-default-in-wordpress-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 400
---

# How to open specific Tab by default in WordPress?

## Key Takeaways

- Tabs Tours en Nexter Blocks abre una pestaña por defecto con la opción Default Active Tab, que usa la posición de la pestaña, por ejemplo 3 para la tercera pestaña.
- Nexter Blocks permite hasta 10 pestañas en Tabs Tours, aunque el desplegable muestra números hasta 15; si el número supera la cantidad de pestañas, no se preabre ninguna.
- Tabs Tours aplica la elección en cada carga de página y por bloque, así que al reordenar las pestañas hay que revisar el número y cada bloque necesita su propio ajuste.

The first tab is not always the one you want people to read first.

One setting decides which tab is already open when the page loads.

*For every Tabs Tours setting in one place, see the [Tabs Tours block guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-tabs-on-wordpress/).*

[LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/blocks/wordpress-tab-content/)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** Free — works in Nexter Blocks (free) and with Nexter Blocks Pro.- **Block to enable:** Tabs Tours, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **Your sections planned:** one tab per section, and the block takes up to **10 tabs**.

## Steps

- Add the **Tabs Tours** block to your page and click **Design from Scratch**.

- Open the **Content** panel. Each item in **Tabs** is one tab — set its **Title**, and click **Add Tab** for more.

![The Tabs repeater with a tab's Title field](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tabs-tours-tabs-list.webp)

- Set each tab's **Content Type** and fill in its content.

![The Content Type setting on a tab](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tabs-tours-content-type.webp)

- Open the **Extra Options** panel and set **Default Active Tab** to the tab's position — 3 for the third tab.

![The Default Active Tab setting set to 3](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tabs-tours-default-tab.webp)

- Publish the page and load it to check the right tab opens.

## How It Behaves

- The number is the tab's **position** in the list, not its title. Setting 3 opens the third tab with its content already shown.- Visitors can still switch to any other tab as normal.- Reordering the tabs changes which one the number points at, so check this setting after rearranging.- The choice applies every time the page loads — it is not remembered per visitor.

## Limitations

- The dropdown lists numbers up to 15, but the block only takes 10 tabs. Choosing 11 or higher matches no tab.- If the number is higher than the number of tabs you actually have, no tab is pre-opened.- It is a position, not a link — to send someone to a particular tab from elsewhere, use [a link to a specific tab](https://nexterwp.com/docs/link-specific-tab-item-in-wordpress/) instead.- The setting is per block, so two Tabs blocks on a page each need their own.

## Troubleshooting

### The first tab still opens

The number is probably higher than the number of tabs. Count the tabs in the **Content** panel and use a position within that range.

### The wrong tab opens after I reordered them

The setting points at a position. Reordering moves the tabs but not the number, so update it to the tab's new position.

### I want a link that opens a certain tab

That is a different feature — see [linking to a specific tab](https://nexterwp.com/docs/link-specific-tab-item-in-wordpress/).

## Related Docs

- [Link to a specific tab](https://nexterwp.com/docs/link-specific-tab-item-in-wordpress/)- [Change tabs on hover](https://nexterwp.com/docs/change-wordpress-tabs-on-hover/)- [Tabs Tours block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-tabs-on-wordpress/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How do I open a specific tab by default in WordPress?**
A: The tab that opens first is controlled by the Default Active Tab setting in the Tabs Tours block. In Nexter Blocks, that number matches the tab’s position in the list, so setting 3 opens the third tab with its content already visible. This matters because the page load state is fixed every time the page opens, not per visitor. The block supports up to 10 tabs, so keep the position within that range.

**Q: Why does the first tab still open instead of the one I chose?**
A: That usually means the number you entered is higher than the number of tabs in the block. The Tabs Tours block only takes 10 tabs, and if you pick a position that does not exist, no tab is pre-opened as intended. Count the items in the Content panel and match Default Active Tab to a real tab position. Nexter Blocks uses position numbers, not titles, so the label on the tab does not matter.

**Q: What happens if I reorder tabs after setting a default tab?**
A: Reordering changes which tab sits at each position, but Default Active Tab still points to the same number. That means a setting like 3 will open whichever tab is now third in the list, even if it used to be a different one. This is a common gotcha when editing layouts later. After rearranging tabs, recheck the default position so the right content opens on page load.

**Q: Can I use this with Nexter Blocks Free or do I need Pro?**
A: The tutorial says this works in Nexter Blocks Free and with Nexter Blocks Pro. The only block you need to enable is Tabs Tours under Nexter > Blocks in your WordPress dashboard. That makes it useful for simple tabbed layouts without extra setup. The page also notes that each Tabs Tours block can take up to 10 tabs, so plan your sections around that limit.

**Q: How many tabs can I set as default in one Tabs Tours block?**
A: One Tabs Tours block has a single Default Active Tab setting, and it applies to that block only. The dropdown lists numbers up to 15, but the block itself only takes 10 tabs, so values above 10 do not match any real tab. If you have two Tabs blocks on one page, each one needs its own default setting because the choice is per block.

**Q: How do I link someone directly to a specific tab instead of opening it by default?**
A: That is a different feature from Default Active Tab. The default setting controls which tab is already open when the page loads, while a direct link sends someone to a particular tab from elsewhere. For that use case, Nexter WP provides [linking to a specific tab](https://nexterwp.com/docs/link-specific-tab-item-in-wordpress/). That separation matters because one is about initial page state and the other is about navigation from another link.