What needs to be fixed

 mod_articles:   default_items.php

Why this should be fixed

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Create one or more articles with tags assigned
2. Create an Articles module (mod_articles_news or similar)
3. Configure the module to display tags by enabling "Show Tags" option
4. Publish the module on a page where articles with tags are displayed
5. View the frontend page and hover over tag links in the article list
6. Click on tag links that don't have corresponding menu items

Expected result
Tags should either:

• Display as clickable links that lead to proper tag pages/listings, OR
• Display as plain text (non-clickable) if no proper tag page exists
  Introtext (optional):
• I think here should be an option to use the metadescriptionstead of the introtext, it always truncates badly and good metadescription text usually doesnt as is limited to 160 characters (if doing it right).

Actual result

• Tags are rendered as clickable links with href="#" when no proper tag link is available. This creates:
• Broken links that lead nowhere (just scroll to top of page)
• Confusing user experience - users expect clickable links to navigate somewhere
• Invalid/meaningless anchor links in HTML output

How would you fix it

<?php

/**
 * @package     Joomla.Site
 * @subpackage  mod_articles
 *
 * @copyright   (C) 2024 Open Source Matters, Inc. <https://www.joomla.org>
 * @license     GNU General Public License version 2 or later; see LICENSE.txt
 */

defined('_JEXEC') or die;

use Joomla\CMS\HTML\HTMLHelper;
use Joomla\CMS\Language\Text;
use Joomla\CMS\Layout\LayoutHelper;
use Joomla\CMS\Router\Route;

if ($params->get('articles_layout') == 1) {
    $gridCols = 'grid-cols-' . $params->get('layout_columns');
}

?>
<ul class="mod-articles-items<?php echo ($params->get('articles_layout') == 1 ? ' mod-articles-grid ' . $gridCols : ''); ?> mod-list">
    <?php foreach ($items as $item) : ?>
        <?php
        $displayInfo = $item->displayHits || $item->displayAuthorName || $item->displayCategoryTitle || $item->displayDate;
        ?>
        <li>
            <article class="mod-articles-item" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article">

                <?php if ($params->get('item_title') || $displayInfo || $params->get('show_tags') || $params->get('show_introtext') || $params->get('show_readmore')) : ?>
                    <div class="mod-articles-item-content">

                        <?php if ($params->get('item_title')) : ?>
                            <?php $item_heading = $params->get('item_heading', 'h4'); ?>
                            <<?php echo $item_heading; ?> class="mod-articles-title" itemprop="name">
                                <?php if ($params->get('link_titles') == 1) : ?>
                                    <?php $attributes = ['class' => 'mod-articles-link ' . $item->active, 'itemprop' => 'url']; ?>
                                    <?php $link = htmlspecialchars($item->link, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8', false); ?>
                                    <?php $title = htmlspecialchars($item->title, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8', false); ?>
                                    <?php echo HTMLHelper::_('link', $link, $title, $attributes); ?>
                                <?php else : ?>
                                    <?php echo $item->title; ?>
                                <?php endif; ?>
                            </<?php echo $item_heading; ?>>
                        <?php endif; ?>

                        <?php echo $item->event->afterDisplayTitle; ?>

                        <?php if ($displayInfo) : ?>
                            <?php $listClass = ($params->get('info_layout') == 1) ? 'list-inline' : 'list-unstyled'; ?>
                            <dl class="<?php echo $listClass; ?>">
                                <dt class="article-info-term">
                                    <span class="visually-hidden">
                                        <?php echo Text::_('MOD_ARTICLES_INFO'); ?>
                                    </span>
                                </dt>

                                <?php if ($item->displayAuthorName) : ?>
                                    <dd class="mod-articles-writtenby <?php echo ($params->get('info_layout') == 1 ? 'list-inline-item' : ''); ?>">
                                        <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.icon.iconclass', ['icon' => 'icon-user icon-fw']); ?>
                                        <?php echo $item->displayAuthorName; ?>
                                    </dd>
                                <?php endif; ?>

                                <?php if ($item->displayCategoryTitle) : ?>
                                    <dd class="mod-articles-category <?php echo ($params->get('info_layout') == 1 ? 'list-inline-item' : ''); ?>">
                                        <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.icon.iconclass', ['icon' => 'icon-folder-open icon-fw']); ?>
                                        <?php if ($item->displayCategoryLink) : ?>
                                            <a href="<?php echo $item->displayCategoryLink; ?>">
                                                <?php echo $item->displayCategoryTitle; ?>
                                            </a>
                                        <?php else : ?>
                                            <?php echo $item->displayCategoryTitle; ?>
                                        <?php endif; ?>
                                    </dd>
                                <?php endif; ?>

                                <?php if ($item->displayDate) : ?>
                                    <dd class="mod-articles-date <?php echo ($params->get('info_layout') == 1 ? 'list-inline-item' : ''); ?>">
                                        <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.icon.iconclass', ['icon' => 'icon-calendar icon-fw']); ?>
                                        <?php echo $item->displayDate; ?>
                                    </dd>
                                <?php endif; ?>

                                <?php if ($item->displayHits) : ?>
                                    <dd class="mod-articles-hits <?php echo ($params->get('info_layout') == 1 ? 'list-inline-item' : ''); ?>">
                                        <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.icon.iconclass', ['icon' => 'icon-eye icon-fw']); ?>
                                        <?php echo $item->displayHits; ?>
                                    </dd>
                                <?php endif; ?>
                            </dl>
                        <?php endif; ?>

                        <?php if (in_array($params->get('img_intro_full'), ['intro', 'full']) && !empty($item->imageSrc)) : ?>
                            <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.' . $params->get('img_intro_full') . '_image', $item); ?>
                        <?php endif; ?>

                        <?php if ($params->get('show_tags', 0) && $item->tags->itemTags) : ?>
                            <div class="mod-articles-tags">
                                <?php
                                // MODIFICATION: Fix broken tag links by building proper URLs
                                $tagLinks = [];
                                foreach ($item->tags->itemTags as $tag) {
                                    $title = htmlspecialchars($tag->title ?? '', ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8');
                                    
                                    // Build tag URL manually if ID and alias exist
                                    if (!empty($tag->id) && !empty($tag->alias)) {
                                        $tagUrl = 'index.php?option=com_tags&view=tag&id=' . $tag->id . ':' . $tag->alias;
                                        $tagLink = Route::_($tagUrl);
                                        $tagLinks[] = (object) ['link' => $tagLink, 'title' => $title];
                                    } else {
                                        // Fallback to original tag object but without broken link
                                        $tagLinks[] = (object) ['link' => '', 'title' => $title];
                                    }
                                }
                                echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.tags', $tagLinks);
                                ?>
                            </div>
                        <?php endif; ?>

                        <?php echo $item->event->beforeDisplayContent; ?>

                        <?php if ($params->get('show_introtext', 1)) : ?>
                            <?php 
                            // MODIFICATION: Use metadesc instead of introtext if available
                            if (!empty($item->metadesc)) {
                                echo '<div class="mod-articles-metadesc">' . htmlspecialchars($item->metadesc, ENT_COMPAT, 'UTF-8') . '</div>';
                            } else {
                                // Fallback to original introtext
                                echo $item->displayIntrotext;
                            }
                            ?>
                        <?php endif; ?>

                        <?php echo $item->event->afterDisplayContent; ?>

                        <?php if ($params->get('show_readmore')) : ?>
                            <?php if ($params->get('show_readmore_title', '') !== '') : ?>
                                <?php $item->params->set('show_readmore_title', $params->get('show_readmore_title')); ?>
                                <?php $item->params->set('readmore_limit', $params->get('readmore_limit')); ?>
                            <?php endif; ?>
                            <?php echo LayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.readmore', ['item' => $item, 'params' => $item->params, 'link' => $item->link]); ?>
                        <?php endif; ?>
                    </div>
                <?php endif; ?>
            </article>
        </li>
    <?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>