Bug: On Attaching Internal Link, Selection Resets to Custom URL after few seconds

[ChiragM999]

Describe the Bug

In Payload CMS, website Template

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

pnpx create-payload-app my-project -t website

Reproduction Steps

• Goto Edit Posts
• Type Some Text, double click to Insert Link
• Edit Link Dialog Opens -> Select Internal Link + Select Desired URL
• After a few seconds, the selection resets to Custom URL

Which area(s) are affected?

area: core

Environment Info

pnpm payload info

> sou-admin@1.0.0 payload /home/chirag/sou-core/sou-admin
> cross-env NODE_OPTIONS=--no-deprecation payload info


Binaries:
  Node: 24.14.1
  npm: 11.11.0
  Yarn: N/A
  pnpm: 10.20.0
Relevant Packages:
  payload: 3.84.1
  next: 16.2.6
  @payloadcms/db-postgres: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/drizzle: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/email-nodemailer: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/graphql: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/live-preview: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/live-preview-react: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/next/utilities: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/payload-cloud: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/plugin-form-builder: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/plugin-nested-docs: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/plugin-redirects: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/plugin-search: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/plugin-seo: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/richtext-lexical: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/translations: 3.84.1
  @payloadcms/ui/shared: 3.84.1
  react: 19.1.1
  react-dom: 19.1.1
Operating System:
  Platform: linux
  Arch: x64
  Version: #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Tue, 23 Jun 2026 21:21:40 +0000
  Available memory (MB): 15612
  Available CPU cores: 16

[github-actions]

Please add a reproduction in order for us to be able to investigate.

Depending on the quality of reproduction steps, this issue may be closed if no reproduction is provided.

Why was this issue marked with the invalid-reproduction label?

To be able to investigate, we need access to a reproduction to identify what triggered the issue. We prefer a link to a public GitHub repository created with create-payload-app@latest -t blank or a forked/branched version of this repository with tests added (more info in the reproduction-guide).

To make sure the issue is resolved as quickly as possible, please make sure that the reproduction is as minimal as possible. This means that you should remove unnecessary code, files, and dependencies that do not contribute to the issue. Ensure your reproduction does not depend on secrets, 3rd party registries, private dependencies, or any other data that cannot be made public. Avoid a reproduction including a whole monorepo (unless relevant to the issue). The easier it is to reproduce the issue, the quicker we can help.

Please test your reproduction against the latest version of Payload to make sure your issue has not already been fixed.

I added a link, why was it still marked?

Ensure the link is pointing to a codebase that is accessible (e.g. not a private repository). "example.com", "n/a", "will add later", etc. are not acceptable links -- we need to see a public codebase. See the above section for accepted links.

Useful Resources

• Reproduction Guide
• Contributing to Payload

[ChiragM999]

Reproduction is as minimal as possible here.