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External Links

By Denis de Bernardy

Site Administration & Utilities / URL Redirects & 301 Management

External Links Review - In-Depth Analysis

Manage outgoing links differently from internal links. Add icons, nofollow attributes, and more.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.93/10

User Rating

4.8/5 (based on 36+ reviews)

Active Installations

9,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

The external links plugin for WordPress allows you to manage outgoing links separately from internal links. You can configure various settings to enhance link handling on your site.

Under Settings / External Links, you can process all outgoing links, add an external link icon, and apply nofollow attributes. Additionally, you can choose to open outgoing links in new windows and enable autolink functionality to automatically hyperlink URLs in your content.

The Autolink feature converts plain URLs into clickable links, improving user experience. You can also exclude specific domains from processing. For any issues, the plugin's support forum is available for assistance.

Comparing to Alternatives

External Links stands out among similar plugins by offering straightforward functionality with minimal configuration, making it a reliable choice for managing external links.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use with minimal setup required
Automatically adds icons to external links for better user experience
Allows configuration to open external links in new browser tabs
Reliable and does not break site functionality
Clean and tidy interface for managing external links

Weaknesses

Limited icon customization options
Lacks advanced features found in some alternatives
No pro version with extended capabilities
Basic styling options only

User Sentiment Analysis

Users generally praise the plugin for its simplicity and effectiveness in managing external links without complications.

Positive highlights

"Simple and does the job" - Andy Feliciotti
"Very easy to use, it fulfils its purpose perfectly." - Ramon
"Works perfectly! Nice & tidy little icon is automatically added after all external links." - prodos
"Simple and comfortable to use, really nice style." - FeliceAntonio
"The only of all such plugins that I tried that works fine and did not break anything." - yeoric

Common complaints

Limited icon options
Basic feature set without advanced customization
No premium version for additional features

Weaknesses

Lacks icon customization
No advanced link management features
No paid upgrade available

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users seeking a straightforward, no-fuss plugin to manage external links with automatic icon addition and basic configuration.

Not ideal for

Those needing extensive customization, advanced link management features, or icon personalization may find this plugin limited.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version includes automatic identification and marking of external links with icons, options to open links in new tabs, and basic configuration settings.