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External Links

v6.8.1

by Denis de Bernardy · updated 9 years ago

The external links plugin for WordPress lets you process outgoing links differently from internal links.

external linkslink targetlink-iconnofollowsemiologic
WordPress.org SaveAnalyze reviews Track this plugin
Rank
#2,349
Up2 vs yesterday
Active installs (est.)
≈ 8,520
8K+ reported · High
Total downloads
361K
360,951 all-time
Rating
4.8/5
36 reviews
Support resolved
0%
0 of 1 threads, last 2 months
Growing·Downloads +21.2% (30d)·Toward 9K+ · ETA ~8d

External Links at a glance

External Links is a WordPress plugin by Denis de Bernardy with 8K+ active installs, the #2,349 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 21 times, 21% more than the month before. It’s rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 reviews. Version 6.8.1 came out on Nov 28, 2017, more than 8 years ago. It is tested up to WordPress 4.7.39. It leads the 2 plugins tagged “link target”. It was first released in 2008.

Chart time range

Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 10, 2026, 30 days.

Showing the last 30 days. Full history comes with any paid plan.See plans

Downloads over time

Download stats

393 downloads · the last 30 days

Downloads over time
External Links Compare series
Downloads over time: 19 days across 1 series.2030Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28
View as table
DateExternal Links
Oct 28, 202622
Oct 27, 202627
Oct 26, 202636
Oct 25, 202622
Oct 24, 202615
Oct 23, 202629
Oct 22, 202629
Oct 21, 202622
Oct 20, 202618
Oct 19, 202620
Oct 18, 202613
Oct 17, 202612
Oct 16, 202615
Oct 15, 202620
Oct 14, 202620
Oct 13, 202624
Oct 12, 202619
Oct 11, 202613
Oct 10, 202617

Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.

Estimated installs

≈ 8,519 · -0.6% in the last 30 days

Estimated installs
Estimated installs: 13 days across 1 series.8.5K8.5K8.6KOct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 4.7.39
View as table
DateEstimated installs
Nov 9, 20268,519
Nov 8, 20268,515
Nov 7, 20268,525
Nov 5, 20268,532
Nov 4, 20268,533
Nov 3, 20268,521
Nov 2, 20268,524
Nov 1, 20268,536
Oct 31, 20268,530
Oct 30, 20268,561
Oct 29, 20268,566
Oct 28, 20268,572
Oct 27, 20268,571

Rank over time

#2,349 · up 2 in the last 30 days

Popular rank
Popular rank: 15 days across 1 series.#2.3K#2.4KOct 16Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 4.7.39
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 9, 2026#2,349
Nov 8, 2026#2,351
Nov 7, 2026#2,351
Nov 6, 2026#2,351
Nov 5, 2026#2,348
Nov 4, 2026#2,346
Nov 3, 2026#2,347
Nov 2, 2026#2,348
Nov 1, 2026#2,343
Oct 31, 2026#2,347
Oct 30, 2026#2,344
Oct 29, 2026#2,348
Oct 28, 2026#2,349
Oct 27, 2026#2,348
Oct 16, 2026#2,351

Growth %

Average -0.05% a day in the last 30 days

Growth %, day over day
Growth %, day over day: 12 days across 1 series.0%Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9
View as table
DateGrowth
Nov 9, 2026+0.05%
Nov 8, 2026-0.12%
Nov 7, 2026-0.04%
Nov 5, 2026-0.01%
Nov 4, 2026+0.14%
Nov 3, 2026-0.04%
Nov 2, 2026-0.14%
Nov 1, 2026+0.07%
Oct 31, 2026-0.36%
Oct 30, 2026-0.06%
Oct 29, 2026-0.07%
Oct 28, 2026+0.01%

Active installs band

8K+ on WordPress.org

Active installs (rounded band)
Active installs (rounded band): 15 days across 1 series.8KOct 16Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 4.7.39
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 9, 20268K+
Nov 8, 20268K+
Nov 7, 20268K+
Nov 6, 20268K+
Nov 5, 20268K+
Nov 4, 20268K+
Nov 3, 20268K+
Nov 2, 20268K+
Nov 1, 20268K+
Oct 31, 20268K+
Oct 30, 20268K+
Oct 29, 20268K+
Oct 28, 20268K+
Oct 27, 20268K+
Oct 16, 20268K+

Search rankings

Where it appears in WordPress.org search for the searches you track, checked every day.

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Change log

From our daily snapshot of WordPress.org
  1. Rank #2349 → #2348
    • Tested up to 4.7.38 → 4.7.39

Versions in use

Share of active installs on each published version, from WordPress.org.

  • v6.895%
  • Other4.8%

Rating trend

4.8★★★★★36 reviews · steady in the last 30 days

Requirements & info

Version history
Version
6.8.1
Requires WordPress
2.8
Tested up to
4.7.39
Requires PHP
–
First released
Dec 20, 2008
Last updated
Nov 28, 2017
Releases, last 12 months
…

Questions about External Links

How many websites use External Links?

External Links is active on 8K+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #2,349 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.

How many times has External Links been downloaded?

360,951 times in total since 2008. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 21 times. See download stats

When was External Links last updated?

Version 6.8.1 came out on Nov 28, 2017 (8 years ago). See every release

Is External Links compatible with the latest WordPress?

External Links’s readme says it’s tested up to WordPress 4.7.39, while the current version is 7.1. That doesn’t mean it breaks, but its author hasn’t confirmed it works with the latest releases.

Does External Links have known security vulnerabilities?

No. WPVulnerability’s database lists no known vulnerabilities for External Links. See its security record

Is External Links still maintained?

Its last release was 8 years ago, so it may no longer be actively maintained. Its authors resolved 0 of the 1 support threads opened in the last two months.

What rating does External Links have?

4.8 out of 5 from 36 reviews on WordPress.org. 86% of them give 5 stars.

What are the best alternatives to External Links?

The plugins most like External Links, by the tags they share, are Daisy Links (50+), Nofollow External/Outbound Link (SEO) (10+) and Auto External Link Nofollow (10+). Compare all alternatives

Latest reviews

Analyze reviews
All reviews on WordPress.org

Review stats

4.8

★★★★★

36 reviews

  • 5 stars: 31 reviews, 86%
  • 4 stars: 4 reviews, 11%
  • 3 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
  • 2 stars: 0 reviews, 0%
  • 1 stars: 1 reviews, 3%
Positive
97%4–5★
Mixed
0%3★
Critical
3%1–2★
  • About 18 more 5★ reviews would lift it to 4.9.
  • Each new 1★ review takes 17 five-star reviews to balance out.

Compare with competitors

Add up to 1 competitor. No account needed.

Starter · 1 competitor
External Links
Suggested:
Metric
External Links
Estimated installs≈ 8,520
Reported installs8K+
Rating4.8
Reviews36
Total downloads361K
AuthorDenis de Bernardy
First releasedDec 20, 2008
Version6.8.1
Requires WP2.8
Requires PHP–
Last updatedNov 28, 2017

Alternatives to External Links

Compare all alternatives

Popular plugins with the same tags, the most in common first.

Side by side:External Links vs Daisy LinksExternal Links vs Nofollow External/Outbound Link (SEO)External Links vs Auto External Link Nofollow

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