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TrackWP

External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window

v2.66

by WebFactory · updated 2 months ago

Internal links & external links manager: open in new window or tab, control nofollow, ugc, sponsored & noopener. SEO friendly.

external linksnew tabnew windownofollownoopener
WordPress.org SaveAnalyze reviews Track this plugin
Rank
#497
No change0 vs yesterday
Active installs (est.)
≈ 87,000
80K+ reported · Medium
Total downloads
1.8M
1,829,243 all-time
Rating
4.3/5
247 reviews
Support resolved
100%
1 of 1 threads, last 2 months
Declining·Downloads -10.6% (30d)·Toward 70K+ · ETA ~56d

External Links at a glance

External Links is a WordPress plugin by WebFactory with 80K+ active installs, the #497 most popular plugin on WordPress.org. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 294 times, 11% fewer than the month before. It’s rated 4.3 out of 5 from 247 reviews. Version 2.66 came out on Aug 16, 2026 and is tested up to WordPress 7.1.4. It leads the 48 plugins tagged “external links”. It was first released in 2011.

Chart time range

Applies to every chart below. History from Oct 9, 2026, 31 days.

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

Downloads over time

Download stats

8K downloads · the last 30 days

Downloads over time
External Links Compare series
Downloads over time: 27 days across 1 series.200400600800Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.1.4
View as table
DateExternal Links
Nov 4, 2026321
Nov 3, 2026269
Nov 2, 2026357
Nov 1, 2026215
Oct 31, 2026172
Oct 30, 2026274
Oct 29, 2026274
Oct 28, 2026329
Oct 27, 2026314
Oct 26, 2026389
Oct 25, 2026237
Oct 24, 2026200
Oct 23, 2026393
Oct 22, 2026791
Oct 21, 2026538
Oct 20, 2026241
Oct 19, 2026304
Oct 18, 2026154
Oct 17, 2026138
Oct 16, 2026188
Oct 15, 2026221
Oct 14, 2026289
Oct 13, 2026264
Oct 12, 2026281
Oct 11, 2026166
Oct 10, 2026239
Oct 9, 2026401

Unusual spikes are usually updates, not new installs.

Estimated installs

≈ 87,086 · -5.1% in the last 30 days

Estimated installs
Estimated installs: 12 days across 1 series.88K90K92KOct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.1.4
View as table
DateEstimated installs
Nov 8, 202687,086
Nov 7, 202687,056
Nov 5, 202687,051
Nov 4, 202687,063
Nov 3, 202687,052
Nov 2, 202687,040
Nov 1, 202686,988
Oct 31, 202691,616
Oct 30, 202691,592
Oct 29, 202691,644
Oct 28, 202691,735
Oct 27, 202691,764

Rank over time

#497 · down 2 in the last 30 days

Popular rank
Popular rank: 14 days across 1 series.#496#498Oct 16Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.1.4
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 8, 2026#497
Nov 7, 2026#497
Nov 6, 2026#497
Nov 5, 2026#497
Nov 4, 2026#497
Nov 3, 2026#497
Nov 2, 2026#498
Nov 1, 2026#498
Oct 31, 2026#499
Oct 30, 2026#499
Oct 29, 2026#499
Oct 28, 2026#499
Oct 27, 2026#499
Oct 16, 2026#495

Growth %

Average -0.44% a day in the last 30 days

Growth %, day over day
Growth %, day over day: 11 days across 1 series.-5%0%5%Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
View as table
DateGrowth
Nov 8, 2026+0.03%
Nov 7, 2026+0.00%
Nov 5, 2026-0.01%
Nov 4, 2026+0.01%
Nov 3, 2026+0.01%
Nov 2, 2026+0.06%
Nov 1, 2026-5.05%
Oct 31, 2026+0.03%
Oct 30, 2026-0.06%
Oct 29, 2026-0.10%
Oct 28, 2026-0.03%

Active installs band

80K+ on WordPress.org

Active installs (rounded band)
Active installs (rounded band): 14 days across 1 series.80K85K90KOct 16Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8Oct 29, 2026: Tested up to 7.1.4
View as table
DateDaily snapshot
Nov 8, 202680K+
Nov 7, 202680K+
Nov 6, 202680K+
Nov 5, 202680K+
Nov 4, 202680K+
Nov 3, 202680K+
Nov 2, 202680K+
Nov 1, 202680K+
Oct 31, 202690K+
Oct 30, 202690K+
Oct 29, 202690K+
Oct 28, 202690K+
Oct 27, 202690K+
Oct 16, 202690K+

Search rankings

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

See where External Links ranks in search

Track this plugin to check its position for the searches you choose, daily, with an alert when it moves.

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Change log

From our daily snapshot of WordPress.org
  1. Rank #499 → #497Installs 90K+ → 80K+
    • Tested up to 7.1.3 → 7.1.4

Versions in use

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

  • v2.6661%
  • v2.638.0%
  • v2.627.8%
  • Other24%

Rating trend

4.3★★★★★247 reviews · steady in the last 30 days

Requirements & info

Version history
Version
2.66
Requires WordPress
4.2
Tested up to
7.1.4
Requires PHP
7.2
First released
Feb 27, 2011
Last updated
Aug 16, 2026
Releases, last 12 months
…

Questions about External Links

How many websites use External Links?

External Links is active on 80K+ WordPress sites, as WordPress.org reports it. WordPress.org rounds the number down, so the real count is somewhat higher. That makes it the #497 most popular plugin on WordPress.org.

How many times has External Links been downloaded?

1,829,243 times in total since 2011. On a typical day it’s downloaded about 294 times. See download stats

When was External Links last updated?

Version 2.66 came out on Aug 16, 2026 (2 months ago). See every release

Is External Links compatible with the latest WordPress?

Yes. It’s tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current version.

Does External Links have known security vulnerabilities?

None that affect the current version. WPVulnerability’s database lists 6 older issues, fixed in earlier versions, so keep External Links up to date. See its security record

Is External Links still maintained?

Yes. Its last release was 2 months ago. Its authors resolved 1 of the 1 support threads opened in the last two months.

What rating does External Links have?

4.3 out of 5 from 247 reviews on WordPress.org. 79% 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 Open Links In New Tab (800+), NoFollowr (200+) and WP Open Comment Links in New Window (100+). Compare all alternatives

Latest reviews

Analyze reviews
All reviews on WordPress.org

Review stats

4.3

★★★★★

247 reviews

  • 5 stars: 194 reviews, 79%
  • 4 stars: 7 reviews, 3%
  • 3 stars: 8 reviews, 3%
  • 2 stars: 6 reviews, 2%
  • 1 stars: 32 reviews, 13%
Positive
81%4–5★
Mixed
3%3★
Critical
15%1–2★
  • About 14 more 5★ reviews would lift it to 4.4.
  • Each new 1★ review takes 5 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≈ 87,000
Reported installs80K+
Rating4.3
Reviews247
Total downloads1.8M
AuthorWebFactory
First releasedFeb 27, 2011
Version2.66
Requires WP4.2
Requires PHP7.2
Last updatedAug 16, 2026

Alternatives to External Links

Compare all alternatives

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

Side by side:External Links vs Open Links In New TabExternal Links vs NoFollowrExternal Links vs WP Open Comment Links in New Window

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