External Links Manager โ€“ Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer
by NewCodeByte 5 (1 reviews)

External Links Manager โ€“ Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer

Manage external links: new tabs, add rel attribute nofollow, noopener, noreferrer, sponsored, show icon on/off. SEO, secure, XHTML Strict compliant.

External Links Manager ranks #20,175 among WordPress.org plugins with 50+ active installations, a 5/5 rating from 1 reviews, and was last updated May 25, 2026. Data from WordPress.org, refreshed twice daily โ€” see methodology.

Tested up to WP 7.0.5 (Current: 7.1.2)
v1.3.4 Current Version v1.3.4
Updated 3 months ago Last Update on 25 May, 2026
Refreshed 10 hours ago Last Refreshed on
Top 50% by installs
View on WordPress.org
Rank
#20,175
+3 this week
Active Installs
50+
-12.3%
KW Avg Position
14.4
0.4 worse
Downloads
1.5K
+4 today
Support Resolved
0%
โ€” No change
Rating
100%
Review 5 out of 5
5 (1 reviews)

Next Milestone 60

Total Progress 70%
50+ 60+
555
Ranks to Climb
-
Growth Needed
8,000,000
Active Installs
Pro

Unlock Exact Install Count

See the precise estimated active installs for this plugin, calculated from real-time ranking data.

  • Exact install estimates within tiers
  • Track install growth over time
  • Milestone progress predictions
Upgrade to Pro
Need 3 more installs to reach 60+

Rank Changes

20,060 20,134 20,208 20,282 20,356 15-09-2026 16-09-2026 17-09-2026 18-09-2026 19-09-2026 20-09-2026 21-09-2026 22-09-2026
19,938 20,046 20,155 20,264 20,372 07-09-2026 08-09-2026 09-09-2026 10-09-2026 11-09-2026 12-09-2026 13-09-2026 14-09-2026 15-09-2026 16-09-2026 17-09-2026 18-09-2026 19-09-2026 20-09-2026 21-09-2026 22-09-2026
Current #20,175
Change
Best #

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock 30-day and 90-day rank history charts with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Active Installs Growth

Active Installs 0,000,000+
Growth +0.0%
Peak 0,000,000

Downloads Growth

0 10 15-09-2026 16-09-2026 17-09-2026 18-09-2026 19-09-2026 20-09-2026 21-09-2026 22-09-2026
0 10 20 07-09-2026 08-09-2026 09-09-2026 10-09-2026 11-09-2026 12-09-2026 13-09-2026 14-09-2026 15-09-2026 16-09-2026 17-09-2026 18-09-2026 19-09-2026 20-09-2026 21-09-2026 22-09-2026
Downloads
Growth
Peak

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock 30-day, 90-day, and yearly download history charts with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Reviews & Ratings

5.0
1 reviews
Overall 100%
5
1 (100%)
4
0 (0%)
3
0 (0%)
2
0 (0%)
1
0 (0%)

Track This Plugin

Get detailed analytics, keyword tracking, and position alerts delivered to your inbox.

Start Tracking Free

Plugin Details

Version
1.3.4
Last Updated
May 25, 2026
Requires WP
4.5+
Tested Up To
7.0.5
PHP Version
7.0 or higher
Author
NewCodeByte

Support & Rating

Rating
โ˜… โ˜… โ˜… โ˜… โ˜… 5
Reviews
1
Support Threads
0
Resolved
0%

Keywords

Upgrade to Pro

Unlock keyword rankings, search positions, and detailed analytics with a Pro subscription.

Upgrade Now

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about External Links Manager โ€“ Open new window in a new tab + nofollow, noreferrer

This plugin is designed to be SEO-friendly. By using JavaScript to open links in a new tab and correctly managing rel attributes (like noopener, noreferrer, nofollow, sponsored), it doesn't negatively impact SEO. The href attribute itself is not modified for search engine crawlers. Opening links in a new tab is primarily a user experience choice.
Using window.open() via JavaScript is the recommended method for XHTML 1.0 Strict compliance. Directly adding target="_blank" can invalidate strict markup. This JavaScript approach also allows for dynamic addition of window features like noopener and noreferrer effectively.
It automatically identifies external links on your WordPress website and uses JavaScript to open them in a new tab or window. The plugin also manages important SEO attributes like rel="noopener", "nofollow", and "noreferrer", giving you full control.
Yes, you can use the Force List and Ignore List to specify URLs or URL patterns to always or never open in a new tab.
Absolutely! From the settings page, you can enable the "Display External Link Icon" option. Once enabled, a new dropdown menu will appear, allowing you to choose from a wide variety of Dashicons and modern Unicode symbols (like โ†— or ๐Ÿ”—) to best match your site's style.
The plugin is fully compatible with WordPress's handling of User-Generated Content (UGC). By default, WordPress adds rel="nofollow ugc"to links in comments. Our plugin respects this and applies its own rules on top, such as opening these links in a new tab. If you enable the "Add nofollow" option in the settings, it will ensure nofollow is present, harmonizing perfectly with WordPress's SEO best practices.
Yes, it is lightweight and works well alongside most caching and optimization plugins.
Ignore List: Links matching patterns here will always open in the same tab. Force List: If not ignored, links matching patterns here will always open in a new tab. Default Behavior: If not in ignore or force lists, external links open in a new tab, internal links in the same tab.

More plugins by NewCodeByte

Sign In / Register

You need to sign in or register to use this feature.