## Overview

If available, this widget displays incoming links from other cplace pages. The Incoming Links widget displays all pages that reference the current page through hyperlinks in rich text fields (like description fields, comments, or other formatted text content). It provides "backlinks" functionality similar to wiki systems, helping users understand which other pages reference the current page and enabling reverse navigation through interconnected content.

The widget automatically scans hyperlinks in rich text content and groups incoming links by source page type and attribute, showing the count of links from each source.

## Use Cases

### Content Navigation & Discovery
Enables users to see all pages that reference the current page, helping discover related content that might not be connected through formal relationships. Supports reverse navigation from a page back to its referencing pages, creating a graph-like navigation experience through interconnected content.

### Knowledge Management & Wiki-Style Usage
Provides "What links here" functionality similar to wikis, supporting organic content organization through hyperlinks. Ideal for knowledge bases and documentation pages where discoverability through natural hyperlinks is important.

### Impact Analysis
Before deleting or archiving a page, users can see what other pages link to it. Helps understand the reach and importance of a page based on how many places reference it and identifies dependencies between content items.

### Relationship Visualization
Complements outgoing links by showing the "other side" of hyperlink relationships. Provides context about how a page fits into the broader information architecture and helps identify pages that serve as hubs with many incoming links.

### Master Data & Reference Pages
Particularly useful on pages that are frequently referenced by other content, such as products, projects, requirements, or other master data entities that other pages naturally reference in their descriptions and notes.

## Design Considerations

### When to Use This Widget

- On pages that are frequently referenced by other content through hyperlinks
- In knowledge management scenarios where discoverability through natural linking is important
- For master data pages (products, projects, requirements) that other pages reference in descriptions
- When tracking informal content relationships created through natural hyperlinks
- To complement structured relationships with organic linking patterns

### When NOT to Use This Widget

- If your content model relies primarily on formal reference attributes (use Incoming References widget instead)
- On pages where hyperlinks in rich text fields are rarely used
- If the widget consistently shows no results (indicating no incoming links exist)
- When only structured, schema-defined relationships are needed

## Operating Behavior

### Automatic Detection
The widget requires no manual configuration and automatically scans `RichStringLink` entities where the current page is the target. It only displays links that the current user has permission to see, respecting cplace's security model.

### Display Format
Links are grouped by source page type and the attribute name where the link appears. Each group shows:
- Source entity type with the attribute name containing the link
- Workspace/space information if the link comes from a different space
- Count of incoming links for each group

Example display:
```
Project as "Related Projects" (3)
Task as "Description" in Product Space (5)
Meeting Notes (2)
```

### Visibility Rules
- Shows "No incoming links found" message if no links exist
- Only displays links from pages the user can access
- Indicates when links come from different workspaces
- Respects attribute restrictions based on security extensions

## Related Widgets

### Incoming References Widget (`cf.platform.incomingReferences`)
Tracks formal reference attributes rather than hyperlinks. Use when you need to display structured relationships defined through reference fields in your data model. The Incoming Links widget and Incoming References widget serve complementary purposes and can coexist on the same page.

**Key Differences**:
- **Incoming Links**: Tracks hyperlinks in rich text content (informal, user-created)
- **Incoming References**: Tracks formal reference attributes (structured, schema-defined)

## Common Pitfalls

### Expecting Formal References
This widget only shows hyperlinks created in rich text fields, not formal reference attributes. If you need to display structured relationships, use the Incoming References widget instead.

### Empty Widget on New Pages
Newly created pages will show no incoming links until other pages create hyperlinks pointing to them. This is normal behavior and the widget will populate as content is created.

### Confusion with Bidirectional Relationships
This widget shows who links TO the current page (incoming), not who the current page links to (outgoing). The directionality is from other pages pointing at this page.