# External Links Overview

* **Contributors:** seokreativ  
* **Requires at least:** 5.0  
* **Tested up to:** 6.9  
* **Requires PHP:** 7.0  
* **Stable tag:** 1.3.0  
* **License:** GPLv2 or later  
* **License URI:** https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html  
* **Tags:** external links, broken links, link checker, outbound links, seo  

Analyze, manage, and monitor all external links on your WordPress site.

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## Description

The "External Links Overview" plugin scans your WordPress posts and pages for outgoing **external links** and presents them in a **searchable, filterable, and sortable table**. It helps you optimize your outbound link profile and identify broken or potentially harmful links.

All plugin functions, options, and database entries use the prefix `seokelo_` to prevent conflicts with other plugins.

👉 [External Links Overview Plugin Homepage on seo-kreativ.de](https://www.seo-kreativ.de/plugins/external-links-overview/)  
💬 [Get Support on WordPress.org](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/external-links-overview/)

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## Features

✅ Collects and analyzes external links from posts and pages  
✅ Displays a detailed link table with sorting, filtering (e.g. broken links), and search  
✅ Verifies the HTTP status of external links (e.g. 404, 301, timeout)  
✅ Shows `rel` and `target` attributes of each link  
✅ Tracks domain distribution: see which domains you link to most frequently  
✅ CSV export of all link data  
✅ Dashboard widget showing a summary of broken links  
✅ Uses prefix `seokelo_` / `SEOKELO_` for all functions, options, and database entries  
✅ Rescans posts after updates for up-to-date link data  
✅ Clean uninstall: removes plugin data when deleted via WordPress admin

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## Installation

1. Upload the entire `external-links-overview` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.  
2. Activate the plugin via the **Plugins** menu in WordPress.  
   → This creates or updates the database table `wp_seokelo_external_links`.  
3. Access the plugin via the **"External Links"** menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar.

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## Usage

1. Go to **External Links → Collect All External Links** to start the initial scan.  
2. Use the **Link Table** tab to view, filter, and sort all collected links.  
3. Click **Check External Links Status** to validate HTTP status codes.  
4. Visit the **Domain Distribution** tab to analyze your outbound domain profile.  
5. Export your data using the **Export CSV** button.

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## Screenshots

1. **Link Table:** Overview of all collected external links with status, attributes, and actions  
2. **Domain Distribution:** List of domains you link to, including counts and percentages

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## Changelog

### 1.3.0
* **Improvement:** The link table now displays `rel` and `target` attributes in a combined "Link Attributes" column for better space management.
* **Improvement:** The Domain Distribution view and the overall UI have been enhanced for a better user experience.
* **Improvement:** Database queries and data handling have been optimized for better performance.
* **Readme:** Updated description, features, and usage instructions.

### 1.2.1
* **Fix:** Improved responsive table display in admin area to prevent column titles from overlapping content on mobile views.

### 1.2.0
* **Feature:** Added a new „Target“ column to the admin link table, displaying the target attribute of the link (e.g., _blank, _self).
* **Feature:** Made the new „Target“ column sortable in the admin link table.
* **Feature:** Ensured link_target attribute is included in the CSV export.
* **Improvement:** Updated CSS for table column layout to include the new „Target“ column.
* **Readme:** Updated stable tag, version information, and feature descriptions to reflect the new „Target“ column.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does this plugin modify links on my site?
No. It only analyzes and displays existing external links. Your content remains unchanged.

### Will it slow down my site?
No. The plugin only runs when triggered manually via the admin panel. It does not affect front-end performance.

### Is it safe to uninstall the plugin?
Yes. If you delete the plugin via the WordPress admin interface, all associated data (database tables and options) will be removed cleanly.

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## License

This plugin is licensed under the GPLv2 or later.  
See [https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html](https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html)

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## Developer Notes

Hooks and filters will be documented in future releases.  
The plugin uses `seokelo_` as a unique function prefix throughout.