If you’ve ever managed your own WordPress website, you’ve no doubt asked yourself: “What actually happens when a visitor clicks on a link leading away from my site?” You may have noticed that some links open in a new window, whilst others remain in the same one. Someone may have advised you to use ‘nofollow’ so you don’t unnecessarily pass on SEO value to other sites. However, manually editing all external links is tedious, and above all, it’s easy to overlook something. That’s precisely why people look for plugins like External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window, which sort it out for you and save you a lot of time and hassle. This plugin is a handy little tool that makes managing external links simple and, above all, automatic.

What the External Links plugin can do – nofollow, noopener & new window

The External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window plugin can automatically detect all links that lead to websites outside your WordPress site. For these external links, it automatically adds the ‘nofollow’ attribute (so that Google does not treat the links as recommendations), the ‘noopener’ attribute (to improve security), and ensures that they open in a new window or tab. In practice, this means you don’t have to worry about whether you’ve forgotten to set something up when writing a blog post or product description – the plugin takes care of it for you. For owners of corporate websites, online shops and bloggers, this ensures greater control over where and how the link network from their site leads.

Why use it?

The main reason is simple: you want to be sure that your external links do not harm your SEO, do not slow down your website, and are safe for your visitors. The External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window plugin solves several problems at once. Firstly, it automatically adds the ‘nofollow’ attribute, so you don’t pass on your valuable SEO score to external sites. Secondly, ‘noopener’ and ‘noreferrer’ protect your website from security threats that can arise when opening new windows. Thirdly, it opens all external links in a new tab, so visitors stay on your site for longer. There’s no need to manually edit each link, leaving you free to focus on your content.

How to install a plugin in WordPress

Installing the External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window plugin is simple and anyone can do it. First, log in to your WordPress admin panel and, in the left-hand menu, click on ‘Plugins’ and then ‘Install Plugins’. Type “External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window” into the search box and find the correct plugin by its name or author. Simply click “Install” and then “Activate”. Once activated, a new section will appear in your settings where you can configure the plugin’s basic settings – usually, it’s best to leave everything at the default settings. As soon as the plugin is active, it starts working immediately and applies the changes to all future and existing external links.

External Links plugin settings – nofollow, noopener & new window

One of the biggest advantages of this plugin is how easy it is to set up. You’ll find it in the admin panel under Settings > External Links. Here, you can specify which links should be treated as external (for example, if you’re using subdomains that you want to treat as internal). You can also set whether to use the ‘nofollow’ attribute or, for example, ‘sponsored’. I recommend enabling ‘noopener’ for security reasons and keeping the option to open external links in a new window enabled – this way, visitors won’t lose sight of your website. If you frequently link to partner or advertising sites on your website, it’s worth enabling ‘noreferrer’. Tip: If you want to mark a link as an exception, you can edit it directly in the HTML or using CSS classes.

The pros and cons of this plugin

Benefits

1. Work automation – you no longer need to edit every external link manually. This saves a huge amount of time, particularly for large websites or online shops with hundreds of products. It reduces the risk of human error, so all links will always be correct.

2. Improved security – by adding ‘noopener’, you can protect your website from JavaScript being misused on third-party sites. This is an often-overlooked but important aspect that every website administrator should bear in mind. If you run a corporate website, it is almost a necessity.

3. Better SEO control – the ‘nofollow’ attribute means you can better manage the link profile you send out into the world. This is particularly crucial for blogs that frequently link to other articles, as it helps maintain your own authority. It ensures that your SEO efforts aren’t needlessly diluted.

Disadvantages

1. Potential conflicts with other plugins – some SEO plugins or visual editors may modify links differently, which can lead to duplicate attributes or the links not working. In practice, it is a good idea to check that everything is working correctly after installing the plugin. If you’re using an advanced page builder, I recommend testing its behaviour on a staging site.

2. You don’t always need all the features – sometimes ‘nofollow’ or simply opening links in a new window is enough. However, the plugin applies the changes across the board, which can sometimes be counterproductive, for example with internal marketing links. In such cases, it is better to configure some links manually.

3. Another WordPress plugin – every new plugin brings with it a potential burden and the risk of future incompatibility. If your website is already ‘full’ of plugins, you should consider whether you really need further automation or whether you’d be better off making the changes manually. For smaller websites, this is sometimes unnecessary.

Plugins similar to External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window

An alternative to this plugin is, for example, WP External Links, which offers similar features but also allows for more detailed configuration of exceptions or custom CSS classes for external links. Another option is the Rel Nofollow Checkbox plugin, which adds the option to manually set ‘nofollow’ directly when inserting a link in the editor – it’s suitable for smaller blogs where you want maximum control over every link. Also worth mentioning is the External Links by WebFactory Ltd. plugin, which has a simple interface and is great for complete beginners. If you only need links to open in a new window, you can use the Open external links in a new window plugin. The choice depends on whether you want maximum automation or prefer to configure each link manually. For large websites, External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window is ideal; for small blogs, a simpler option may suffice.

The most common mistakes when using

One of the most common mistakes is that users accidentally configure the plugin to apply rules to internal links as well. The result is that even your own pages lose their SEO value. The solution is simple – always check the plugin settings to ensure that only genuinely external domains are included, and not your own subdomains or those of partners that you wish to keep as internal links.

Another common issue is when the plugin is used in conjunction with other SEO plugins that already add ‘nofollow’ or modify links. This can result in duplication or, conversely, in some links being left without the necessary attributes. I recommend that, after installing External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window, you check your pages in incognito mode and inspect the HTML code of the links to ensure that the plugin is working correctly.

We sometimes forget about exceptions too – for example, affiliate links or banner ad links, which require specific settings (such as simply using ‘sponsored’ instead of ‘nofollow’). In such cases, it’s a good idea to use the plugin’s exception option or set the attributes manually directly in the editor. Generally speaking, it’s essential to check everything after activating the plugin, and for larger websites, I recommend testing on a staging site.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Will the External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window plugin improve my SEO? The plugin primarily protects your SEO by preventing the unnecessary transfer of authority to external sites, which is very important for blogs and magazines. You shouldn’t expect a direct improvement in your rankings, but it will prevent unnecessary losses of your domain’s value.

2. Is it safe to open external links in a new window? Yes, if you use the ‘noopener’ attribute, there is no security risk to visitors. The plugin adds this protection automatically.

3. Can I configure the plugin so that certain links are excluded? Yes, the plugin allows you to set exclusions based on domains or by using special classes in HTML. This is useful, for example, for affiliate links or specific partners.

4. Does the plugin slow down WordPress? The plugin is very lightweight and won’t slow down your website, provided you’re not using hundreds of other plugins at the same time. For standard blogs and business websites, you won’t notice any difference.

5. Is the plugin also suitable for WooCommerce or online shops? Definitely. If you link to manufacturers or other online shops, the plugin will automatically ensure that your external links are secure and correct, without the need for any manual work.

Conclusion

The External Links – nofollow, noopener & new window plugin is a great tool that tackles the long-overlooked area of external link management on WordPress. It saves a lot of time, protects your SEO and ensures visitor safety. It’s ideal for bloggers, corporate websites and online shops – in short, anywhere you don’t want to have to manually manage every link leading away from your site. If you care about SEO, security and convenience, I definitely recommend giving this plugin a try – installation takes just a few minutes and you’ll feel the benefits straight away when managing your next post or product. Give the plugin a go and see for yourself just how much work it saves you.