External Links Advertisement Note
Mark external, sponsored, or selected links with configurable disclosure notes while keeping destination URLs unchanged.
Use with caution
External Links Advertisement No… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where External Links Advertisemen… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| advertising | >100 |
| affiliate | >100 |
| disclosure | >100 |
| external links | >100 |
| sponsored | >100 |
About External Links Advertisement Note
From the official readme · v2.0.0Description
External Links Advertisement Note adds a configurable note to links on the front end of your WordPress site.
Version 2.0 introduces a modern detection engine and a redesigned settings interface while preserving settings from the 1.x series.
Choose between three detection modes:
- All external links – marks HTTP and HTTPS links that lead away from the current site.
- Sponsored links only – marks links whose
relattribute containssponsored. - Only selected domains – marks links to domains you explicitly list.
You can configure:
- Marker text such as
*,↗,Ad,Sponsored, orAdvertisement. - An accessibility label for symbolic markers.
- Marker position before or after the link.
- Marker size, color, border, and underline behavior.
- Included and excluded domains.
- Whether image links are marked.
- Whether subdomains are treated as internal.
- Whether links inserted after page load are detected with MutationObserver.
- Simple CSS selectors that should never be marked.
The plugin does not rewrite destination URLs and does not automatically add nofollow, sponsored, target="_blank", or other link attributes.
English documentation: https://davidschlegl.com/plugins/external-links-advertisement-note/
German documentation: https://davidschlegl.com/de/plugins/external-links-advertisement-note/
Important
Not every external link is advertising. This plugin displays labels according to your configuration. It does not provide legal advice and does not determine whether a disclosure is legally required.
Installation
- Install the plugin from the WordPress Plugin Directory or upload the plugin ZIP.
- Activate External Links Advertisement Note.
- Open Settings > External Links Note.
- Choose a detection mode and marker style.
- Save the settings.
Existing 1.x settings are migrated automatically when the plugin is updated.
Frequently asked questions
Does every external link count as advertising?
No. The plugin can mark every external link if you choose that mode, but whether a link is advertising or requires disclosure depends on your use case and applicable rules.
Can I mark only affiliate or sponsored links?
Yes. Use Sponsored links only with rel="sponsored", or use Only selected domains to maintain your own domain list.
Does the plugin change link destinations?
No. It adds a visual marker next to matching links and leaves the destination URL unchanged.
Does it add nofollow or sponsored attributes?
No. Version 2.0 deliberately does not change link semantics automatically.
Does it work with links loaded after the page is visible?
Yes. Dynamic link detection can be enabled. The plugin then uses MutationObserver to process links inserted after the initial page load.
Are settings from version 1.x retained?
Yes. The legacy bfelan settings are migrated into the new 2.0 settings format on update.
Changelog
Major modernization release. Existing 1.x settings are migrated automatically. Requires WordPress 6.5 and PHP 7.4 or newer.
2.0.0
- Rebuilt the front-end link detector in dependency-free vanilla JavaScript.
- Added external, sponsored, and selected-domain detection modes.
- Added robust URL parsing for HTTP and HTTPS links.
- Added include and exclude domain rules with wildcard subdomain support.
- Added optional support for image links and dynamically inserted links.
- Added an accessibility label for symbolic markers.
- Added marker position and color controls.
- Redesigned the settings interface.
- Removed the jQuery dependency.
- Removed legacy social and donation links from the Plugins screen.
- Changed the text domain to the WordPress.org plugin slug.
- Added automatic migration of 1.x settings.
- Updated plugin metadata and documentation for current WordPress releases.
1.0.2
- Added text size option.
1.0.1
- Minor maintenance changes.
1.0.0
- Initial release.
Screenshots
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best External Links Advertisement… alternatives
All advertising plugins →
FAQ
External Links Advertisement Note: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 19, 2026
Is External Links Advertisement No… free?
Yes. External Links Advertisement No… is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is External Links Advertisement No… safe to use in 2026?
External Links Advertisement No… works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 55/100 on our health check.
How many websites use External Links Advertisement No…?
External Links Advertisement No… is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,483 times since it launched in August 2019. It was downloaded 55 times in the last 30 days.
Does External Links Advertisement No… work with WordPress 7.1?
External Links Advertisement No… is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does External Links Advertisement No… need?
External Links Advertisement No… requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was External Links Advertisement No… last updated?
The latest version, 2.0.0, was released on August 9, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes External Links Advertisement No…?
External Links Advertisement No… is developed and maintained by David Schlegl.
What are the best alternatives to External Links Advertisement No…?
The most popular alternatives to External Links Advertisement No… are Ads.txt Manager (100K+ installs), Advanced Popups (60K+ installs) and AI Powered Marketing (50K+ installs).
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