Docs Performance & Control Free
Link Manager documentation
Control how external links are marked, and tune or switch off the speculative loading WordPress 6.8 added, which preloads pages before visitors click.
Overview
Speculative loading makes sites feel faster, but preloading the cart, checkout or account pages can cause real problems. WordPress gives you no settings for it.
Plan: Free. Everything on this page is in the free plugin.
Setup
- Go to WP Extended in your WordPress admin and find Link Manager under Performance & Control.
- Switch Link Manager on.
- Open its settings, adjust the options below and save.
Settings
| Setting | What it does | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Exclude classes | Enter a comma-separated list of classes to exclude from the external link arrow | Free |
| Disable external link arrow | Note: Not recommended as it may cause accessibility issues. | Free |
| Disable speculative loading | Completely disable speculative loading feature. | Free |
| Loading Mode | Choose how aggressively to preload links. | Free |
| Loading Eagerness | Choose how early to start preloading links. | Free |
| Exclude Paths | Enter URL patterns to exclude from speculative loading, one per line. Use URL Pattern format (e.g. /cart/*, /checkout/*). | Free |
| Exclude from Prerender | Enter URL patterns to exclude only from prerendering, one per line. Use URL Pattern format (e.g. /personalized-area/*). | Free |
Questions and troubleshooting
Is Link Manager free?
Yes. It is in the free plugin.
It isn’t working as expected
Check the module is switched on and its settings are saved. If another plugin does the same job, deactivate one of them. Then clear any page cache and test again. Still stuck? Pro customers can contact support; free users can post on the WordPress.org forum.
Developers
Link Manager has 1 hook. See the Link Manager developer reference.