Description

GT Link Manager is a 100% free high-performance branded link manager for WordPress — no upsells, no premium tiers, no paywalls. It stores links in custom database tables (not custom post types), resolves redirects early on init, and keeps your site fast — even with thousands of links.

Your links follow a clean URL pattern: yoursite.com/go/your-slug (the prefix is configurable and can even be removed on individual links).

Official Page & Documentation | Free Training Course | REST API & AI Tools Guide

Why GT Link Manager?

Most link management plugins use custom post types, which means every redirect loads the full WordPress template stack. GT Link Manager takes a different approach — it intercepts the request early, looks up the slug in a UNIQUE-indexed database column, sends the redirect header, and exits. No theme loading, no unnecessary queries.

Key Features

Fast direct redirects — resolves links on init (priority 0) via direct DB lookup, no CPT overhead
301, 302, and 307 redirects — choose the right redirect type for SEO, temporary, or method-preserving redirects
Rel attribute controls — set nofollow, sponsored, and ugc per link for proper SEO attribution
Noindex support — sends X-Robots-Tag: noindex header to prevent search engines from indexing redirect URLs
Categories and tags — organize links into categories with parent/child hierarchy and free-form tags
Full admin list table — search, filter by category/status, sort by any column, and perform bulk actions
Quick Edit — update URL, slug, redirect type, rel, category, and status inline without leaving the list
Activate / Deactivate — disable a link without deleting it; inactive links stop redirecting but stay in the database
Trash and restore — soft-delete links to trash with the option to restore or permanently delete
CSV import and export — import links from CSV with column mapping preview, or export filtered links; includes LinkCentral and Pretty Links compatible presets, supports any CSV though as it allows you to map fields manually.
Block editor integration — a toolbar button lets you search your links and insert them directly into post content
Branded URL preview — see the full branded URL as you type, with one-click copy
Normal and Regex Redirects supported too. Don’t want to use a prefix like /go/ ? Sure thing. Use the GT Link Manager as an alternative to Rank Math Redirections, Yoast Redirects, Redirection plugin etc. Tested to be faster than these top tools.
Click stats — can be activated to track link clicks using filters
Developer-friendly — actions and filters for redirect interception, URL modification, capability control, cache TTL, and more

Developer Hooks

GT Link Manager provides a comprehensive set of hooks for customization:

gtlm_before_redirect — action fired before redirect (use for click tracking or logging)
gtlm_redirect_url — filter to modify the destination URL
gtlm_redirect_code — filter to modify the HTTP status code
gtlm_rel_attributes — filter to modify rel attribute values
gtlm_headers — filter to modify redirect response headers
gtlm_prefix — filter to override the URL prefix
gtlm_capabilities — filter to override the required user capability
gtlm_cache_ttl — filter to set object cache TTL for link lookups

Free Training Course

The GT Link Manager Training is a free 25-lesson course (under 2 hours) covering everything from installation to advanced developer integrations:

Getting Started — installation, admin interface, link creation, categories, and redirect configuration
Configuration & Features — settings, redirect mechanics, block editor integration, and bulk import/export
Developer Reference — REST API, hooks and filters, analytics integrations, webhooks, and advanced redirects

Analytics & Advanced Integrations

The Developer Reference includes step-by-step integration guides for:

Analytics — Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Plausible Analytics, Fathom Analytics, Matomo, and Simple Analytics
Tracking — custom click logging to a database table, dashboard widget, and UTM parameter passthrough
Automation — webhook notifications for Zapier, Make, and n8n
Advanced redirects — role-based redirects (route by user role) and geo-based redirects (route by location)
Customization — custom response headers, hooks and filters reference

REST API & AI Tools

GT Link Manager has a full REST API that works with AI tools for programmatic link management. The REST API & AI Tools Guide covers authentication setup, all available endpoints, and integration with AI platforms including Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, WP-MCP, Novamira, Claudeus WordPress MCP, and WordPress MCP Adapter.

Source Code

The block editor assets (blocks/link-inserter/build/) are compiled from the source at blocks/link-inserter/src/ using @wordpress/scripts. The full source code is available in this plugin and on GitHub at https://github.com/wpgaurav/gt-link-manager.

To build from source:
cd blocks/link-inserter && npm install && npm run build

Screenshots

All Links — admin list with search, filters, status views, and bulk actions
Add/Edit Link — form with branded URL preview, redirect type, rel attributes, and categories
Categories — manage link categories with parent/child hierarchy
Settings — configure prefix, defaults, flush permalinks, and run diagnostics
Import/Export — CSV import with column mapping preview and preset support

Installation

Upload the plugin folder to /wp-content/plugins/.
Activate it from Plugins.
Go to GT Links in your wp-admin sidebar.
Create your first link and test it using your prefix (default: yoursite.com/go/your-slug).

You can change the prefix from GT Links > Settings at any time.

FAQ

Is this a Pretty Links replacement?: Yes. GT Link Manager is built for speed and simplicity. It uses custom database tables instead of custom post types, which means redirects resolve faster and don’t pollute your posts table.
Does it track clicks?: Click stats can be activated from GT Links > Settings. You can also use the gtlm_before_redirect action hook to integrate with external analytics tools — see the Developer Reference for step-by-step guides for GA4, Plausible, Fathom, Matomo, Simple Analytics, and custom click logging.
Can I import from Pretty Links or LinkCentral?: Yes. Go to GT Links > Import / Export, choose the Pretty Links or LinkCentral preset, upload your CSV, preview the column mapping, and import. You can also use the Generic preset for custom CSV formats.
How are redirects resolved?: The plugin hooks into WordPress init at priority 0 (before most plugins load). It parses the request URI, checks for your configured prefix, and looks up the slug in a UNIQUE-indexed column in a custom database table. If a match is found, it sends the redirect header and exits immediately — no theme or template loading.
Can I customize which users can manage links?: Yes. By default, any user with the edit_posts capability can manage links. Use the gtlm_capabilities filter to change this per context (e.g., require manage_options for settings but allow edit_posts for link creation).
Is GT Link Manager really free?: Yes, 100%. There are no premium tiers, upsells, or paywalls. Every feature — including advanced redirects, the REST API, CSV import/export, and block editor integration — is included for free. There is also a free training course at gauravtiwari.org.
Can I manage links with AI tools or the REST API?: Yes. GT Link Manager includes a full REST API for creating, updating, and deleting links programmatically. This works with AI platforms like Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, and MCP adapters. See the REST API & AI Tools Guide for setup instructions.
Can I integrate with Google Analytics, Plausible, or other analytics?: Yes. The Developer Reference has step-by-step guides for GA4, Plausible, Fathom, Matomo, and Simple Analytics. You can also set up webhook notifications for Zapier, Make, and n8n.
What happens when I uninstall?: Uninstalling the plugin (deleting it from Plugins) will remove all data — both database tables and plugin options. Deactivating the plugin preserves all data.

Reviews

Rajat Singh Март 21, 2026

GT Link Manager is a refreshing find for anyone who values technical efficiency and a clean workflow. I appreciate how it prioritizes speed by using custom indexed database tables, which means redirects happen almost instantly with nearly 0ms of overhead. This level of performance is rare for a free tool and makes a noticeable difference for SEO. The integration into the Gutenberg toolbar is another thoughtful touch that saves me from constantly jumping between tabs while writing. It provides professional features like granular SEO attributes and a full REST API without the typical bloat found in other plugins. It is a reliable and high performance choice for managing affiliate links or simple redirects.

Read all 0 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“GT Link Manager” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Gaurav Tiwari

Translate “GT Link Manager” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.6.1

Fixed nonce mismatch bug — trash, restore, and permanent delete actions were failing due to inconsistent nonce prefixes.
Fixed potential ReDoS vulnerability — removed error suppression on regex pattern matching, added pattern length validation.
Standardized all nonce prefixes to gtlm_ across admin actions and list table.
Added REST API route descriptions to all endpoints for better discoverability.
Added object caching for admin category dropdown with proper invalidation on create, update, and delete.
Updated readme with free training course, developer reference, REST API guide, and new FAQ entries.

1.6.0

Added advanced redirects: Direct (prefix-free) and Regex (pattern-based) link modes.
Direct links redirect without the prefix — e.g., yoursite.com/my-page instead of yoursite.com/go/my-page.
Regex links match request paths against patterns with capture group substitution in destination URLs.
New «Enable Advanced Redirects» toggle in Settings (off by default) to opt in.
Link edit form shows mode selector (Standard / Direct / Regex) with contextual fields.
Conflict detection warns when direct link paths match existing WordPress posts or pages.
Regex patterns are validated on save; invalid patterns are rejected.
List table shows link mode with filter support.
REST API accepts and returns link_mode, regex_replacement, and priority fields.
New database columns: link_mode, regex_replacement, priority — fully backwards compatible.

1.5.3

Fixed plugin zip size bloat — excluded .wordpress-org assets directory from distribution package.

1.5.2

Added «Delete Data on Uninstall» setting — data is now preserved by default when the plugin is deleted.
Uninstall only removes tables and options if the user explicitly opts in via Settings.

1.5.1

Fixed CSS custom properties not resolving on some admin pages — all values are now hardcoded.
Fixed form-table double-card styling when rendered inside a card container.
Improved edit form submit buttons layout — buttons now display in a single horizontal row.
Improved branded URL preview styling with distinct blue tint.
Added subtle row separators inside card form tables.
Added WordPress.org SVN deploy to release workflow.
Added plugin banner and icon assets for WordPress.org listing.

1.4.0

Renamed internal code prefix from gt_ to gtlm_ (4+ characters) per WordPress.org guidelines.
Fixed nonce verification order in CSV import handler — nonce is now checked before reading POST data.
Fixed SQL injection vector — $orderby now uses %i identifier placeholder in prepared queries.
Added Source Code section to readme for compiled block editor assets.
Added card-based UI styling to all admin pages (edit link, categories, settings, import/export).
Settings page reorganized into General, Tools, and Diagnostics cards.
Clean uninstall now removes both old (gt_) and new (gtlm_) prefix options and tables.

1.3.1

Block editor: aligned GT Link popover anchoring with core rich text behavior using selection-based anchor.

1.3.0

Refactored admin into separate actions and rendering classes for maintainability.
Added Pretty Links CSV import preset alongside Generic and LinkCentral.
Improved input sanitization on redirect URI parsing.
Added PHPCS configuration and Composer dev tooling.
Added uninstall.php for clean plugin removal (drops tables and options).
Improved build.sh with .distignore support and critical file verification.
Improved release workflow with version verification, checksums, and distribution validation.
Block editor popover anchor now uses bounding rect snapshot for reliable positioning.
Button primary color now follows WordPress admin theme color.
Lowered PHP requirement from 8.2 to 8.0.
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.

1.2.3

Fixed release packaging bug that accidentally removed blocks/link-inserter/build/* from zip assets.
GitHub release workflow now compiles block editor assets before zipping and verifies build files exist.

1.2.2

Fixed block editor link inserter not appearing on WordPress 6.8+.
Removed deprecated useAnchor hook that crashed the toolbar button on render.
Eliminated react-jsx-runtime dependency that prevented the script from loading on some WordPress versions.
Popover now anchors to the toolbar button for reliable positioning.

1.2.0

Fixed critical bug: links disappeared after 1.1.9 update because new DB columns were not added on plugin update (only on fresh activation).
Added automatic DB migration that runs on update to add missing columns and backfill existing rows.
Fixed WordPress admin sidebar menu getting unintended card styles on the Settings page.
Improved Settings page: Flush Permalinks and Run Diagnostics buttons are now inline, diagnostics output uses a clean table layout with status badges.

1.1.9

Added link activate/deactivate toggle. Inactive links stop redirecting but remain in the database.
Delete now moves links to trash instead of permanent deletion. Links can be restored from trash.
Trash view with restore and permanent delete actions.
New bulk actions: Activate, Deactivate, Move to Trash, Restore, Delete Permanently.
REST API: DELETE defaults to trash (use ?force=true for permanent). New /restore and /toggle-active endpoints.
Status column and views (All / Active / Inactive / Trash) in the links list table.
New is_active and trashed_at columns added to the links table on upgrade.

1.1.8

Maintenance release.

1.1.7

Block editor: Fixed editor scroll jump when opening GT Link popover from the toolbar.
Block editor: Improved search input focus behavior so opening popover does not move viewport.

1.1.6

REST API: Added full pagination (page, per_page, category_id, orderby, order) to GET /links endpoint.
REST API: Added args schema validation to all write endpoints (links, categories, bulk-category).
Security: Replaced innerHTML with DOM methods in admin quick edit to prevent XSS.
DB: Added rel whitelist validation on filter queries.
Build: build.sh now compiles block editor assets before packaging.

1.1.5

Maintenance release.

1.1.4

Anchor popover to selected text using useAnchor from @wordpress/rich-text.

1.1.3

Fixed format registration conflict with core/underline on WP 6.9+ (both used bare span tag).
Added unique className to avoid tagName collision.

1.1.2

Switch to RichTextToolbarButton for standard format toolbar integration.

1.1.1

Force-inject format into RichText allowedFormats for reliable toolbar display.

1.1.0

Rebuilt block editor link inserter with @wordpress/scripts build pipeline.
Fixed toolbar button not appearing in block editor.
Proper dependency resolution via index.asset.php.

1.0.4

Fixed toolbar button registration in block editor for GT Link inserter.
Added selected-text autofill in GT Link inserter search field.
Improved redirect detection for WordPress installs in subdirectories.

1.0.3

Enhance block editor integration with additional dependencies and improved format registration

1.0.2

Minor internal hardening and cleanup.

1.0.1

Fixed uninstall to preserve links and settings data across reinstalls.

1.0.0

Initial release.