Royal Links Documentation

Getting Started

Royal Links is our full-featured link management plugin, designed for professional marketers, affiliate managers, and businesses who need advanced link management capabilities. It is completely free on WordPress.org.

Features

Also Includes

• Link shortening with custom slugs
• 301, 302, 307 redirect support
• Click tracking and basic analytics
• Categories and tags
• Nofollow/sponsored attributes
• Broken link detection
• Gutenberg and Classic Editor integration
• Import/Export functionality

Installation

Auto-Link Keywords

Automatically convert specified keywords in your content to affiliate links without manual editing.

How It Works

1. Enable auto-linking in Settings > Advanced Features
2. Define keywords for each link (e.g., "Best Hosting", "BlueHost")
3. When those keywords appear in your content, they're automatically linked
4. Control frequency using global and per-link limits

Global vs Local Limits

Royal Links uses a smart two-tier limit system with round-robin distribution for optimal keyword diversity:

Round-Robin Distribution

To ensure keyword diversity, Royal Links uses round-robin (cylindrical) distribution when auto-linking. Instead of exhausting one keyword before moving to the next, it cycles through all keywords evenly:

Configuration Options

Example Output

Here's how auto-linked keywords appear in your content:

Link Scheduling

Schedule links to go live or expire automatically - perfect for time-limited promotions.

Features

• Start Date - Link activates at this date/time
• End Date - Link expires and shows fallback
• Fallback URL - Where to redirect after expiration
• Timezone Support - Schedule in your local timezone

Use Cases

• Black Friday / holiday promotions
• Limited-time coupon codes
• Product launch dates
• Seasonal affiliate offers

Password-Protected Links

Restrict access to specific links by requiring a password before redirecting. Ideal for exclusive deals, private resources, or gated content.

How It Works

1. Edit any link and enable Password Protection
2. Set a password — it's securely hashed and stored
3. When someone clicks the link, they see a password form instead of being redirected
4. After entering the correct password, they're redirected to the destination

Features

• Secure Hashing: Passwords are stored using WordPress's built-in password hashing (not plain text)
• Session Memory: Once authenticated, the visitor can use the link again without re-entering the password during their session
• Cookie Support: Optional "remember me" functionality for returning visitors
• Custom Form: The password form is styled to match your site

Use Cases

• Exclusive affiliate deals for email subscribers
• Private download links shared in courses or communities
• Client-only resource links

Geo-Targeting

Send visitors to different destinations based on their geographic location.

How It Works

1. Set a default destination URL
2. Add country-specific URLs for different regions
3. Visitors are automatically redirected based on their IP location

Example Setup

A/B Split Testing

Test multiple destination URLs to find which converts better.

How It Works

1. Add multiple destination URLs for a single link
2. Set traffic split percentage (e.g., 50/50 or 70/30)
3. Track clicks and conversions for each variation
4. Analytics show which URL performs better

Use Cases

• Test different landing pages
• Compare affiliate programs for the same product
• Optimize call-to-action destinations
• Test pricing page variations

QR Code Generation

Generate scannable QR codes for any link instantly - perfect for print materials, events, and bridging offline to online.

How It Works

1. Create or edit any link in Royal Links
2. Click the QR Code icon in the link editor
3. Customize colors and size
4. Download in PNG or SVG format

Use Cases

• Business cards with link to your portfolio
• Product packaging with affiliate links
• Event displays and posters
• Restaurant menus linking to reviews
• Real estate signs with property listing links

UTM Builder

Build UTM-tagged links visually without manual URL construction. Track campaigns in Google Analytics 4 with properly formatted UTM parameters.

UTM Parameters

Viewing UTM Data in Google Analytics 4

UTM parameters created by Royal Links are automatically captured by GA4. To view your link campaign data:

• Traffic Acquisition — Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition. Filter by Source/Medium to see clicks from your Royal Links campaigns.
• Campaign Report — Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition, then select "Session campaign" as the primary dimension.
• Explorations — Create a custom exploration using utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign dimensions for granular analysis.

Product Display Boxes

Create eye-catching product boxes that showcase affiliate products with images, pricing, and call-to-action buttons.

Features

• Upload product images or use URL
• Display product price
• Customizable button text and colors
• Responsive design for all devices

Usage

Insert product boxes using:

• Shortcode: [royal_product id="123"]
• Gutenberg Block: Search for "Royal Product" in the block inserter

Affiliate Disclosure Notices

Automatically add FTC-compliant disclosure notices near your affiliate links to stay compliant with regulations.

Configuration

• Global Disclosure: Add a disclosure to all affiliate links site-wide
• Per-Link Disclosure: Override with custom disclosure per link
• Position: Before link, after link, or tooltip on hover
• Styling: Customize colors, font size, and spacing

Example Output

Here's how the disclosure notice appears near your affiliate links:

Advanced Analytics

Comprehensive reporting and detailed analytics for all your links.

Analytics Features

• Referrer Tracking - See which sites and pages send clicks to your links
• Device & Browser Analytics - Breakdown by device type, OS, and browser
• Export Link Data - Download link data with click statistics as CSV
• Custom Date Ranges - Analyze any time period (7 days, 30 days, 90 days, year, all time)
• UTM Tracking - Automatic UTM parameter support with visual builder
• QR Scan Tracking - See which clicks came from QR code scans vs direct visits

Link Management

All the core link management features included in Royal Links.

Creating Links

Each link includes:

• Title - Internal name for your reference
• Destination URL - The full URL you want to redirect to
• Slug - The short part of your URL (auto-generated or custom)
• Redirect Type - 301 (permanent), 302 (temporary), or 307
• Advanced Options - Scheduling, geo-targeting, A/B testing, auto-link keywords

Redirect Types

Import & Export

Easily migrate links from other plugins or backup your link database. Royal Links supports CSV import/export for bulk operations.

Click Tracking

Every click is automatically tracked with detailed information.

Data Captured

• Click timestamp
• Browser and version
• Operating system
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Referrer URL
• Unique vs. repeat visitors
• Country/region
• A/B test variation

Categories & Tags

Organize your links for easy management and filtering.

Organization Tips

• Use categories for affiliate networks or broad topics
• Use tags for campaigns, products, or time periods
• Filter by category/tag in analytics for segmented reports

Settings

Configure Royal Links from the Settings page.

Available Settings

• Link Prefix - URL path prefix (default: /go/)
• Default Redirect - 301, 302, or 307
• Nofollow/Sponsored Defaults - Default attributes for new links
• Auto-Link - Global auto-linking on/off
• Geo-Targeting - Enable/configure IP detection
• Analytics Retention - How long to keep click data
• Export Settings - Default export formats

Troubleshooting

Auto-linking not working

• Ensure auto-linking is enabled in the link settings
• Check that keywords are entered correctly
• Clear any caching plugins
• Verify the post type is included in auto-link settings

Geo-targeting not accurate

• IP geolocation has ~95% accuracy
• VPN users will show their VPN location
• Some corporate networks may show headquarters location

Short links show 404

1. Go to Settings > Permalinks
2. Click "Save Changes" to flush rewrite rules
3. Try the link again

Checking Link Health

Royal Links includes automatic broken link detection. View link health status from the Link Health page:

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Royal Links really free?

Yes! Royal Links is completely free on WordPress.org. All features including auto-linking, geo-targeting, A/B testing, and analytics are included at no cost.

Will Royal Links slow down my site?

No. Royal Links is optimized for performance. Redirects happen instantly with minimal server overhead.

Does geo-targeting work with caching?

Geo-targeting bypasses page caching since redirects happen at the PHP level before any page is served.

Can I export my analytics data?

Yes! You can export your link data with click statistics as CSV. The export includes total clicks, unique clicks, and link metadata for analysis in spreadsheets.

Can I use Royal Links on multiple sites?

Yes! Since Royal Links is free on WordPress.org, you can install it on as many sites as you like with no restrictions.