WB Ad Manager includes a full link management system. Instead of scattering raw URLs throughout your site, you create managed links that track clicks, can be updated in one place, and support proper SEO attributes.
Why Use Managed Links?
| Benefit | How It Helps |
|---|---|
| Click tracking | Know exactly how many visitors click each link |
| Easy URL updates | Change the destination in one place — every shortcode on your site updates automatically |
| SEO control | Set nofollow, sponsored, or ugc attributes per link |
| Organization | Categorize all your outbound links in one dashboard |
| Partnerships | Accept incoming link placement requests through a built-in form |
Creating a Managed Link
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Links
- Click Add New
- Fill in the link details:
- Title — The anchor text visitors will see (for example, “Our Recommended Hosting”)
- URL — The destination you want visitors to reach
- Description — Optional text describing the link
- Configure the link options:
- Category — Group the link for easier management and display
- Open in New Tab — Choose whether the link opens in a new browser tab
- Nofollow — Check this for paid or affiliate links
- Click Publish
Link Fields Reference
| Field | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Anchor text shown to visitors | “Best WordPress Themes” |
| URL | Destination address | https://example.com |
| Description | Supporting text about the link | “Our recommended theme provider” |
| Category | Organizational group | “Partners” or “Affiliates” |
Link Categories
Categories let you group related links and display entire groups with a single shortcode.
Creating Categories
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Links -> Categories
- Enter the category name
- The slug fills in automatically (used in shortcodes)
- Add an optional description
- Click Add New Category
Suggested Category Names
| Category Slug | Use It For |
|---|---|
sponsors |
Paid sponsor links |
partners |
Business partners |
affiliates |
Affiliate program links |
resources |
Helpful external tools or sites |
tools |
Software or services you recommend |
Displaying Links
Use shortcodes to show links anywhere on your site.
Show a Single Link
[wbam_link id="123"]
With custom anchor text:
[wbam_link id="123" text="Visit Our Partner"]
Show a List of Links by Category
[wbam_links category="partners"]
Grid layout with multiple columns:
[wbam_links category="sponsors" layout="grid" columns="4"]
Show Just the Raw URL
Use this inside custom HTML elements:
[wbam_link_url id="123"]
Tracking Link Performance
WB Ad Manager records click data for every managed link.
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Links
- The clicks column shows total clicks for each link
- Click any link title to see detailed stats
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Total Clicks | All clicks since the link was created |
| Unique Clicks | Deduplicated by visitor (no double-counting) |
| Referrers | Which pages on your site sent the most clicks |
| Click Dates | When clicks occurred over time |
SEO Settings for Links
Nofollow
Nofollow tells search engines not to pass link equity to the destination. Use it for:
– Paid or sponsored links
– Affiliate links
– User-submitted links
– Any link you cannot personally vouch for
Set nofollow when creating or editing the link, or add it per-shortcode:
[wbam_link id="123" nofollow="true"]
Rel Attributes
| Attribute | When to Use It |
|---|---|
nofollow |
Do not pass link authority |
sponsored |
Google-recommended attribute for paid or affiliate links |
ugc |
User-generated content links |
Set via shortcode:
[wbam_link id="123" rel="sponsored"]
Global Link Defaults
Set site-wide defaults in WB Ad Manager -> Settings -> Links:
– Default NoFollow — Apply nofollow to all links unless overridden
– Default Sponsored — Apply the sponsored rel attribute to all links
– Link Prefix — The URL path prefix for your cloaked links (default is go, producing yoursite.com/go/link-slug)
Link Partnership Requests
Let visitors apply to have their link featured on your site. WB Ad Manager includes a built-in partnership request form.
Setting Up the Partnership Form
- Create a new WordPress page (for example, “Become a Partner” or “Link Exchange”)
- Add this shortcode to the page content:
[wbam_partnership_inquiry] - Publish the page
- Link to this page from your navigation or footer
What the Form Collects
- Name (required)
- Email address (required)
- Website URL (required)
- Desired anchor text for the link
- Message or pitch
- Preferred link category
Managing Partnership Requests
- Go to WB Ad Manager -> Partnerships
- Review the list of pending requests
- Click a request to see the full details
- Click Approve to create the link automatically, or Reject to decline
When you approve a request, the link is created in your Links list and the requester receives an email notification.
Bulk Operations
Finding and Filtering Links
In WB Ad Manager -> Links, use the filters at the top to:
– Filter by category
– Filter by status (published or draft)
– Search by link title
Bulk Actions
- Check the boxes next to the links you want to update
- Open the Bulk Actions dropdown
- Select an action (delete, change category, or change status)
- Click Apply
Shortcodes
WB Ad Manager includes four shortcodes for displaying and managing tracked links.
Quick Reference
| Shortcode | Purpose |
|---|---|
[wbam_link] |
Display a single tracked link with click counting |
[wbam_links] |
Display a list or grid of links from a category |
[wbam_link_url] |
Output just the raw tracked URL (for use in custom HTML) |
[wbam_partnership_inquiry] |
Show a form for visitors to request link partnerships |
[wbam_link] — Single Link Display
Displays one managed link as a clickable anchor tag. Clicks are tracked automatically.
Basic Usage:
[wbam_link id="123"]
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
id |
number | Required | The link ID to display |
text |
text | Link title | Custom anchor text — overrides the link’s title |
class |
text | — | CSS class to add to the link element |
target |
text | _blank |
Link target: _blank opens in a new tab, _self opens in the same tab |
rel |
text | varies | Rel attribute value |
nofollow |
true/false | false | Add nofollow to the link’s rel attribute |
Examples:
Custom anchor text:
[wbam_link id="123" text="Visit Our Partner"]
Open in same window:
[wbam_link id="123" target="_self"]
Mark as sponsored:
[wbam_link id="123" rel="sponsored"]
[wbam_links] — Link List Display
Displays multiple links from a category in a list or grid layout.
Basic Usage:
[wbam_links category="partners"]
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
category |
text | all | Filter by category slug |
count |
number | 10 | Maximum number of links to show |
layout |
text | list | list for a vertical list, grid for a grid layout |
columns |
number | 3 | Number of columns when using grid layout |
orderby |
text | date | Order by date, title, or random |
show_description |
true/false | true | Show or hide each link’s description |
show_icon |
true/false | true | Show or hide the site favicon next to each link |
Examples:
Sponsor logo grid:
[wbam_links category="sponsors" count="8" layout="grid" columns="4"]
Compact list without icons:
[wbam_links layout="list" show_icon="false" show_description="false"]
[wbam_link_url] — Raw URL Output
Outputs only the tracked URL as plain text, without wrapping it in an anchor tag.
Inside a custom button:
<a href="[wbam_link_url id='123']" class="my-custom-button">
Get Started
</a>
[wbam_partnership_inquiry] — Partnership Request Form
Displays a form that lets visitors apply to have their link featured on your site.
Basic Usage:
[wbam_partnership_inquiry]
| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
title |
text | “Request Link Partnership” | Heading shown above the form |
success_message |
text | Default thank-you text | Message shown after a successful submission |
redirect |
text | — | URL to redirect to after the form is submitted |
show_title |
true/false | true | Show or hide the form title |
Custom title and redirect:
[wbam_partnership_inquiry title="Become a Partner" redirect="/thank-you/"]
Page Layout Examples
Full Partners Page:
<h1>Our Partners</h1>
<p>We are proud to work with these companies.</p>
[wbam_links category="partners" layout="grid" columns="3" show_description="true"]
<h2>Want to Partner With Us?</h2>
[wbam_partnership_inquiry title="Apply for Partnership"]
Troubleshooting
Links are not tracking clicks
– Confirm tracking is enabled in WB Ad Manager -> Settings -> Tracking
– Verify the link is published, not a draft
– Test in an incognito browser window — ad blockers can interfere with tracking scripts
– Clear your caching plugin
Partnership form does not submit
– Open your browser’s developer tools and check the Console for JavaScript errors
– Make sure WordPress is able to send email (test with another plugin or use WP Mail SMTP)
– Check your spam folder for admin notification emails
The link displays the wrong anchor text
– Check the text parameter in your shortcode
– Verify the link’s Title field is set correctly in the editor
Related Settings
These settings in WB Ad Manager -> Settings affect link management:
Link Settings Tab:
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Link Prefix | URL path segment before the link slug | go |
| Default NoFollow | Add nofollow attribute to all links by default | On |
| Default Sponsored | Add the sponsored rel attribute to all links by default | Off |
| Enable Tracking | Track click counts on all links by default | On |
With the default prefix of go, your tracked links look like: yoursite.com/go/link-slug
Modules Tab:
| Module | What It Controls |
|---|---|
| Link Management | Enable/disable the entire Links section |
Related Guides
- Analytics & Tracking — Track link performance
- Troubleshooting — Fix common issues