Sometimes, having a large list of links below the Blogroll heading is just too generic, and you may want to display groups of links with different headings that further define them. Like with posts, you can create multiple categories for your links in the WordPress Dashboard if you want to have more than one link list.
By default, WordPress provides one link category called Blogroll. You can keep this name as-is or change it by using the same method you use to change a post category name (for more on changing the name of a category, see Book III, Chapter 7) — simply click the name of the link category to view the Edit Link Category page and edit the details however you want.
You can organize your links by creating link categories in the Dashboard and then assigning links to the appropriate categories. To create link categories, follow these steps:
The Link Categories page opens, as shown in Figure 6-1. The left side of the Link Categories page displays the Add Link Category section.
The term slug refers to the word(s) used in the Web address for the specific category.
Providing a description further defines the category for your readers. You can make the description as short or as long as you want. Some WordPress themes are set up to actually display the category description directly beneath the category name (check out Book VI for information on template tags that allow you to add category descriptions).
The Link Categories page refreshes and displays your new link category.
You can create an unlimited amount of link categories to sort your link lists by topics. (We know one blogger who has 50 categories for his links.) Revisit the Link Categories page any time you want to add, edit, or delete a link. To edit or delete a link category, hover your mouse over the link category you want to manage, and then click one of the three links that appears below the link category name:
After you create your link categories, you just need to add some new links! To add a new link, follow these steps:
The Add New Link page opens, as shown in Figure 6-2.
Enter the actual name of the site that you're adding to your link list.
You want your visitors to go to this destination when they click the name of the site. Don't forget to include the http:// part of the Web address (http://lisasabin-wilson.com, for example).
Providing a description helps further define the site for your readers. Some WordPress templates display the link description directly below the link name by using a specific WordPress template tag.
If you don't select a category for your new link, that link is automatically assigned to the default category. Figure 6-3 shows the list of link categories that Lisa has in her blog.
If you don't use the Link Category option regularly, you can collapse (close) this module by clicking anywhere in the Categories title bar. You can also move the Categories module to a different position on the Add New Link page by dragging and dropping it to a new location.
Select one of the following radio buttons:
The third option — None — is the standard/default option here — leaving your visitors to decide how they want to open links on your site. If they want to open a link in a new browser window, they can use their browser tools to make that happen.
You can reposition the Target module by dragging and dropping it to a new location on the Add New Link page. You can also collapse this module.
XFN stands for XHTML Friends Network and allows you to indicate the relationship you have with the people you're linking to by defining how you know, or are associated with, them. Table 6-1 lists the different relationships you can assign to your links.
You can reposition the Link Relationship module by dragging and dropping it to a new location on the Add New Link page. You can also collapse (close) this module.
Link Relationship | Description |
Identity | Select this check box if the link is to a Web site you are the owner of. |
Friendship | Select the option (Contact, Acquaintance, Friend, or None) that most closely identifies the friendship, if any. |
Physical | You've met the person you're linking to face to face. Sharing pictures over the Internet doesn't count; this selection identifies a person you've physically met. |
Professional | The person you're linking to is a co-worker or colleague. |
Geographical | Select Co-Resident if the person you're linking to lives with you; or select Neighbor or None, depending on which option applies to your relationship with the person you're linking to. |
Family | If the blogger you're linking to is a family member, select the option that tells how the person is related to you. |
Romantic | Select the option that applies to the type of romantic relationship, if any, you have with the person you're linking to. Do you have a crush on him? Is she your creative muse or someone you consider a sweetheart? |
You have four options in the Advanced module:
This option associates an image with the link. To use it, you need to know the direct URL to the image source (such as http://yourdomain.com/images/image.jpg). Figure 6-5 displays the Resources page on a business Web site; that page uses the WordPress Links feature to assign image addresses to links.
To find the URL for an image that appears on a Web site, right-click the image and choose Properties from the pop-up menu that appears. Copy the image address (URL). The image's URL starts with http:// and looks like a Web address. Then paste it into the Image Address text box in the Add New Link page.
To find the RSS URL of the site you're linking to, visit that site and locate the RSS link. (It's usually listed in the sidebar or footer of the site.) Right-click the link, and from the pop-up menu that appears, choose Copy Shortcut (in Internet Explorer) or Copy Link Location (in Firefox). Then in WordPress, paste the link in the RSS Address field.
These notes don't appear on your site, so feel free to enter whatever notes you need to define the details of this link further. A month from now, you may not remember who this person is or why you linked to her, so add notes here to remind yourself.
You can reposition the Advanced module by dragging and dropping it to a new location on the Add New Link page. You can also collapse (close) this module.
To keep the link private, select the Keep This Link Private check box. No one can see the link. If you want the link to appear publicly on your blog, leave that check box deselected.
You can reposition the Save module by dragging and dropping it to a new location on the Add New Link page. You can also collapse (close) this module.
The Add New Link page refreshes and displays a message to you that your new link has been added.
You can edit the links in your blog by clicking the name of the link you want to edit on the Links page; the Edit Links page opens.
When you first view the Links page, some links are already assigned to your blog. By default, WordPress provides seven links in your link list. These links go to some helpful Web sites that contain information and resources for the WordPress software. You can delete these links, but we recommend saving them for future reference.
Here's what you can do with your links: