Title: WP_Widget_Links
Published: April 25, 2014
Last modified: February 24, 2026

---

# class WP_Widget_Links {}

## In this article

 * [Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#description)
    - [See also](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#see-also)
 * [Methods](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#methods)
 * [Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#source)
 * [Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#related)
 * [Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#changelog)

[ Back to top](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

Core class used to implement a Links widget.

## 󠀁[Description](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#description)󠁿

### 󠀁[See also](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#see-also)󠁿

 * [WP_Widget](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget/)

## 󠀁[Methods](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#methods)󠁿

| Name | Description | 
| [WP_Widget_Links::__construct](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/__construct/) | Sets up a new Links widget instance. | 
| [WP_Widget_Links::form](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/form/) | Outputs the settings form for the Links widget. | 
| [WP_Widget_Links::update](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/update/) | Handles updating settings for the current Links widget instance. | 
| [WP_Widget_Links::widget](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/widget/) | Outputs the content for the current Links widget instance. |

## 󠀁[Source](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#source)󠁿

    ```php
    class WP_Widget_Links extends WP_Widget {

    	/**
    	 * Sets up a new Links widget instance.
    	 *
    	 * @since 2.8.0
    	 */
    	public function __construct() {
    		$widget_ops = array(
    			'description'                 => __( 'Your blogroll' ),
    			'customize_selective_refresh' => true,
    		);
    		parent::__construct( 'links', __( 'Links' ), $widget_ops );
    	}

    	/**
    	 * Outputs the content for the current Links widget instance.
    	 *
    	 * @since 2.8.0
    	 *
    	 * @param array $args     Display arguments including 'before_title', 'after_title',
    	 *                        'before_widget', and 'after_widget'.
    	 * @param array $instance Settings for the current Links widget instance.
    	 */
    	public function widget( $args, $instance ) {
    		$show_description = isset( $instance['description'] ) ? $instance['description'] : false;
    		$show_name        = isset( $instance['name'] ) ? $instance['name'] : false;
    		$show_rating      = isset( $instance['rating'] ) ? $instance['rating'] : false;
    		$show_images      = isset( $instance['images'] ) ? $instance['images'] : true;
    		$category         = isset( $instance['category'] ) ? $instance['category'] : false;
    		$orderby          = isset( $instance['orderby'] ) ? $instance['orderby'] : 'name';
    		$order            = 'rating' === $orderby ? 'DESC' : 'ASC';
    		$limit            = isset( $instance['limit'] ) ? $instance['limit'] : -1;

    		$before_widget = preg_replace( '/ id="[^"]*"/', ' id="%id"', $args['before_widget'] );

    		$widget_links_args = array(
    			'title_before'     => $args['before_title'],
    			'title_after'      => $args['after_title'],
    			'category_before'  => $before_widget,
    			'category_after'   => $args['after_widget'],
    			'show_images'      => $show_images,
    			'show_description' => $show_description,
    			'show_name'        => $show_name,
    			'show_rating'      => $show_rating,
    			'category'         => $category,
    			'class'            => 'linkcat widget',
    			'orderby'          => $orderby,
    			'order'            => $order,
    			'limit'            => $limit,
    		);

    		/**
    		 * Filters the arguments for the Links widget.
    		 *
    		 * @since 2.6.0
    		 * @since 4.4.0 Added the `$instance` parameter.
    		 *
    		 * @see wp_list_bookmarks()
    		 *
    		 * @param array $widget_links_args An array of arguments to retrieve the links list.
    		 * @param array $instance          The settings for the particular instance of the widget.
    		 */
    		wp_list_bookmarks( apply_filters( 'widget_links_args', $widget_links_args, $instance ) );
    	}

    	/**
    	 * Handles updating settings for the current Links widget instance.
    	 *
    	 * @since 2.8.0
    	 *
    	 * @param array $new_instance New settings for this instance as input by the user via
    	 *                            WP_Widget::form().
    	 * @param array $old_instance Old settings for this instance.
    	 * @return array Updated settings to save.
    	 */
    	public function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
    		$new_instance = (array) $new_instance;
    		$instance     = array(
    			'images'      => 0,
    			'name'        => 0,
    			'description' => 0,
    			'rating'      => 0,
    		);
    		foreach ( $instance as $field => $val ) {
    			if ( isset( $new_instance[ $field ] ) ) {
    				$instance[ $field ] = 1;
    			}
    		}

    		$instance['orderby'] = 'name';
    		if ( in_array( $new_instance['orderby'], array( 'name', 'rating', 'id', 'rand' ), true ) ) {
    			$instance['orderby'] = $new_instance['orderby'];
    		}

    		$instance['category'] = (int) $new_instance['category'];
    		$instance['limit']    = ! empty( $new_instance['limit'] ) ? (int) $new_instance['limit'] : -1;

    		return $instance;
    	}

    	/**
    	 * Outputs the settings form for the Links widget.
    	 *
    	 * @since 2.8.0
    	 *
    	 * @param array $instance Current settings.
    	 */
    	public function form( $instance ) {

    		// Defaults.
    		$instance  = wp_parse_args(
    			(array) $instance,
    			array(
    				'images'      => true,
    				'name'        => true,
    				'description' => false,
    				'rating'      => false,
    				'category'    => false,
    				'orderby'     => 'name',
    				'limit'       => -1,
    			)
    		);
    		$link_cats = get_terms( array( 'taxonomy' => 'link_category' ) );
    		$limit     = (int) $instance['limit'];
    		if ( ! $limit ) {
    			$limit = -1;
    		}
    		?>
    		<p>
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'category' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Select Link Category:' ); ?></label>
    			<select class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'category' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'category' ); ?>">
    				<option value=""><?php _ex( 'All Links', 'links widget' ); ?></option>
    				<?php foreach ( $link_cats as $link_cat ) : ?>
    					<option value="<?php echo (int) $link_cat->term_id; ?>" <?php selected( $instance['category'], $link_cat->term_id ); ?>>
    						<?php echo esc_html( $link_cat->name ); ?>
    					</option>
    				<?php endforeach; ?>
    			</select>
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'orderby' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Sort by:' ); ?></label>
    			<select name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'orderby' ); ?>" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'orderby' ); ?>" class="widefat">
    				<option value="name"<?php selected( $instance['orderby'], 'name' ); ?>><?php _e( 'Link title' ); ?></option>
    				<option value="rating"<?php selected( $instance['orderby'], 'rating' ); ?>><?php _e( 'Link rating' ); ?></option>
    				<option value="id"<?php selected( $instance['orderby'], 'id' ); ?>><?php _e( 'Link ID' ); ?></option>
    				<option value="rand"<?php selected( $instance['orderby'], 'rand' ); ?>><?php _ex( 'Random', 'Links widget' ); ?></option>
    			</select>
    		</p>

    		<p>
    			<input class="checkbox" type="checkbox"<?php checked( $instance['images'], true ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'images' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'images' ); ?>" />
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'images' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Show Link Image' ); ?></label>
    			<br />

    			<input class="checkbox" type="checkbox"<?php checked( $instance['name'], true ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'name' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'name' ); ?>" />
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'name' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Show Link Name' ); ?></label>
    			<br />

    			<input class="checkbox" type="checkbox"<?php checked( $instance['description'], true ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'description' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'description' ); ?>" />
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'description' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Show Link Description' ); ?></label>
    			<br />

    			<input class="checkbox" type="checkbox"<?php checked( $instance['rating'], true ); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'rating' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'rating' ); ?>" />
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'rating' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Show Link Rating' ); ?></label>
    		</p>

    		<p>
    			<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'limit' ); ?>"><?php _e( 'Number of links to show:' ); ?></label>
    			<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id( 'limit' ); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name( 'limit' ); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo ( -1 !== $limit ) ? (int) $limit : ''; ?>" size="3" />
    		</p>
    		<?php
    	}
    }
    ```

[View all references](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/files/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-links.php/)
[View on Trac](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-links.php#L17)
[View on GitHub](https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/6.9.4/src/wp-includes/widgets/class-wp-widget-links.php#L17-L188)

## 󠀁[Related](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#related)󠁿

| Uses | Description | 
| [WP_Widget](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget/)`wp-includes/class-wp-widget.php` |

Core base class extended to register widgets.

  |

## 󠀁[Changelog](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_widget_links/?output_format=md#changelog)󠁿

| Version | Description | 
| [2.8.0](https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/since/2.8.0/) | Introduced. |

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