Last updated October 13, 2026 · Report an error
The balance between internal links (pointing to other pages on the same site) and external links (pointing elsewhere) is a useful signal for both SEO and content strategy — too few internal links can leave pages poorly connected, while an unusual number of external links might be worth a second look.
This tool fetches a live URL and counts how many of its links are internal versus external.
How it works
Enter a page URL. The tool safely fetches the page, collects every <a href> tag (skipping anchors, mailto/tel links, and javascript: links), and compares each link's hostname to the page's own — a relative link or one matching the page's hostname counts as internal, everything else counts as external.
- Enter page URL.
- Click Calculate to see your results.
Examples
A typical content page
A blog post with 15 links to other pages on the same site and 3 links to external sources reports "18 links found — 15 internal, 3 external."
Who should use it
- Auditing a page's internal linking structure as part of an SEO review.
- Spot-checking how link-heavy a page is toward external sources versus your own site.
Industry applications
- SEO and content strategy
- Web development and QA
Advantages
- Checks the real, live page — not just a static copy of your HTML.
- Correctly excludes anchors, mailto/tel, and javascript links from the count.
Limitations
- Treats subdomains as external, which may not match every site's definition of "internal."
Common mistakes to avoid
- Having very few internal links on important pages, making them harder for search engines (and users) to discover through site navigation.
- Not noticing when a large proportion of a page's links point away from your own site.
Best practices
- Link to other relevant pages on your own site wherever it naturally helps the reader, rather than treating internal linking as an afterthought.
Tips
- If you find a page with very few internal links, look for natural opportunities in the existing text to link to related pages on your own site.