Include / Exclude Rules
Include and exclude rules decide which links the Blog JavaScript turns into safelinks and which it leaves alone. WP Safelink offers two conversion modes — include (convert only the hosts you list) and exclude (convert everything except the hosts you list) — so you can monetize your file-download links while leaving navigation, social, and affiliate links untouched.
The two conversion modes
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Convert Link Method | include | Switches between include mode and exclude mode for both the Blog JavaScript and server-side conversion. |
| Include Domain List | Empty | One host per line. In include mode, a link is converted only if its address contains one of these hosts. |
| Exclude Domain List | Empty | One host per line. In exclude mode, every link is converted except those containing a listed host (your own site is always spared). |
| Base URL Safelink | Your site URL (read-only) | The safelink base that converted links point to — the destination of every rewritten link. |
Include mode — convert only what you list
In include mode (the default), nothing is converted unless its address matches a host in your Include Domain List. This is the safest choice for a mixed blog with lots of editorial, navigation, and affiliate links — you opt in only your actual download hosts.
- List your file hosts, one per line, for example:
mediafire.com,mega.nz,drive.google.com,zippyshare.com. - Every other link on the page is left exactly as written.
- Add a new host to the list and save to start monetizing it — no need to touch your posts.
Exclude mode — convert everything except what you list
In exclude mode, every outbound link is converted except those that match a host in your Exclude Domain List. This is ideal for a dedicated download blog where almost every external link is a file you want monetized. Your own site is automatically spared, so internal navigation never gets wrapped.
- Use the exclude list to protect links you do not want monetized: your CDN, your safelink domain itself, and trusted destinations like
youtube.com,facebook.com, ortwitter.com. - Leave the list short and everything else — the real download hosts — gets converted automatically.
How matching works
Both lists use simple substring matching against each link’s address. There is no scheme or host parsing, so keep these points in mind:
- Enter one host per line, like
example.com— nohttps://prefix and no trailing slash needed. - Matching is a plain substring check, so
example.comwill also match a subdomain likecdn.example.com. List the most specific host you need to be precise. - In exclude mode your own site is always added to the skip list automatically, so same-site links are never converted.
- Leaving the exclude list empty in exclude mode means every external link on the page is converted — use include mode if you want tighter control.
What it looks like
Which mode should you choose?
- Dedicated download / movie / APK blog: use
excludemode and list only the handful of domains you want to protect. Everything else gets monetized. - General blog with mixed content: use
includemode and list only your file hosts. Editorial and affiliate links stay clean.
💡 Note: After editing either list, save your settings and clear your Cloudflare or page cache — the wpsafelink.js file is rebuilt on save and a cached copy can keep serving the old rules. See Installing the Blog JavaScript for the save-and-verify steps.
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