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, or twitter.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 — no https:// prefix and no trailing slash needed.
• Matching is a plain substring check, so example.com will also match a subdomain like cdn.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?

1. Dedicated download / movie / APK blog: use exclude mode and list only the handful of domains you want to protect. Everything else gets monetized.
2. General blog with mixed content: use include mode and list only your file hosts. Editorial and affiliate links stay clean.