=== LinkMaster - Link Management, SEO, Broken Links & Redirects ===
Contributors: codeace, freemius
Tags: seo, custom, broken links, redirect url, internal links
Requires at least: 5.0
Tested up to: 6.8
Requires PHP: 7.2
Stable tag: 2.5.0
License: GPLv3
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

LinkMaster: Manage links with custom permalinks, SEO redirects, link cloaking, auto link injection and a broken link checker for WordPress.

== Description ==
LinkMaster is your complete solution for WordPress URL management, offering advanced permalink customization, smart redirection, and a powerful broken link scanner. 
Perfect for site administrators who need precise control over their URLs to optimize for SEO, enhance user experience, and manage complex URL structures.

Unlike WordPress's default permalink system, LinkMaster allows you to create unique, custom URLs for individual posts, pages, and custom post types without affecting your site's overall URL structure. 
This flexibility is crucial for SEO, as it enables you to craft clean, descriptive URLs that search engines love. 
By using LinkMaster, you can ensure that your website's URLs are SEO-friendly and properly redirected, which can improve your site's search engine rankings and user navigation.
For future updates and feedback, visit our website: [getlinkmaster.com](https://getlinkmaster.com).

== Features ==  

* **Advanced Permalink Customization**
  - Create custom permalinks for individual posts and pages
  - Full support for query parameters (e.g., /search?category=shoes) in URLs
  - Support for all file extensions (.html, .php, .xhtml, etc.)
  - Support for special characters in URLs
  **Pro**
  - Bulk permalink management tools with CSV import/export
  - URL pattern templates for consistent naming

* **Smart Redirection System**
  - 301, 302, and 307 redirect support
  - Query parameter handling
  **Pro**
  - SEO-friendly link attributes (nofollow, sponsored)
  - Export/import feature for bulk redirects
  - Link expiration feature for temporary access links
  - Advanced click analytics and reporting

* **Broken Link Scanner**
  - Scan for broken links across posts, pages, and custom post types
  - Detect 404 errors and missing URLs
  - Generate a detailed report of broken links
  **Pro**
  - Export broken links for easy management
  - Scheduled automatic scanning to proactively find broken links


* **Link Cloaking**

  - Create branded short URLs for affiliate links
  - Hide affiliate IDs and long URLs
  - Manage all cloaked links from a central dashboard
  **Pro**
  - IP protection to block specific IPs from accessing links
  - Password protection for exclusive access to links
  - Link expiration dates for time-limited offers
  - Click limits to restrict the number of times a link can be accessed

* **Link Click Statistics**
  - Track click counts for all redirected links
  **Pro**
  - Detailed analytics on link performance
  - Export statistics for reporting

* **Custom 404 Page Setup**
  - Create custom 404 error pages
  - Redirect 404 errors to specific pages
  - Customize 404 page content and design
  - Log 404 errors for analysis

* **Auto Link Injection (Premium Feature)**
  - Automatically link keywords to specified URLs across your site
  - Set priority and linking rules for keywords
  - Control the maximum number of auto links per page
  - Exclude specific posts or pages from auto linking

* **SEO-Focused Features**
  - Clean URL structures
  - Automatic canonical URL management
  - Search engine friendly redirects
  - Integration with popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO

* **Performance Optimized**
  - Lightweight redirect handling
  - Cached URL lookups
  - Minimal database queries
  - No .htaccess modifications required

* **User Experience Enhancements**
  - Interactive onboarding tour for new users
  - Link Health Score for visual feedback on link quality
  - Quick Help sections with best practices
  - Intuitive dashboard with clear feature explanations

* **No Server Configuration Required**  
  The plugin requires no modifications to `.htaccess` or server settings, ensuring hassle-free setup and usage.

  Start managing your URLs with LinkMaster today and take control of your WordPress site's URL structure for better SEO and user experience.
  For future updates and feedback, visit our website: [getlinkmaster.com](https://getlinkmaster.com).  

== Installation ==
1. **Direct Installation**  
   - Go to your WordPress dashboard.  
   - Navigate to the **Plugins** menu and click on **Add New**.  
   - In the search bar, type **LinkMaster**.  
   - Click **Install Now** and then **Activate** the plugin.  

2. **Manual Installation**  
   - Download the plugin's ZIP file from the WordPress plugin repository.  
   - Go to your WordPress dashboard.  
   - Navigate to **Plugins > Add New** and click **Upload Plugin** at the top of the screen.  
   - Choose the downloaded ZIP file and click **Install Now**.  
   - Once installed, click **Activate Plugin** to enable it on your site.  

3. Once installed and activated, navigate to any post or page edit screen to define custom permalinks directly.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==  

= Do I need to modify .htaccess or server settings to use this plugin? =  
No, the plugin works out of the box and does not require any server-side configuration changes.  

= Can I use this plugin with GeneratePress or other popular plugins? =  
Yes, the plugin is fully compatible with GeneratePress, Yoast SEO, WPML, and many other plugins.  

= Can I use this plugin for custom post types? =
Yes, the plugin supports custom permalinks for custom post types.

= Can I use this plugin with WooCommerce? =
Yes, the plugin is compatible with WooCommerce.

= What happens to existing permalinks if I deactivate the plugin? =
Existing permalinks will revert to the default WordPress permalink structure. Custom permalinks set via the plugin will not function until the plugin is reactivated.

= Is the plugin compatible with multilingual sites? =
Currently, the plugin does not include built-in support for multilingual functionality. While it can be used on multilingual sites, it does not automatically handle language-specific permalinks. Support for WPML and Polylang integration is planned for a future release.

= Can I use Link Redirection to permanently or temporarily redirect URLs? =
Yes, with the Link Redirection feature, you can choose from multiple HTTP status codes (301 for permanent, 302/303 for temporary, and 307/308 for advanced redirection) to manage URL changes.

= Does LinkMaster support permalinks with file extensions? =
Yes, LinkMaster fully supports permalinks with any file extension such as .html, .php, .xhtml, and others. This allows you to create URLs that match your desired format regardless of the actual content type.

= Does the plugin track link clicks? =
Yes, LinkMaster includes comprehensive click tracking statistics for all your links. You can view detailed analytics on link performance, user engagement, and geographic data.

== Changelog ==

= 2.5.0 =
* Added: Custom 404 page setup and management
* Improved: Broken link scanning capabilities
* Enhanced: Click tracking and statistics
* Improved: User interface and overall plugin experience
* Enhanced: Performance and compatibility with latest WordPress versions
* Improved: UI/UX across all plugin sections
* Fixed: Various minor bugs and stability improvements
* Fixed: Bug with trailing slash handling in custom permalinks

= 2.2.0 =
* Added: Enhanced onboarding tour with specific guidance for custom permalinks feature
* Added: Link Health Score feature to provide visual feedback on link quality
* Added: Comprehensive Quick Help section in the custom permalinks admin page
* Added: SEO link attribute options (nofollow, sponsored, UGC) for redirects
* Improved: Custom permalink handling to fully support URLs with query parameters (e.g., /search?category=shoes)
* Improved: Support for all permalink types including file extensions (.html, .xhtml, etc.)
* Fixed: Bug with query parameter handling in custom permalinks
* Enhanced: Dashboard UI with clearer feature explanations

= 2.1.0 =
* Added export/import feature to custom permalink and link redirection.
* Now you can set your own custom permalink and link redirection in bulk in an easy way.

= 2.0.1 =
* Fixed minor bug with the scanner and added export feature to the broken links.

= 2.0.0 =
* Added: LinkMaster now support Custom post type as well as WooCommerce.

= 1.2.0 =
* Added: **Broken Link Scanner** feature to scan and display broken links along with their HTTP status codes.
* Added: **Link Redirection** feature supporting HTTP status codes 301, 302, 303, 307, and 308.
* Improved: Performance optimizations for large sites
* Fixed: Various minor bugs and compatibility issues

= 1.1.0 =
* Added: New feature to select multiple custom posts and pages for deleting selected custom slugs via the plugin homepage.
* Fixed: Bug causing pages with custom slugs to return 404 errors.

= 1.0.0 =
- Initial release. Support for adding custom permalinks via the WordPress admin panel for posts and pages.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 2.5.0 =
Major update with enhanced onboarding experience, Link Health Score feature, improved custom permalink handling, link expiration functionality, scheduled broken link scanning, SEO link attributes (nofollow/sponsored), and comprehensive click statistics.

== Screenshots ==
1. The permalink meta box on the post edit screen.
2. Search for the plugin in the plugin directory.
3. Activate the plugin.
4. Download the plugin as a zip file.
5. Click the "Upload Plugin" and Upload the zip file.
6. Check the file name and click "Install Now"
7. Activate the plugin.
8. LinkMaster is ready to use!
