A site’s external LinkSignal is a score out of 100 for its outbound (external) links, and for the link-related health of the site itself, right now. This page covers the catch-all row, for links that were flagged and are not counted anywhere else. The overview is at LinkSignal, and the rules are on the methodology page.
This row is built only from this tool’s own findings. It does not use a search engine’s data, PageRank or any third-party trust or authority score, and it is not connected to any of them.
What this part of your LinkSignal measures
It counts links whose verdict is Not safe or Needs review, and which are not already counted as parked, unregistered or expired, out of context, or concealed. In practice these are links to destinations that match a known concern, or that look unusual enough that a person should decide whether they belong.
A Not safe verdict means a destination matched something serious. Needs review means it is not clear-cut, and a decision is left to you. The report also lists links as Registered recently, which is a reason to look, since a young domain has little history behind it. The meaning of each verdict is explained in verdicts explained.
How it is counted
| Row | Points for each | Limit | Reached at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Links that need review | 1 | 8 | 8 links |
The rule is 1 point each, up to 8: each link takes off 1 point, and the row stops at 8, so it reaches its limit at 8 links. It is the lightest of the finding rows apart from broken links, because a flagged link is a question rather than an answer.
The row is last in the default order, which is why it works as a catch-all. A link is counted in the first row it matches, so anything parked, unregistered, expired, out of context or concealed is charged there and never twice. Broken links are counted in their own row, and a link that is unreachable or could not be checked is not charged at all.
A worked example
A site has three links that need review, one that is not safe, and one link to a parked page. The parked link is charged in its own row. The other four are 4 × 1 = 4, which is 4 points here. The site scores 92 in all.
12 flagged links would cost 12 on paper, but the row stops at 8. The site scores 92.
How it appears in your report
In the LinkSignal card, open How this is worked out and select Links that need review. The findings open on the matching links. In What to fix, in order, the step Needs review splits them into Not safe, Need a decision and Registered recently, and its Review these links button opens the same list.
How to get the points back
- Start with Not safeRemove those links, or mark them nofollow if you cannot, so the site is not vouching for them.
- Decide on the restOpen each one. Keep the links you chose and remove, or mark nofollow, the others.
- Record the ones you keepMark a finding reviewed for each link you have looked at and want to keep. It is checked again on the next scan, so a review is never taken on trust.
- Check the resultUse a re-check of the fixed links and then a rescan.
- Watch for new onesMonitoring reports links that become flagged after you last looked.
What it does not mean
- It does not mean you did anything wrong. Many flagged links are ones an author chose in good faith.
- A verdict is a prompt to look, not a final ruling. How accurate the checks are, and their limits, are described in accuracy and limits.
- It does not measure how a search engine treats the link.
Questions
Why does a reviewed link still appear?
A reviewed link stays in the report as reviewed and is checked again on the next scan. If it gets worse, it is reopened.
Why are these cheaper than hidden links?
A flagged link is a question to answer. A hidden link is usually a sign that someone else has been in the site.
Does a link I marked nofollow still cost points?
Yes. The row counts the flagged link. A rel attribute changes whether it passes credit, which is covered in ranking credit.
Why is a flagged link missing from this row?
It is probably counted in another row, such as parked or out of context. Each link is charged once.
Run a scan and see each one, with the reason it was flagged.
