How to Add Link Icons for Specific Domains

What link icons do

If you've ever read a Healthline article, you've probably noticed certain external links have a small icon next to them — usually a checkmark or institution mark — signalling "this is a trusted source." Examples include the National Library of Medicine (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) for medical articles.

Linkilo lets you do the same thing on your site: pick a domain (or list of domains) and assign an icon that appears next to every link to that domain.

Why it helps your readers

• Credibility cue — visitors immediately recognise trusted sources
• Click confidence — readers know what they're clicking before they click
• Brand polish — gives your articles a professional, well-cited feel

Google already understands the source is reputable, but your readers need a visual cue. Link icons give them one.

Step-by-step

1. WordPress → Linkilo → Settings → Link Styling → External Link Styling
2. Find the Link icons section
3. Click Add icon rule
4. Enter the domain (e.g. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) — don't include https:// or trailing slashes
5. Pick the icon from the icon library (or upload your own SVG/PNG)
6. Optionally set the icon colour
7. Save

The icon now appears next to every link to that domain across your site.

A few patterns that work well

• Government / institutional — .gov, .edu, university research, NIH, CDC, WHO
• Major publications — NYT, WSJ, BBC, The Guardian, Nature, Science
• Industry standards — for tech sites: MDN, W3C, IETF; for design: Smashing, A List Apart

Want links to look different in other ways?

Link icons are part of Linkilo's broader Link Styling controls. You can also style internal vs external links with different colours, weights, hover states, and visited states. See Linkilo → Settings → Link Styling for the full kit.