# How to Track Link Clicks in WordPress

You track link clicks in WordPress with Link Manager Pro by creating **masked** (redirect) links. Link Manager Pro **records every click** on those URLs automatically—you skip extra tags, pixels, or theme edits. Open **Link Manager Pro → Analytics** to filter by date, link, affiliate, or campaign and to read breakdowns by device, country, referrer, and operating system. For plain internal links inside post content, you enable **internal click tracking**; a JavaScript tracker posts each event to a **REST** endpoint, **rate-limited to thirty requests per minute per IP**. You own the data in your database, so you correlate traffic spikes with content updates on your timeline.

## The problem

WordPress does not tell you which outbound or masked links perform, where traffic comes from, or how much is bots versus humans. Spreadsheets and UTM tags alone miss per-link detail and first-party context on your own domain.

## The solution: first-party click analytics

Link Manager Pro **logs each click** on masked links as visitors pass through your redirect. You read volume, geography, technology, and referrers inside WordPress instead of exporting from a third-party shortener.

**What each click record can include:**

- Timestamp
- IP address (**anonymized** per your privacy settings)
- Country (from **GeoLite2** when the database is present, or from **CDN / geo headers** when your host forwards them)
- Device type, operating system, and browser (parsed from the user agent)
- Referrer URL
- A **unique visitor** flag

**Unique visitors:** On the first visit, Link Manager Pro sets a first-party cookie named `link_manager_pro_id` containing a **UUID v4**. The cookie lasts **one year** and lets the plugin mark repeat clicks from the same browser.

**Bot handling:** The plugin ships with **40+** built-in bot and crawler patterns. You extend that list with **custom blocked patterns** and **blocked IPs** under **Settings** so you exclude known automation from human totals.

**Retention:** Under **Settings → Data**, you choose how many days to keep click rows; **auto-purge deletes** rows older than that window.

**Internal (non-masked) links:** Internal click tracking targets normal `<a href>` links inside post content that stay on your site. The tracker calls the REST API; the server **enforces 30 requests per minute per IP** so scripted floods cannot spam your database.

**Dimensions you actually use:** Start with **per-link** totals to see winners and losers. Switch to **per-affiliate** when multiple masked links point at the same merchant domain. Use **per-campaign** when you group links with shared UTM or campaign metadata so launch reviews stay apples-to-apples.

## Step-by-step: see your numbers

1. **Create or edit** any masked link. Tracking stays on by default for redirect clicks.
2. Open **Link Manager Pro → Analytics**.
3. Set the **date range**, then narrow by **link**, **affiliate**, or **campaign** as needed.
4. Review **breakdowns** for device, country, referrer, OS, and browser.

Use this workflow whenever you launch a new offer or compare affiliates—same screens, different filters.

If numbers look flat, confirm visitors hit the **masked** URL (not a raw affiliate string you pasted before you created the link). For internal tracking, confirm you enabled the feature and you have not tripped the per-IP rate limit while testing.

Export or screenshot key ranges after major campaigns; long-term trends make it obvious when a merchant landing page or your CTA copy stops converting.

## Related

- [Click tracking](https://docs.linkmanagerpro.com/features/click-tracking)
- [Internal click tracking](https://docs.linkmanagerpro.com/features/internal-click-tracking)
- [Analytics user guide](https://docs.linkmanagerpro.com/user-guide/analytics)