External Link Warning

WHAT IT DOES

External Link Warning scans the current page for all external links (links pointing to a different domain), adds visual indicators (icons or badges) next to them, and displays a warning confirmation dialog when you click on an external link, showing the destination URL and domain. The tool helps protect against phishing attacks, malicious redirects, and accidental navigation to untrusted websites by making external links more visible and requiring explicit confirmation before leaving the current page.

WHERE IT RUNS

This tool works on any webpage, including single-page applications (SPAs), dynamic websites, and pages with complex link structures. It detects all anchor tags with href attributes and identifies external links by comparing the link's domain against the current page's domain. It runs on all websites as designated in its match patterns.

HOW TO USE

After installing the BotGentz extension, the tool automatically scans the page for external links and adds a small "↗" badge next to each one. When you click an external link, a warning dialog appears showing the destination URL and domain. Configure your settings using the panel: toggle visual indicators on or off, enable or disable the warning dialog, add trusted domains to the whitelist (comma-separated), and set the trust level (Low, Medium, or High) which affects the warning dialog's visual styling. Use the "Scan links" button to rescan the page after dynamic content loads, and "Clear indicators" to remove all external link badges from the page.

TECHNICAL SECTION — DOM-BASED EXTERNAL LINK DETECTION

Unlike browser extensions that intercept network requests, this tool uses DOM-based detection by scanning the page's anchor elements directly. It compares each link's hostname against the current page's hostname, handling subdomain relationships and edge cases. The detection engine also identifies non-HTTP links (mailto, tel, javascript, anchor links) and excludes them from external classification. Whitelist support allows you to specify trusted domains that should not trigger warnings, with partial domain matching for flexibility. The warning dialog is implemented as a custom overlay with configurable trust levels that adjust the visual severity, providing users with context about the risk level of the destination.

THE PANEL

The panel is draggable anywhere on the screen and remembers its position per site. It can snap to the left, right, top, or bottom edges, or float freely. Collapse it to a small status indicator when you need more page visibility, and expand it again with a single click. Resize it vertically or horizontally to see more settings. Press Escape to close the panel instantly. All settings (show indicator, show warning, whitelist domains, trust level) are saved globally and persist across sessions.

PLEASE NOTE

This tool requires the free BotGentz extension. It only reads DOM structure and adds visual indicators; it does not block or modify network requests. The whitelist is stored locally in your browser and is not shared or transmitted anywhere. External link detection relies on the current page's domain for comparison; links within the same domain but different subdomains are treated as internal. Websites change their layouts and link structures frequently; scripts may need updates, and we work to keep them current but cannot guarantee uninterrupted operation.