More than 100 external links on the page

What it is

The page’s HTML contains more than 100 links to addresses on other hosts. That is expected on a few page types, such as a resource directory or a partner list. On an article or product page it usually comes from user comments, an embedded feed or widget, or a long block of partner links in the footer.

Why it matters

Every outbound link sends readers away, and a followed one vouches for the destination. A long run of links with little text around them reads as low value to people, and if the links are paid or exchanged, Google asks you to qualify them  with rel="sponsored", and links in user comments with rel="ugc". The count by itself is not the problem: what matters is whether each link helps the reader and is marked for what it is.

How Asky checks it

Asky counts the <a href> links in the page’s raw HTML whose address, resolved against the page URL, is on a different host from the page; links added by JavaScript are not seen. Subdomains, the other www form of your domain and scheme-relative links such as //example.org/page to another host count as external; another port on your own host does not. Every link element counts, so an address linked twice counts twice, and nofollow, sponsored and ugc links count too. The page is reported when the count is over 100. It runs in every audit, selected pages included, on every page Asky fetched that answers without a 4xx or 5xx error.

Reported as a warning with medium severity.

How to fix it

1. Find where the links come from: the body, comments, a sidebar widget, the footer or an embedded feed.
2. Remove links that no longer help the reader, and links to dead or unrelated sites.
3. Mark paid, affiliate and sponsored links rel="sponsored", and links in comments or forum posts rel="ugc". These still count toward the 100, so they qualify the links without clearing the finding.
4. If links to your own subdomain or other host form inflate the count, remember they count as external here; link to one consistent host where you can.
5. Split a very long list across several category pages.
6. To leave it as it is: if the page is a deliberate directory or resource list and every link earns its place, mark the issue resolved.

Example

https://example.com/resources/integrations lists 140 partner sites in one block. Splitting it into category pages such as https://example.com/resources/integrations/analytics, each with a short description per partner, keeps every page under 100 links and makes each one useful.

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