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Link Whisper Free

by Spencer Haws · SEO

The AI-powered internal linking plugin for WordPress. Build internal links faster, find linking opportunities, and improve SEO automatically.

Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.

Health

B 84/100

no flags

Active installs

30K+

≈35K estimated

Momentum

-8%

downloads vs prior 30d

Biggest opportunity: Swap “links”, “seo” and “internal linking” for “link suggestions”, “orphan pages” and “link”. “links” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “link suggestions” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “seo” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “orphan pages” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “internal linking” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “link” sits at #6 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.

How scoring works →
84 Health · B
Maintenance 100/100
Rating quality 79/100
Support 70/100
Security 75/100

84 health vs 65 average across 2,223 SEO plugins

Install conversion

How it's measured →

3.0%

of downloads still active

At least 30K of 1M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median SEO plugin keeps 1.2%, across 1,193 plugins.

Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other SEO plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.

This plugin shipped 10 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.

Details

Version
0.9.8
Last updated
19d ago
Added
2020-02-11 · 6 yrs old
Requires WP
4.6
Tested up to
7.1.4
Requires PHP
7.4

Directory ranking optimization

How it's scored →

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

82 / 100

Well optimized

Most to gain: Support resolution

Update recency 100/100

Updated 19 days ago

WP compatibility 100/100

Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer

Rating quality 84/100

4.2★ over 151 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★

Listing tuning 100/100

5 of 5 tags set · short description in place

Support resolution 0/100

0 of 4 support threads resolved in the last 2 months

To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.

Get the full rank-higher report →

Daily downloads

Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive

-8% vs prior 30d
3031 Nov 2026

30-day downloads

Rolling 30-day volume · peak 65.9K · peaks are release surges

25.7K1 Nov 2026

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

Link Whisper Free · #986youInterlinks Manager · #2597LinkBoss · #4521LuckyWP Table of Con · #469

Rating trend

Star average over time · dips mark rough releases

4.21 Nov 2026

Health trend

Composite health score, snapshotted daily

841 Nov 2026

Update activity

How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.

8581 Nov 2026

Release cadence

Actively maintained
from wp.org release tags

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

10

releases in the last 12 months

19d ago

latest release · v0.9.8 · 13 Oct 2026

86

tagged releases on record

Recent releases

0.9.8 · 13 Oct 20260.9.7 · 18 Aug 20260.9.6 · 22 Jul 20260.9.5 · 1 Jun 20260.9.4 · 14 May 20260.9.3 · 29 Apr 20260.9.2 · 6 Mar 20260.9.1 · 27 Feb 20260.9.0 · 24 Nov 20250.8.9 · 24 Nov 20250.8.8 · 30 Sep 20250.8.7 · 10 Sep 20250.8.6 · 3 Sep 20250.8.5 · 3 Sep 2025

What its installed base runs

via wordpress.org

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 79% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

v0.9 79%
v0.8 10%
v0.7 6.7%
Older / other versions 4.4%

Estimated active installs

The public count shows “30K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.

tracked estimate
30K–40K ≈35K

Crossed into this band 14 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.

Install history since 8 Jul 2021

30K1 Nov 2026

Reviewer account pattern

from wp.org reviewer profiles

21 of the last 24 four- and five-star reviews came from accounts created within a month of posting the review, and 11 of those landed between 2026-05-14 and 2026-06-13.

Registering a wp.org account just to leave a review is common and often entirely legitimate. The share here is unusually high for the sample, so it's worth keeping in mind while reading the reviews.

Recent reviews

All reviews on wp.org ↗
  1. ★★★★★ ravipatel10392
    4mo ago

    Been using Link Whisper Premium for a while now and it’s honestly one of the best SEO plugins I’ve bought. The automatic internal link suggestions save me so much time, and the orphaned content report helped me fix gaps I didn’t even know I had. Setup was simple and it doesn’t slow my site down at all. Definitely worth the money — highly recommend it.

    Read on wp.org ↗
  2. ★★★★★ webmastere846d7d9ff
    5mo ago

    Support team is fantastic and this feels like it will optimize our internal linking strategy across all clients!

    Read on wp.org ↗
  3. ★★★★★ satikshpatel
    5mo ago

    Link Whisper is a fantastic plugin that simplifies internal linking. It saves time, improves website structure, and makes SEO management much easier. A must-have for any WordPress site.

    Read on wp.org ↗
  4. ★★★★★ arpitlab
    5mo ago

    I’ve tried several SEO plugins, but Link Whisper stands out. The internal linking suggestions are accurate and save me hours of manual work. Easy to use and definitely worth it!

    Read on wp.org ↗
  5. ★★★★★ tflbearing
    5mo ago

    Disappointed with my recent experience with @LinkWhisper. I renewed my paid subscription and immediately encountered a license activation issue. What I have verified: ✅ Fresh installation from the official download portal✅ License key entered correctly✅ WordPress functioning normally✅ Server can access Google, WordPress.org, Rank Math, and other external services✅ Multiple browsers and cache clears tested However, Link Whisper activation consistently fails with: ❌ License Error❌ Cloudflare Error 520❌ Plugin becomes unusable Server tests show: google.com → OK api.wordpress.org → OK rankmath.com → OK linkwhisper.com → Error 520 I contacted support and was only asked to “try again.” The issue still persists. At this point I have a paid product that cannot be activated or used. Can someone from @LinkWhisper please explain: Why their licensing system returns Cloudflare 520? Why the plugin crashes when the license server response is null? Why a refund request is being refused for an unusable product? #WordPress #SEO #LinkWhisper #Cloudflare #WordPressPlugins This topic was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by tflbearing.

    Read on wp.org ↗
  6. ★★★★★ shreyasoni
    5mo ago

    Link Whisper is a fantastic plugin for improving internal linking on WordPress websites. The link suggestions are relevant, easy to use, and save a lot of time when optimizing content. It helps organize site structure and makes SEO management much easier. Highly recommended for bloggers and website owners!

    Read on wp.org ↗
  7. ★★★★★ abhaysingh44
    5mo ago

    Link Whisper makes internal linking super easy and saves a lot of time. The suggestions are smart, the interface is clean, and it really helps improve SEO without manual effort. One of the most useful WordPress plugins I’ve used!

    Read on wp.org ↗
  8. ★★★★★ voltcontent
    5mo ago

    We tried other internal linking plugins and they all are too manual, so we turned to Link Whisper to get automated internal linking at scale. At scale I mean that we can add internal linking to 250+ posts at a time without having to manually add internal inks inside the Post Editor one post at a time 💪

    Read on wp.org ↗

Latest updates

via wp.org changelog

Recent releases and news for this plugin

  1. — Version 0.9.6 [NEW DEBUG SETTING] Adding a “Clear OP Cache” tool to the settings so you can flush PHP’s OPcache when the site is still serving older cached plugin files or reports aren’t showing updates. [NEW DEBUG SETTING] Adding a “ 0.9.6
  2. — Version 0.9.5 [SECURITY] Improving filter sanitization. [BUGFIX] Fixing error when processing Elementor-based content. [BUGFIX] Fixing minor PHP notice about an undefined variable called “added_secondary”. 0.9.5
  3. — Version 0.9.4 [NEW FEATURE] Creating a “Basic AI Scan” option for the Dashboard! (Now you can run the AI scanning from the Dashboard without needing to run the One Click Setup) [NEW FEATURE] Creating an alternate Relation Analysis sys 0.9.4
  4. — Version 0.9.3 [NEW FEATURE] Creating a new Dashboard interface with improved link health stats, recommended actions, and clearer processing feedback. [NEW FEATURE] Creating a new setup wizard with AI connection, Google Search Console 0.9.3
  5. — Version 0.9.2 [NEW LANGUAGE] Adding support for Turkish!!! [IMPROVEMENT] Adding search function for the broken link report! [UX/UI] Adding “View” links in the broken link report so you can more easily check if a link is broken. [SECUR 0.9.2
  6. — Version 0.9.1 [SECURITY] Fixing possible cross-site scripting vulnerability. [BUGFIX] Fixing minor PHP notice on the AI Subscription page when no plan is active. 0.9.1

Security history

via Wordfence Intelligence

All 18 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (0.9.8). Sites still on an older version should update.

  1. 2026-10-13 CVE-2026-109686 Deserialization of Untrusted Data Affects <= 0.9.7 Patched in 0.9.8
  2. 2026-10-13 CVE-2026-109685 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.9.7 Patched in 0.9.8
  3. 2026-10-13 CVE-2026-109688 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 0.9.7 Patched in 0.9.8
  4. 2026-10-13 CVE-2026-109687 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 0.9.7 Patched in 0.9.8
  5. 2026-08-24 CVE-2026-14601 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects < 0.9.7 Patched in 0.9.7
  6. 2026-06-29 CVE-2026-57333 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.9.4 Patched in 0.9.5
  7. 2026-05-28 CVE-2025-11262 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.9.0 Patched in 0.9.1
  8. 2026-04-07 CVE-2026-1900 Missing Authorization Affects < 0.9.1 Patched in 0.9.1
  9. 2026-02-16 CVE-2026-22357 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.9.2 Patched in 0.9.3
  10. 2026-01-05 CVE-2025-67927 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.8.8 Patched in 0.8.9
  11. 2025-12-05 CVE-2025-11263 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.8.8 Patched in 0.8.9
  12. 2025-10-18 CVE-2025-62970 Missing Authorization Affects <= 0.9.2 Patched in 0.9.3
  13. 2025-01-06 CVE-2025-22306 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 0.7.8 Patched in 0.7.9
  14. Patched Medium · 4.3 Link Whisper Free <= 0.6.9 ↗
    2024-04-10 CVE-2024-31934 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 0.6.9 Patched in 0.7.0
  15. 2024-03-26 CVE-2024-2693 Deserialization of Untrusted Data Affects <= 0.7.1 Patched in 0.7.2
  16. 2024-03-15 CVE-2024-27992 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.6.8 Patched in 0.6.9
  17. 2023-11-20 CVE-2023-47852 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command Affects <= 0.6.5 Patched in 0.6.6
  18. 2023-05-10 CVE-2023-32506 Missing Authorization Affects <= 0.6.3 Patched in 0.6.4

Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.

CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.

Behavioral tests

via WP Hive

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1

✓ Low memory footprint
✓ Low page-speed impact
✓ Runs on latest PHP + WP
✓ No PHP errors
✓ No JS errors
✓ Activates cleanly
✓ No resource errors
✓ No external HTTP errors
✓ Optimized database use
✓ Frequently updated

Languages

via translate.wordpress.org

Translated into 4 languages, 0 at 90% or more

Russian 80%
Afrikaans 7%
Spanish (Spain) 6%
Dutch 1%

AI assistants

How it's measured →

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.

Readme readiness

8 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026

Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.

  • ✓ Says what it does "The AI-powered internal linking plugin for WordPress. Build internal links faster, find linking opportuniti..."
  • ✓ Has a FAQ 13 questions in the FAQ.
  • ✓ FAQ asks real questions 13 of 13 read like questions a user would type.
  • ✓ Names who it is for Names its audience or use cases ("if you have", "if you want").
  • ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Yoast, OpenAI.
  • ✓ Headings and lists 8 headings and 2 lists.
  • ✓ Enough to quote 7,295 characters of description.
  • ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "link building", "orphan content" do not.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

  1. 2025-09-05 40K+ → 30K+ down after 4 days in tier
  2. 2025-09-01 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1 days in tier
  3. 2025-08-31 40K+ → 30K+ down after 3 days in tier
  4. 2025-08-28 30K+ → 40K+ up after 2 days in tier
  5. 2025-08-26 40K+ → 30K+ down after 1 days in tier
  6. 2025-08-25 30K+ → 40K+ up after 2 days in tier
  7. 2025-08-23 40K+ → 30K+ down after 1 days in tier
  8. 2025-08-22 30K+ → 40K+ up after 1 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Link Whisper Free into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

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Preview card ↗

Link Whisper Free: 30K+ active installs, 4.2★ (151 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/link-whisper

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