Overview

The WordPress Bookmarks API (also known as Links Manager) is a legacy feature that was included in WordPress for managing blogroll links. It was hidden from the WordPress admin interface in version 3.5 (2012) but remains in core for backward compatibility.

Status: Legacy/Deprecated

• Hidden since: WordPress 3.5
• Still functional: Yes, the API remains in core
• Admin UI: Requires the Link Manager plugin to re-enable

What It Does

The Links Manager allows storing and displaying external links (bookmarks) organized by categories. Each link can have:

• URL (link_url) – The destination address
• Name (link_name) – Display text
• Description (link_description) – Longer text about the link
• Image (link_image) – Optional icon/image
• Target (link_target) – _blank, _top, or empty
• Category (link_category) – Uses the link_category taxonomy
• Visibility (link_visible) – Y/N flag
• Rating (link_rating) – Numeric rating
• Owner (link_owner) – User ID who created it
• Rel (link_rel) – Relationship attribute (XFN)
• Notes (link_notes) – Private notes
• RSS (link_rss) – RSS feed URL for the link
• Updated (link_updated) – Last update timestamp

Database

Links are stored in the wp_links table. Link categories use the standard taxonomy system with link_category as the taxonomy name.

Source Files

Common Use Cases

Display a Blogroll

wp_list_bookmarks( array(
    'title_li' => 'My Links',
    'categorize' => true,
) );

Get All Bookmarks

$links = get_bookmarks( array(
    'orderby' => 'name',
    'order' => 'ASC',
) );

Get a Single Bookmark

$bookmark = get_bookmark( 123 );
echo $bookmark->link_name;

Why It’s Still Relevant

While the feature is hidden, some sites still use it for:

• Legacy blogroll functionality
• Custom link directories
• Resource collections
• Partner/sponsor links

Themes that support this feature can display links using wp_list_bookmarks() in sidebars or dedicated pages.