Audit rules
External Link Count
Observed number of http(s) links to other sites; review above 25 (legacy threshold). In a QuikSEO audit, a failure of this rule has info severity and counts against the score. Below are the exact condition, its exceptions and the sources behind it, followed by the other rules of the same group.
links.external_countInfo01 — Definition
How This Rule Is Checked
The rule is a pure function of the fetched page: no extra requests, no account settings. The same input always gives the same result.
Rule Severity and Score
- Rule id
links.external_count- Group
- Links
- Severity of a failure
- Info
- Counts in the score
- Yes, whenever it applies to the page
- Required for a score
- No
- Replaces the check
external_links
Condition and Exceptions
- Condition
- Observed external link count; review when over 25 (legacy threshold)
- Exceptions
- —
Sources and Project Decision
- Sources
- Link best practices for Google (Google Search Central, Q35)
- Project decision
- Threshold inherited from 66audit.
02 — Links
Other Rules in This Group
The other checks of the same group, each with its own condition and sources.
- Internal Link Countlinks.internal_count
- Unresolvable Link Hreflinks.unresolvable_href
- Unsafe External Target Blank Linkslinks.unsafe_target_blank