Link Extractor from HTML

Paste HTML source code to extract all links with URL, anchor text, rel attributes, and type classification

Close-up of code displayed on a monitor representing HTML link analysis

Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash

TB
Written by Thibault Besson-Magdelain
Published June 15, 2025 · Updated February 10, 2026 · 8 min read

Link extraction is the process of parsing HTML source code to identify and catalog all hyperlinks contained within a document. Every link on a web page is defined by an anchor element (<a>) with an href attribute that specifies the target URL. A link extractor reads the HTML, finds all anchor elements, and collects their href values along with additional metadata such as anchor text, rel attributes, target attributes, and any data attributes.

This seemingly simple task has profound implications for search engine optimization, content auditing, and web development. The links on a page define its relationships with other pages, both within the same website and across the broader web. By extracting and analyzing these links, professionals can understand a page's linking behavior, identify problems, and make informed decisions about link strategy.

Modern link extraction goes beyond simply listing URLs. It classifies links as internal (pointing to the same domain) or external (pointing to different domains), identifies special link types like mailto, tel, and javascript links, and captures rel attributes that signal the nature of the link relationship to search engines. This comprehensive extraction forms the foundation of any serious link audit.

Links are one of the three pillars of SEO, alongside content and technical infrastructure. Search engines use links to discover new pages, understand relationships between pages, and assess the authority and relevance of content. Analyzing a page's link profile reveals critical SEO insights that directly inform optimization strategy.

Link Equity Distribution

Every page has a finite amount of link equity (ranking authority) that it distributes among all outgoing links. A page with 10 outgoing links passes more equity per link than a page with 100. By extracting all links from a page, you can assess whether link equity is being distributed efficiently. Pages with excessive outgoing links may be diluting the authority passed to important target pages.

Anchor Text Analysis

The clickable text of a hyperlink, known as anchor text, provides search engines with context about the linked page's content. Extracting anchor text alongside URLs reveals whether your internal links use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text or generic phrases like "click here" and "read more." Descriptive anchor text strengthens the topical signals passed between pages and improves search engine understanding of your content hierarchy.

Internal Linking Strategy

Internal linking is one of the most underutilized yet powerful SEO techniques available. Unlike external backlinks, which you cannot fully control, internal links are entirely within your power to optimize. A well-executed internal linking strategy ensures that link equity flows to your highest-priority pages, that search engine crawlers can discover all content efficiently, and that users can navigate logically between related topics.

Link extraction is the starting point for any internal linking audit. By extracting all links from your key pages, you can identify orphan pages that receive no internal links, high-priority pages that receive insufficient internal links, and pages that link excessively to low-value targets. This analysis is a core part of working with link and URL tools for SEO optimization.

The concept of "link depth" measures how many clicks it takes to reach a page from the homepage. Pages buried deep in the site architecture receive less crawling attention and less link equity. Extracting links from each level of your site hierarchy reveals which pages are well-connected and which are isolated, enabling targeted internal linking improvements.

Understanding Rel Attributes

The rel attribute on anchor elements communicates the relationship between the source page and the linked page. Google recognizes several rel values that affect how it processes links:

  • rel="nofollow": Introduced in 2005 to combat comment spam, nofollow tells search engines not to pass ranking authority through the link. Since 2019, Google treats nofollow as a "hint" rather than a directive, meaning it may still follow and index the linked page.
  • rel="sponsored": Introduced in 2019, this attribute identifies links that are part of paid placements, sponsorships, or advertising arrangements. Using this attribute instead of nofollow provides Google with more specific information about the link's nature.
  • rel="ugc": Also introduced in 2019, this attribute marks links within user-generated content such as comments, forum posts, and community submissions. It signals to Google that the site owner did not editorially place the link.
  • rel="noopener": A security attribute used on links with target="_blank" that prevents the new page from accessing the original page's window object through JavaScript. This is a security best practice, not an SEO signal.
  • rel="noreferrer": Prevents the browser from sending the referring URL to the linked page. This affects analytics data on the receiving end, as the visit will appear as "direct" rather than "referral" traffic.

A comprehensive link audit involves extracting and analyzing all links on your website to identify issues and opportunities. Here is a structured approach to conducting an effective audit:

Step 1: Extract All Links

Start by extracting all links from every page on your site. For individual pages, paste the HTML source into a link extractor tool. For site-wide audits, crawl your entire site to collect link data from every page. Export the results to a spreadsheet for analysis.

Step 2: Classify and Categorize

Separate links into internal and external categories. Within internal links, identify navigation links (header, footer, sidebar), contextual links (within content), and structural links (breadcrumbs, pagination). Within external links, identify editorial links, resource links, and potentially problematic links to low-quality domains.

Step 3: Identify Issues

Look for broken links (returning 404 errors), redirect chains (links pointing to URLs that redirect to other URLs), orphan pages (pages with no internal links pointing to them), and cannibalization patterns (multiple pages linking to the same target with identical anchor text). Each issue type requires a different remediation approach.

Competitive Link Analysis

Extracting links from competitor pages reveals their linking strategy, content relationships, and partnership patterns. By analyzing the external links on a competitor's content pages, you can identify websites they consider authoritative sources, potential link building targets for your own outreach, and content gaps where competitors link to resources you have not yet created.

Internal linking patterns on competitor sites reveal their content hierarchy and priorities. Pages that receive the most internal links are typically the highest-priority pages in the competitor's SEO strategy. Understanding this hierarchy helps you identify which topics your competitors are investing in and where you might find competitive advantages through different link distribution strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a link extractor do?
A link extractor parses HTML source code and identifies all hyperlinks (anchor tags with href attributes). It extracts the URL, anchor text, rel attributes, and can classify links as internal or external based on a configurable domain. This is essential for SEO audits, content migration, competitive analysis, and understanding a page's link profile.
Can I use this tool to check for broken links?
This tool extracts links from HTML but does not verify whether those links are accessible by checking HTTP status codes. It identifies and catalogs all URLs so you can review them, export them as CSV, and use additional tools to verify their live status. The extraction step is the essential foundation of any link audit workflow.
How does internal vs external link classification work?
You specify your site's domain in the domain field. The tool then compares each extracted URL's hostname against your domain. Links pointing to the same domain (including subdomains) are classified as internal, while links pointing to different domains are classified as external. Relative URLs without a hostname are always classified as internal.
What are rel attributes and why do they matter?
The rel attribute on a link provides metadata about the relationship between the linking page and the linked page. Important values include nofollow (tells search engines not to pass ranking authority), sponsored (identifies paid links), ugc (user-generated content), and noopener (security attribute for links opening in new tabs). These signals directly influence how search engines evaluate and process links.
Can this tool handle malformed HTML?
Yes, the tool uses the browser's built-in DOMParser API, which is designed to be highly tolerant of malformed HTML. It can successfully extract links from imperfect markup, including unclosed tags, missing attribute quotes, and improperly nested elements. However, severely broken HTML may occasionally produce unexpected results in edge cases.