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Free Plugin by Brecht v2.4.2

Visual Link Preview

Display a fully customizable visual link preview for any internal or external link.

Visual Link Preview

The facts

Rating
4.5★ from 36
Active installs
10k+
Price
Free
Last updated
19 Aug 2026
Added
May 2017
Requires WP
4.4
Tested up to
WP 7.1
Downloads
193,377

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Visual Link Preview is a WordPress plugin that allows you to create a custom link preview similar to Facebook for any link on your site. You can select images and text to display, and customise the template to fit your website's design. The plugin is compatible with both the Classic and Gutenberg Block Editors, as well as Elementor, making it versatile for different types of users.

This plugin is suitable for those looking to enhance their content with visually appealing link previews. It can be used for affiliate links, promoting products, listing sources, or linking to related posts. The plugin operates without requiring database lookups, ensuring that performance remains unaffected even with multiple previews on a page.

Best for: This plugin suits website owners looking to enhance their content with custom link previews.

What it does well

  • Creates custom link previews for any link
  • Compatible with Classic, Gutenberg, and Elementor
  • No database lookups required for performance
  • Multiple URL metadata providers for reliability
  • Active development with support for feature requests

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on specific features or customisation options

Verdict

Visual Link Preview offers a straightforward solution for creating link previews, suitable for various types of websites. Its compatibility with multiple editors and performance efficiency are notable advantages.

From the developer

Brecht's own description of Visual Link Preview, lightly tidied.

Easily create a Facebook-like link preview for any link on your website. You can choose the image and text to display and create your very own custom template. The default template can be styled from the settings to match your website.

Some examples of what you could use this for:

  • A call to action for your affiliate links
  • Promote WooCommerce products on your website
  • List sources for your article
  • A weekly posty of interesting websites you’ve found
  • Link to related posts on your own website

It does not require any database lookups, which means even having many of these blocks on a page should not affect performance.

Compatible with both the Classic and Gutenberg Block Editor using shortcodes and blocks. Also includes full Elementor support with a dedicated widget for easy integration into your Elementor pages.

The plugin includes multiple URL metadata providers (PHP, Microlink API, and LinkPreview API) with automatic fallback switching. If one provider fails to fetch link information, the plugin automatically tries the next available provider. You can also manually retry with a different provider if needed.

Need help?
Check out our documentation!

This plugin is in active development. Feel free to contact us with any feature requests or ideas.

Read the full description on the official page →

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