Back to Community
Home / Community / General

How to Add and Troubleshoot Links in MetaSlider

16 threads Sep 16, 2025

Content

Adding links to your MetaSlider slides is a common requirement, but users often encounter issues where the link doesn't work or the option seems to be missing. This guide covers the most common problems and their solutions.

Why Can't I Find the Link Option?

The most basic link functionality is found in the 'Link' tab when editing an individual slide. Look for a field to enter a URL. If this tab or field is entirely missing, it could be due to a plugin conflict. Try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) and deactivating other plugins to see if the option reappears.

My Link Is Set But Doesn't Work

If you've added a URL but the image isn't clickable, the issue is often a CSS conflict. A very common fix is to adjust the slider's z-index value. You can add this custom CSS to your theme:

.metaslider {
    z-index: 0 !important;
}

Another reason a link might not work is if a caption overlay is blocking it. The link is applied to the image, but captions are often placed on top. You would need to make the caption area also clickable, which requires more advanced customization.

How to Add Advanced Link Attributes (Nofollow, Aria-Label)

The standard interface does not offer options for adding rel="nofollow" or accessibility attributes like aria-label to links. This must be done using a code snippet added to your site's functionality. The following code example adds a nofollow attribute to all slider links:

add_filter('metaslider_flex_slider_anchor_attributes', function ($attributes) {
    $attributes['rel'] = 'nofollow';
    return $attributes;
});

To add this code safely, create a file named metaslider-customizations.php in your /wp-content/mu-plugins/ directory. If the mu-plugins folder doesn't exist, you can create it. Place the code above inside the new file, making sure to include the opening <?php tag at the very top.

Linking to External Images (A Common Misconception)

A frequent point of confusion is the difference between linking an image to an external URL and using an image from an external URL (hotlinking).

  • Linking to a URL: This core feature allows you to upload an image to your site and then make it link to any web address. This option is available in the free version under the 'Link' tab.
  • Using an External Image: Using an image that is hosted on another server directly in your slider is a feature typically reserved for the Pro version of the plugin, often called an 'External URL Slide'.

Other Limitations and Workarounds

  • Linking Specific Gallery Images: The MetaGallery feature currently does not support adding links to individual images.
  • Linking to a Specific Slide: There is no built-in way to create a URL that deep-links to a specific slide (e.g., yoursite.com/page/?slide=2).
  • Link Title Attribute: There is no separate field for adding a title attribute to the link itself for accessibility. A custom filter would be needed to implement this.

By understanding these common issues and solutions, you can effectively manage links within your MetaSlider sliders.

Related Support Threads Support