Lisa+Luu


 * Installing and Implementing the External Links Module**

The External Links module incorporates the use of little icons that are placed next to external links, for the purpose of differentiating between internal and external links. All external links including external URLs and/or e-mail addresses will automatically have an external icon added next to right hand side of it.

This particular feature would be useful towards any site that is looking to post an e-mail address as a form of contact, as it facilitates the entire e-mailing process. Also, for any site that is looking to focus their users’ attention by confirming with the user that they will be leaving the site or by opening up a new window, rather than redirecting the user.

Find the module download at [], right click on the ‘highlighted’ link and click ‘copy link location’.
 * Step 1: Download**



Go to Administration>Modules>+ install new module and paste the copied link into ‘Install from a URL’, and click ‘Install’.
 * Step 2: Install**



Once it has been installed, go to Modules>External Links, and tick the box to enable it.
 * Step 3: Enable the module**



Once the module has been enabled, go back to Modules>External Links, and click into ‘Configure’ on the right hand side of it.
 * Step 4: Configure the settings**



Ticking the ‘Open external links in a new window’ would be a good idea, so your site can stay open even after an external link has been opened, hence your user will not be leaving your site entirely. Additionally, pop-up warnings can be set and the message can be fully customized as well. Moreover, ‘Pattern Matching’ is for implementing this module using coding. Finally, click ‘Save configuration’, and you are all set.
 * Step 5: The configuration options**




 * Step 6: Final results**



The first link is an external link, second is an internal link, and third one is an e-mail address. Notice the little icons that have been added to the first and third links.

Thus, these icons indicate to the user that clicking into this URL will either open up a new window or navigate you to an external location. For those of you who might be interested in expanding the functionality of this module, there is another module called, External Links Extras available for download as well.