You can install GT Link Manager from the WordPress.org plugin directory in one click: Plugins, Add New, search “GT Link Manager”, install, activate. This lesson covers the system requirements, what the activator sets up, and the one post-install step people forget: flushing permalinks so your redirect prefix starts resolving.
System requirements
Before installing GT Link Manager, confirm your environment meets these minimums.
WordPress version 6.4 or higher is required. The plugin uses rewrite rule APIs and block editor APIs that aren’t available in older versions.
PHP 8.0 or higher is required. The plugin uses strict type declarations and PHP 8.x features throughout. It will not activate on older PHP versions.
MySQL 5.7 or higher (or MariaDB 10.3+) is recommended. The plugin creates custom database tables with indexes that depend on InnoDB and standard UTF8MB4 collation support.
Browser requirements apply only to the admin interface. The block editor integration requires a modern browser. Internet Explorer is not supported.
Installing the plugin
GT Link Manager is free on the WordPress.org plugin directory. No purchase, no license key.
Via the WordPress admin:
Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin, search for “GT Link Manager”, click Install Now, then Activate. You can also download the ZIP from the WordPress.org plugin page and upload it via Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin.
Via FTP or file manager:
Extract the ZIP file on your computer, then upload the extracted gt-link-manager folder to your server’s wp-content/plugins/ directory. Once uploaded, go to Plugins in your WordPress admin and activate GT Link Manager from the list.
What happens on activation
When you activate the plugin, the activator class runs a setup routine:
First, it creates two custom database tables, wp_gtlm_links and wp_gtlm_categories, using dbDelta() to handle both fresh installs and upgrades without dropping data.
Second, it registers the rewrite rules needed for the redirect system to function and flushes the WordPress permalink cache. This step is important, if it’s skipped for any reason, your redirect URLs won’t resolve until you manually flush permalinks from Settings → Permalinks.
Third, it stores the initial default settings if they don’t already exist.
After activation
Once the plugin is active, a new menu item called GT Links appears in the WordPress admin sidebar at position 26 (between Comments and Appearance by default).
There’s no license key to enter. The plugin is free on WordPress.org, and updates arrive through the normal WordPress update system. The Licensing & Updates lesson covers what changed if you bought an early copy.
The first thing you should do is check your base prefix. Go to GT Links → Settings. The prefix defaults to go, so your links will be at yoursite.com/go/slug. If you want a different prefix, out, link, r, anything, change it here and save. After changing the prefix, click the Flush Permalinks button on the settings page to regenerate the rewrite rules.
Deactivation and uninstall
Deactivating the plugin (without uninstalling) leaves all your data intact. The database tables and options remain. Redirect URLs will stop resolving while the plugin is inactive, but everything is preserved for when you reactivate.
Uninstalling the plugin (via Plugins → Delete) preserves your data by default. The uninstall routine in uninstall.php only drops the custom database tables and plugin options if you’ve enabled the Delete Data on Uninstall setting first. With that setting on, removal is permanent and cannot be undone, so export your links as CSV before uninstalling if you want a backup.
Conflicts and compatibility
GT Link Manager does not use WordPress custom post types, taxonomies, or post meta. It operates entirely on its own tables. This means it’s unlikely to conflict with other plugins that manage posts or taxonomies.
The one area where conflicts can occur is the redirect prefix. If another plugin or theme already uses the go prefix as a route, you’ll get a conflict. Change your prefix in GT Link Manager settings to something unique.
If you’re migrating from another link management plugin (such as Pretty Links or LinkCentral), you can import your existing links via CSV. See the Import & Export chapter for instructions on the available import presets.
With the plugin active, create your first branded link. If redirects 404 after install, the fix is almost always in the troubleshooting lesson.