This issue captures the current priorities for the Link UI which we are aiming to include in a (near) future release of WordPress.

There's also a longer backlog used to more exhaustively track open issues, bugs, and pending tasks at #35073.

⚠️ This is not the place to track bugs. Please use the Tracking Issue.

Key Problems

Design/Visual/UX

• Different link types for different contexts.
• Users want more controls available including:
  • "No follow"
  • CSS classes
  • ...extension points for 3rd party developers
• UX confusion re: committing changes to settings/link text.
• No way to close the Link UI - critical for a11y.
• Search results are limited unintuative.

Technical

• Link relationships are not preserved for WP entity links
  • Link UI does not preserve link relationships for Post (entity) links #32282
  • NavigationLink: make the URL dynamic for links to Posts #18345
• Developers want extension points for adding more controls.
• Component implemented (consumed) differently across Gutenberg components and blocks. There should be a standard, unified implementation.
• Toggling settings resets state of link.
• Determine user intent for links and URL validation.
• Remove dependency on URLInput and migrate to standalone implementation.
• Ability to customise the search suggestions criteria and results.

Accessibility

See this list.

Relevant Resources

• Link Control tracking issue.
• Recent revision of Link Control UX and Design to include settings drawer and Apply/Cancel buttons.
• Related Issue with new Design for creating Navigation links using the Link UI.
• Historical Issue with Joen's mockups of suggestions for evolving the Link UI.
• Historical Issue with design revisions to Link UI.