Description
Make Cover, Group, and Column blocks fully clickable in Gutenberg.
Build Query Loop post cards where visitors can click the image or padding to open the post—while the post title, categories, tags, and buttons keep their own links.
A plugin by 4wp.dev.
Demo
Perfect for
- Clickable post cards in a Query Loop
- Cover heroes that link to a landing page, the current post, or Enlarge on click (core lightbox)
- Group or Column layouts that behave like one big tap target
How it works
- Select a Cover, Group, or Column block.
- Open Smart Link in the block toolbar.
- Choose Custom Link, Post Link (inside a Query Loop post template), or on Cover with an image background: Link to image file / Enlarge on click.
- Open Preview or the published page to test clicks.
Smart Link runs on the published front end. The block editor canvas may not show the same click area as the live site—use Preview when you check behavior.
When the block already has links inside
If the block has no other links inside, the whole block opens your URL.
If you added a Post Title, buttons, or terms inside the block, those links still work separately. Clicking empty space (background, padding) opens your Smart Link URL—without broken nested links.
For developers and theme authors
Anchor mode (no inner links): wraps markup in <a class="forwp-smart-link-wrapper forwp-smart-link-wrapper--{cover|group|column}"> with data-forwp-smart-link.
Host mode (inner links present): uses data-forwp-smart-link-url and assets/forwp-smart-link-frontend.js so link-in-link HTML is never output; inner anchors stay separate.
Filters: forwp_smart_link_supported_blocks, forwp_smart_link_has_inner_links, forwp_smart_link_use_host_mode.
Style .forwp-smart-link-wrapper on the front end. Editor-only classes (forwp-smart-link-cover-panel*) are not stable for theme CSS.
Source and issues: 4wp-smart-link on GitHub.
Screenshots
Smart Link on a Cover inside a Query Loop—toolbar menu and sidebar with Post Link 
Published Query Loop cards—each Cover opens the matching post on the front end 
Custom Link on a Column block (social link cards in a Columns layout) 
Column Link settings—URL, new tab, nofollow, and accessibility label 
Front end: the whole Column card is clickable; inner text links still work separately
Blocks
This plugin provides 1 block.
- 4WP Smart Link Editor extensions for 4WP Smart Link on supported core blocks.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to
wp-content/plugins/or install the ZIP through Plugins Add New. - Activate 4WP Smart Link through the Plugins screen.
FAQ
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Which blocks are supported?
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Cover, Group, and Column blocks from the WordPress block library.
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What happens if the URL is empty?
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The block looks and behaves as usual—no extra link is added.
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When does “Post Link” work?
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When the block is inside a Query Loop post template. Each card uses that post’s permalink. Outside a Query Loop, use Custom Link and enter your URL.
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Does this replace native Cover linking?
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WordPress Cover does not make the whole block one click target in the way card layouts need. 4WP Smart Link adds that on the front end—see Other Notes if you theme or extend the plugin.
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Does it depend on other 4WP plugins?
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No. It runs on its own.
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How do I make a Cover block clickable in a Query Loop?
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Place a Cover (or Group / Column) inside the Query Loop post template. Select the block, open Smart Link, and choose Post Link. Check clicks on the published page or in Preview.
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Turn on Smart Link on the Group (or Column / Cover). Buttons, title, categories, and tags keep their own links. Clicks on empty areas (image, padding) open your Smart Link URL.
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How do I add Enlarge on click to a Cover block?
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Select a Cover with an image background (not video only). Open Smart Link in the toolbar, choose Enlarge on click. The cover uses the same core lightbox as the Image block—a small expand icon opens the full image; the rest of the cover is not a link. In the sidebar you can include the cover in the page lightbox gallery to move between enlarged images on the same page.
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How do I create clickable post cards in Gutenberg?
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Use Query Loop with Cover or Group, enable Smart Link with Post Link, and add Post Title or Post Terms inside the card if you want. Visitors can open the post from the card surface and still use inner links.
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Will the editor look exactly like the live site?
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Not always. The clickable layer is added when WordPress renders the page on the front end. Use Preview or view the published page to confirm clicks and theme styles.
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Accessibility: card-as-one-link pattern
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With no inner links, the whole block is one link—easy to tap and clear for assistive tech. When inner links exist, keyboard and screen-reader users can still reach buttons and text links separately; empty areas open your Smart Link URL.
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SEO `rel` when opening in a new tab
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If you open in a new tab, the plugin adds
noopenerandnoreferrerwhen needed, and keeps your ownnofollowor otherrelvalues.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“4WP Smart Link” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “4WP Smart Link” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2.1
- Deactivate safely instead of a fatal error when the plugin install is incomplete (missing files after a bad update).
- Ensures all 1.2.0 release files are included in the WordPress.org package.
1.2.0
- Cover Enlarge on click — core/image-compatible lightbox (expand icon; cover area is not a whole-block link).
- Cover Link to image file and toolbar link UI aligned with the native Image block URL popover.
- Page lightbox gallery — optional prev/next between Cover and Image lightboxes on the same page.
- Editor preview shows the enlarge icon on Cover when lightbox is enabled.
1.1.0
- Smart Link for Group and Column (same controls as Cover).
- Query Loop Post Link on all three block types.
- Safe behavior when the block already contains title, terms, or buttons—no invalid nested links.
- Editor tips when inner links are detected.
1.0.0
- Initial release: Cover block, custom URL, Query Loop post link, toolbar and sidebar controls.
- Front-end styles for clear keyboard focus on the link wrapper.