---
title: "Link handling"
manual: "TYPO3 Explained"
version: "11.5"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkhandling@11.5"
source: "ApiOverview/LinkHandling/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-10-21T15:30:00+00:00"
---

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# Link handling {#linkhandling}

Links entered in the backend in TYPO3 are stored in an internal format in the
database.

![](../../Images/ManualScreenshots/Backend/BackendLinkFormats.png)

For example, a link to the page with uid 42 is stored in a backend field as
`t3://page?uid=42` and in the rich-text editor (RTE) as
`<a href="t3://page?uid=1">test</a>`.

Such links must be converted before they are output as HTML in the frontend.
For example, in [Fluid](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:fluid@11.5) all input from the RTE should be output by the ViewHelper
[Format.html ViewHelper \<f:format.html>](https://docs.typo3.org/other/typo3/view-helper-reference/11.5/en-us/typo3/fluid/latest/Format/Html.html#typo3-fluid-format-html):

**EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.html**

```html
<f:format.html>{myContent.bodytext}</f:format.html>
```

Links provided in backend fields like the `header_link` can be used as
input in the ViewHelper [Link.typolink ViewHelper \<f:link.typolink>](https://docs.typo3.org/other/typo3/view-helper-reference/11.5/en-us/typo3/fluid/latest/Link/Typolink.html#typo3-fluid-link-typolink):

**EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.html**

```html
<f:link.typolink parameter="{myContent.header_link}">
  {myContent.header_link}
</f:link.typolink>
```

In TypoScript, RTE content can be converted by the function [parseFunc](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/11.5/en-us/Functions/Parsefunc.html#parsefunc),
link fields can be converted into HTML by the function [typolink](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/11.5/en-us/Functions/Typolink.html#typolink).

In PHP context links are usually stored in an array format. Each link type is
handled by a [Core link handler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:core-link-handler@11.5) which maps between different formats.

The [link browser](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-api@11.5) is the modal in which users can configure
links in both the [Rich text editors (RTE)](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:rte@11.5) and the [FormEngine](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:formengine@11.5). The link browser offers
tabs for the different types of links like page, external, file, email, phone
record and possibly more. Each tab of the link browser has an associated
[backend link handler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkhandler@11.5) that renders the tab and handles
editing links. The link browser can be extended by
[custom links to different record types](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:tablerecordlinkbrowsertutorials@11.5)
and [custom link handler implementations](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:tutorial-github-link-handler@11.5).

![](../../Images/ManualScreenshots/Backend/HaikuLinkBrowser.png)

**Contents:**

-   [Link handler configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:link-handler-configuration-1@11.5)
-   [LinkBrowser API](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-api-1@11.5)
-   [The LinkHandler API](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-linkhandler-api@11.5)
    -   [The PageLinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-pagelinkhandler@11.5)
    -   [The RecordLinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-recordlinkhandler@11.5)
    -   [Implementing a custom LinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:implementing-a-custom-linkhandler@11.5)
-   [Core link handler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:core-link-handler-1@11.5)
-   [Frontend link builder](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:frontend-link-builder@11.5)
-   [LinkBrowser Tutorials](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-tutorials@11.5)
    -   [Browse records of a table](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:browse-records-of-a-table@11.5)
    -   [Create a custom link browser](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:create-a-custom-link-browser@11.5)
