--- title: "Link handling" manual: "TYPO3 Explained" version: "13.4" permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkhandling@13.4" source: "ApiOverview/LinkHandling/Index.rst" rendered: "2026-09-29T12:03:22+00:00" --- # 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 `test`. 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@13.4) all input from the RTE should be output by the ViewHelper [Format.html ViewHelper \](https://docs.typo3.org/other/typo3/view-helper-reference/13.4/en-us/Global/Format/Html.html#typo3-fluid-format-html): **EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.html** ```html {myContent.bodytext} ``` Links provided in backend fields like the `header_link` can be used as input in the ViewHelper [Link.typolink ViewHelper \](https://docs.typo3.org/other/typo3/view-helper-reference/13.4/en-us/Global/Link/Typolink.html#typo3-fluid-link-typolink): **EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.html** ```html {myContent.header_link} ``` In TypoScript, RTE content can be converted by the function [parseFunc](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/13.4/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/13.4/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@13.4) which maps between different formats. To generate links from PHP, use the [frontend link factory](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:link-factory@13.4). The [link browser](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-api@13.4) is the modal in which users can configure links in both the [Rich text editors (RTE)](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:rte@13.4) and the [FormEngine](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:formengine@13.4). 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@13.4) 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@13.4) and [custom link handler implementations](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:tutorial-github-link-handler@13.4). ![](../../Images/ManualScreenshots/Backend/HaikuLinkBrowser.png) **Contents:** - [Link handler configuration](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:link-handler-configuration-1@13.4) - [LinkBrowser API](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-api-1@13.4) - [The LinkHandler API](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-linkhandler-api@13.4) - [The PageLinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-pagelinkhandler@13.4) - [The RecordLinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:the-recordlinkhandler@13.4) - [Implementing a custom LinkHandler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:implementing-a-custom-linkhandler@13.4) - [Events to modify link handler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:events-to-modify-link-handler@13.4) - [Core link handler](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:core-link-handler-1@13.4) - [Link factory](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:frontend-link-factory@13.4) - [Frontend link builder](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:frontend-link-builder@13.4) - [LinkBrowser Tutorials](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-tutorials@13.4) - [Browse records of a table](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:browse-records-of-a-table@13.4) - [Create a custom link browser](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:create-a-custom-link-browser@13.4)