---
title: "Link handling"
manual: "TYPO3 Explained"
version: "main"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkhandling@main"
source: "ApiOverview/LinkHandling/Index.rst"
modified: "2026-09-16T13:05:25+00:00"
---

# Link handling

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@main) 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/main/en-us/Global/Format/Html.html#typo3-fluid-format-html):

**EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.fluid.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/main/en-us/Global/Link/Typolink.html#typo3-fluid-link-typolink):

**EXT:my_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/MyTemplate.fluid.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/main/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/main/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@main) which maps between different formats.

To generate links from PHP, use the [frontend link factory](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:link-factory@main).

The [link browser](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:linkbrowser-api@main) is the modal in which users can configure
links in both the [Rich text editors (RTE)](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:rte@main) and the [FormEngine](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:formengine@main). 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@main) 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@main)
and [custom link handler implementations](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3coreapi:tutorial-github-link-handler@main).

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

**Contents:**

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