=== InternaLink Pilot – Smart Linking Automation ===
Contributors: icommunetechapps
Tags: seo, internal linking, auto link, link building, seo automation, internal links, semantic seo
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 7.0
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Automate your internal linking strategy to assist with SEO. Map exact, phrase, and semantic keywords to target URLs with configurable limits and rules.

== Description ==

**Streamline Your Site's Architecture with Automated Internal Linking**

Internal linking is a foundational On-Page SEO strategy. Distributing link equity across your website helps search engines crawl your content and understand the topical relevance of your target pages.

**InternaLink Pilot – Smart Linking Automation** is a tool designed to reduce the manual workload of interlinking. Whether you manage large-scale content sites or a single business blog, this plugin provides granular control over how your pages connect.

### 🚀 Core Features

* **Advanced Keyword Matching Engine:** Map links using **Exact Match**, **Phrase Match**, and **LSI & Semantic Variants** to diversify your anchor text profile.
* **Configurable Link Limits:** Set frequency caps to control link density. Define the maximum links per article, maximum duplicates per target URL, and maximum times a specific keyword can be linked.
* **Smart Exclusions:** Automatically exclude linking inside specific HTML tags (like H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6) to maintain formatting, and blacklist specific URLs from receiving automated links.
* **Target Content Types:** Select whether the linking engine should process Posts, Pages, or specific Custom Post Types (CPTs), and set the crawling priority.
* **Link Attribute Control:** Toggle `target="_blank"` (open in new tab) and `rel="nofollow"` attributes for your automated links directly from the settings panel.
* **Centralized Dashboard & Reporting:** Audit your internal linking silos. View your Active Link Maps, total monitored keywords, and track where links are distributed across your site.
* **Background Processing:** Utilizes a compilation system to build keyword caches in the background, designed to minimize the impact on your frontend site speed and Core Web Vitals.

### 📈 Built for SEO Workflows

Developed by the **iCommuneTech Team**, InternaLink Pilot was built to align with standard SEO practices. By utilizing frequency caps and semantic variant support, the plugin helps structure your internal links systematically while saving time on manual content audits.

Manage your crawl budget and build content silos directly from your WordPress dashboard.

== Installation ==

1. Download the plugin zip file.
2. Go to **Plugins > Add New** in your WordPress dashboard.
3. Click **Upload Plugin** and select the zip file.
4. Click **Install Now** and then **Activate**.
5. Navigate to the newly added **InternaLink Pilot** menu in your dashboard sidebar.
6. Go to **Settings** to configure your global rules (content types, exclusions, and limits).
7. Head to the **Dashboard** to start creating your Link Maps and assigning keywords to your destination URLs.
8. *Important:* Always click **Process Links & Refresh Data** after adding or modifying maps to update your frontend links.

== Third Party Libraries ==

This plugin bundles the following third-party library:

DataTables
License: MIT
Author: SpryMedia Ltd.
Source: https://datatables.net/

DataTables is distributed under the MIT license, which is GPL-compatible.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How does the plugin process links without slowing down page load times? =
InternaLink Pilot features a built-in "Rebuild Link Architecture" mechanism. It caches your keyword maps in the background so it does not run heavy database queries on every individual page load.

= Can I use this for affiliate links? =
Yes. You can set your destination URL to an affiliate link and toggle the "Nofollow" and "Open in New Tab" settings.

= What happens if I map the same keyword for two different URLs? =
The plugin includes duplicate keyword detection during the saving process to prevent conflicting links within your architecture.

= How do I prevent links from appearing in my headings? =
By default, the plugin is configured to exclude `H1` through `H6` tags. You can modify these tag exclusions at any time in the Settings panel.

= What happens when I uninstall the plugin? =
The plugin preserves all link maps, keywords, settings, and usage data upon uninstall. This allows users to reinstall the plugin without losing their existing configuration.

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial public release.
* Introduced exact, phrase, and LSI keyword matching.
* Added global settings for maximum link limits (per article, per destination, per keyword).
* Added heading and URL exclusion logic.
* Integrated DataTables for real-time reporting and Link Map management.
* Added "Rebuild Link Architecture" background caching system.
