Description
Easy Symlinks lets you create and manage symbolic links (symlinks) directly from the WordPress admin dashboard — no command line required.
Features:
- Create symlinks by specifying a target directory and link path
- Delete symlinks individually through a simple dropdown interface
- Automatic environment detection for Pantheon hosting (Dev, Test, Live, Multidev)
- Filesystem writability checks — prevents symlink creation in read-only environments
- Displays existing symlinks and their targets
- Tracks only symlinks created through the plugin
- Duplicate symlink detection — prevents creating symlinks that already exist
- Preset symlinks — auto-detects plugins like Wordfence and offers one-click symlink setup
- Optional database cleanup on plugin uninstall via Settings tab
How to use:
Navigate to Settings > Easy Symlinks in your WordPress admin dashboard. The « Presets » tab auto-detects installed plugins that need symlinks (e.g., Wordfence on Pantheon). Use the « Add Symlinks » tab to create custom symlinks, the « Delete Symlinks » tab to remove them, and the « Settings » tab to configure plugin options.
For common symlink configurations on Pantheon, refer to the list of common symlinks.
Important notes:
- This plugin only tracks symlinks created within the application. Symlinks created from the filesystem or command line are not tracked.
- Best used in Pantheon Dev or Multidev environments in SFTP mode.
- Symlink creation is disabled in read-only environments (e.g., Pantheon Test and Live).
Captures d’écrans
The Add Symlinks tab — enter a target directory and link path to create a new symlink. 
The Presets tab showing auto-detected Wordfence plugin with symlink paths and status indicators. 
The Settings tab with the « Delete data on uninstall » option for database cleanup. 
The Delete Symlinks tab with a dropdown list of active symlinks to remove. 
The Remove Presets tab showing applied Wordfence symlinks with status and one-click removal.
Installation
Automatic installation
- Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress admin dashboard
- Search for « Easy Symlinks »
- Click Install Now and then Activate
Manual installation
- Download the plugin ZIP file from WordPress.org
- Go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin in your WordPress admin dashboard
- Upload the ZIP file and click Install Now
- Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu
Configuration
After activation, navigate to Settings > Easy Symlinks to start creating symlinks.
FAQ
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What is a symlink?
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A symbolic link (symlink) is a file that points to another file or directory. It acts as a shortcut, allowing you to access files from a different location without duplicating them.
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What is the difference between Target and Link?
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The Target is the relative path to an existing directory (e.g.,
./uploads/cache). The Link is the path where the symlink will be created (e.g.,/wp-content/cache). -
Why can I not create symlinks on Pantheon Test or Live environments?
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Pantheon Test and Live environments have read-only filesystems. Symlinks can only be created in Dev or Multidev environments with SFTP connection mode enabled.
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Does this plugin work on non-Pantheon hosting?
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Yes, the plugin works on any hosting environment where the filesystem is writable. The Pantheon-specific features (environment detection, connection mode display) will simply not appear.
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What happens to my symlinks if I deactivate the plugin?
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The symlinks themselves remain on the filesystem. Deactivating the plugin only removes the admin interface — the actual symlinks are not deleted.
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What are Presets?
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Presets auto-detect installed plugins that are known to need symlinks on Pantheon. The Presets tab shows detected plugins with their required symlink paths and lets you apply them with a single click. Currently supported: Wordfence, WP Rocket, Big File Uploads, WP-Optimize, Divi Theme.
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Can I remove all plugin data from the database?
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Yes. Go to Settings > Easy Symlinks > Settings tab and check « Delete data on uninstall. » When the plugin is deleted, all saved options will be removed from the database.
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Can I manage symlinks that were created via the command line?
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No. This plugin only tracks symlinks that were created through its own interface. Symlinks created via the command line or filesystem are not tracked or displayed.
Avis
Contributeurs/contributrices & développeurs/développeuses
« Easy Symlinks » est un logiciel libre. Les personnes suivantes ont contribué à cette extension.
Contributeurs
Traduisez « Easy Symlinks » dans votre langue.
Le développement vous intéresse ?
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Journal des modifications
2.0.0
- 2026-05-11
- New: Presets tab — auto-detects plugins that need symlinks for Pantheon compatibility
- New: Wordfence preset with wflogs, wordfence-waf.php, and .user.ini symlinks
- New: WP Rocket preset with wp-rocket-config and cache symlinks
- New: Big File Uploads preset with bfu-temp symlink
- New: WP-Optimize preset with wpo-cache symlink
- New: Divi Theme preset with et-cache symlink
- New: One-click apply for preset symlinks with status indicators (Active/Not created)
- New: Remove Presets tab — safely removes preset symlinks and restores original files
- New: Smart file conversion — moves existing files to target location before symlinking
- New: Cross-filesystem file operations with copy+delete fallback for Pantheon
- New: SFTP mode warning when Pantheon filesystem is not writable
- New: Settings tab with « Delete data on uninstall » option for database cleanup
- New: Duplicate symlink detection — prevents re-creating existing symlinks
- Improved: Clear error/success notifications for all symlink actions
- Improved: Removed redundant « Settings saved » notice
- Improved: Empty state message in delete dropdown when no symlinks exist
- Fixed: PHP warnings in save/delete that broke HTTP headers
- Fixed: Admin CSS and JS not loading on settings page
- Compatibility: WordPress 6.8, PHP 7.4-8.4
1.0.5
- 2026-05-11
- Compatibility update for WordPress 6.8
- Modernized admin UI with card-based layout and WordPress-style tabs
- Fixed duplicate admin notices on settings save
- Fixed PHP warnings in create_folder and save_symlinks that broke HTTP headers
- Fixed PHP warning in delete_symlink when unlinking fails
- Added duplicate symlink detection — prevents re-creating existing symlinks
- Added clear error/success notifications for create and delete actions
- Removed redundant « Settings saved » notice when plugin shows its own messages
- Added Settings tab with « Delete data on uninstall » option for database cleanup
- Added empty state message in delete dropdown when no symlinks exist
- Fixed PHPCS violations — plugin now passes WordPress coding standards
- Added Requires PHP header (7.4) and Tested PHP up to (8.4)
- Fixed readme.txt tags and short description for WordPress.org compliance
- Updated GitHub Actions deploy workflow to v4/stable
1.0.3
- 2022-10-24
- Compatibility bump for WordPress 6.0.3
1.0.2
- 2021-10-09
- Compatibility bump for WordPress 5.8.1
1.0.1
- 2020-01-08
- Bug fixes and improvements — see closed issues for 1.0.1
1.0.0
- 2019-12-26
- Initial public release on WordPress.org
- Improved deleting symlinks UI
- Only one symlink is deleted at a time
- Added checks for Pantheon environment and writable filesystem