When building websites we want to keep it as simple as possible for the client. This means that we want to give the client as much flexibility as possible while at the same time we have to try not to bother the client with any visible PHP code within the WordPress website.

So how to program for example the Page for Links?

Apart from the obvious links to other websites, the Links Page should also contain some text, for example on how to exchange links.

Of course you can accomplish this by writing the Links Page and including the wp_list_bookmarks() code underneath it. You then also need to install the Exec-PHP plugin otherwise WordPress messes it all up for you.

This “solution” however is dirty and the big risk is that the client messes it all up.

A much better solution we think is to make a Links Page Template that serves both purposes. In the Dashboard the client can write all the text he/she wants for the Links Page. Once published this page automatically shows the links under the content.

Save the code below as links.php and you’re good to go.

<?php
/*
Template Name: Links
*/
?>
<?php get_header(); ?>
	<div id="main">
		<div id="content">
		<?php if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post();?>
			<div class="post" id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
			<h1><?php the_title(); ?></h1>
				<div class="entrytext">
					<?php the_content('<p class="serif">Read the rest of this page &raquo;</p>'); ?>
				</div><!--end entrytext class-->
			</div><!--end post class-->
			<?php endwhile; endif; ?>
			<div class="post">
				<div class="entry">
					<ul class="links">
						<?php wp_list_bookmarks('categorize=0&title_li='); ?>
					</ul>
				</div><!--end entry class-->
			</div><!--end post class-->
		</div><!--end content-->
	<?php get_sidebar(); ?>

	<?php get_footer(); ?>

This WordPress Tip is based upon Archives with Content of the WordPress Codex.