Explore How Link Pages Help Online Gaming Fans Find Sources

Online gaming communities are scattered across many platforms. A single game might have an official site, a Discord server, a subreddit, a wiki, several social accounts, a video channel and a store page. Creators and communities have the same problem in miniature. Link pages, simple web pages that gather all those destinations in one place, have become one of the most useful tools for helping fans find the right sources.

I write about curation, and a good link page is curation in its purest form: a short list of what matters. Here is how link pages help online gaming fans and what makes a good one.

One link, many destinations

Most social profiles allow a single link. Link pages turn that link into a menu. A streamer might list their stream, video channel, Discord, schedule and merchandise. A game community might list its official sources, wiki, rules and event calendar. Fans get a single, memorable starting point.

For new fans, this is especially helpful. Instead of searching across platforms and wondering which accounts are official, they get a curated list from a trusted source.

Curation in practice

A good link page is selective. It lists the five to eight destinations that matter most, in order of importance, with clear labels. It removes dead links and outdated resources. In that sense, it does the same job as a pinned post or a resource hub, described in how online game communities curate the best guides.

When I looked at how several gaming communities and platforms organised their link pages, the most useful ones kept to a handful of clear options at the top, like the ankertoto page, which lists its main destinations in a short, readable column.

Verifying official sources

Impersonation is a real problem in gaming. Fake accounts and copycat pages lure fans with giveaways and steal account details. A link page linked from verified official profiles helps fans confirm which channels are genuine. Fans should still check the address and be cautious with any link that asks them to log in.

Link pages and feeds

Link pages are a starting point, not a feed. Once fans find the sources they want, they can follow them in their preferred way: an RSS reader for news, notifications for streams, a calendar subscription for events. Some link pages include RSS links directly, which makes following updates easy for readers who use feeds, as discussed in how to follow online game updates with an RSS reader.

Is a link page better than a proper website?

Some argue that link pages are lazy, and that every creator or community should have a full website instead. A website does offer more control, better search visibility and space for content. But I think link pages and websites serve different needs.

A link page is fast to set up, easy to update from a phone and perfect for the single job of sending visitors somewhere else. Many small communities and creators do not need more. Larger communities often use both: a full website for content and a link page for social profiles. The best choice depends on how much the community has to say.

Making a useful link page

• List no more than eight destinations, most important first.
• Use clear labels like "Join our Discord" rather than vague ones.
• Include official news or RSS links for updates.
• Remove dead and outdated links regularly.
• Link to it from all verified official profiles.

Performance matters on link pages more than people think. Fans often open them from inside social apps, on mobile data, with no cached files. A link page that loads a heavy theme, animations and tracking scripts can take several seconds, and some visitors give up before it appears. The best link pages are light: simple text, a small image and clear buttons. Many hosted services offer minimal themes for exactly this reason.

Analytics on link pages are useful when used sensibly. Seeing which links fans click most helps communities reorder the list so the most wanted destination sits at the top. But detailed tracking of individual visitors is unnecessary for most communities, and fans increasingly value pages that do not follow them around. Simple, aggregate click counts are usually enough to keep a link page well organised.

Accessibility is the last check. Buttons should have readable text, good contrast and enough size for thumbs, so every fan can use the page comfortably.

For fans, bookmarking a community's official link page is a quick way to always find the real channels, even after a platform changes its address or a server invite expires.

A front door for the community

A well-curated link page works like a front door: clear, welcoming and pointing visitors to the rooms that matter. For gaming fans navigating scattered communities, it is often the first and best place to start. More in our Curation section.