diff --git a/components/config/src/config/markup.rs b/components/config/src/config/markup.rs
index 9ea5b2337..318524b24 100644
--- a/components/config/src/config/markup.rs
+++ b/components/config/src/config/markup.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ pub struct Markdown {
     pub highlight_themes_css: Vec<ThemeCss>,
     /// Whether to render emoji aliases (e.g.: :smile: => 😄) in the markdown files
     pub render_emoji: bool,
+    /// CSS class to add to external links
+    pub external_links_class: Option<String>,
     /// Whether external links are to be opened in a new tab
     /// If this is true, a `rel="noopener"` will always automatically be added for security reasons
     pub external_links_target_blank: bool,
@@ -60,6 +62,16 @@ pub struct Markdown {
 }
 
 impl Markdown {
+    pub fn validate_external_links_class(&self) -> Result<()> {
+        // Validate external link class doesn't contain quotes which would break HTML and aren't valid in CSS
+        if let Some(class) = &self.external_links_class {
+            if class.contains('"') || class.contains('\'') {
+                bail!("External link class '{}' cannot contain quotes", class)
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Gets the configured highlight theme from the THEME_SET or the config's extra_theme_set
     /// Returns None if the configured highlighting theme is set to use css
     pub fn get_highlight_theme(&self) -> Option<&Theme> {
@@ -168,6 +180,7 @@ impl Markdown {
         self.external_links_target_blank
             || self.external_links_no_follow
             || self.external_links_no_referrer
+            || self.external_links_class.is_some()
     }
 
     pub fn construct_external_link_tag(&self, url: &str, title: &str) -> String {
@@ -175,6 +188,11 @@ impl Markdown {
         let mut target = "".to_owned();
         let title = if title.is_empty() { "".to_owned() } else { format!("title=\"{}\" ", title) };
 
+        let class = self
+            .external_links_class
+            .as_ref()
+            .map_or("".to_owned(), |c| format!("class=\"{}\" ", c));
+
         if self.external_links_target_blank {
             // Security risk otherwise
             rel_opts.push("noopener");
@@ -192,7 +210,7 @@ impl Markdown {
             format!("rel=\"{}\" ", rel_opts.join(" "))
         };
 
-        format!("<a {}{}{}href=\"{}\">", rel, target, title, url)
+        format!("<a {}{}{}{}href=\"{}\">", class, rel, target, title, url)
     }
 }
 
@@ -204,6 +222,7 @@ impl Default for Markdown {
             highlight_theme: DEFAULT_HIGHLIGHT_THEME.to_owned(),
             highlight_themes_css: Vec::new(),
             render_emoji: false,
+            external_links_class: None,
             external_links_target_blank: false,
             external_links_no_follow: false,
             external_links_no_referrer: false,
diff --git a/components/config/src/config/mod.rs b/components/config/src/config/mod.rs
index a1f1cfaf4..2bc30ecd9 100644
--- a/components/config/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/components/config/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ impl Config {
 
         // this is the step at which missing extra syntax and highlighting themes are raised as errors
         config.markdown.init_extra_syntaxes_and_highlight_themes(config_dir)?;
+        config.markdown.validate_external_links_class()?;
 
         Ok(config)
     }
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs b/components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
index e8cdcd42c..7abfc1b3d 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
@@ -133,37 +133,63 @@ fn can_use_smart_punctuation() {
     insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn can_use_external_links_class() {
+    let mut config = Config::default_for_test();
+
+    // external link class only
+    config.markdown.external_links_class = Some("external".to_string());
+    let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_class", body);
+
+    // internal link (should not add class)
+    let body =
+        common::render_with_config("[about](@/pages/about.md)", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("internal_link_no_class", body);
+
+    // reset class, set target blank only
+    config.markdown.external_links_class = None;
+    config.markdown.external_links_target_blank = true;
+    let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_target_blank", body);
+
+    // both class and target blank
+    config.markdown.external_links_class = Some("external".to_string());
+    let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config).unwrap().body;
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_class_and_target_blank", body);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn can_use_external_links_options() {
     let mut config = Config::default_for_test();
 
     // no options
     let body = common::render("<https://google.com>").unwrap().body;
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_no_options", body);
 
     // target blank
     config.markdown.external_links_target_blank = true;
     let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_target_blank", body);
 
     // no follow
     config.markdown.external_links_target_blank = false;
     config.markdown.external_links_no_follow = true;
     let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_no_follow", body);
 
     // no referrer
     config.markdown.external_links_no_follow = false;
     config.markdown.external_links_no_referrer = true;
     let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config.clone()).unwrap().body;
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_no_referrer", body);
 
     // all of them
     config.markdown.external_links_no_follow = true;
     config.markdown.external_links_target_blank = true;
     config.markdown.external_links_no_referrer = true;
     let body = common::render_with_config("<https://google.com>", config).unwrap().body;
-    insta::assert_snapshot!(body);
+    insta::assert_snapshot!("external_link_all_options", body);
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-5.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_all_options.snap
similarity index 66%
rename from components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-5.snap
rename to components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_all_options.snap
index 40edd8ddb..0949ee0ea 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-5.snap
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_all_options.snap
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ---
-source: components/rendering/tests/markdown.rs
-assertion_line: 168
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
 expression: body
-
+snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 <p><a rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
-
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab22c3f7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
+expression: body
+snapshot_kind: text
+---
+<p><a class="external" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class_and_target_blank.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class_and_target_blank.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da6b5de88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_class_and_target_blank.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
+expression: body
+snapshot_kind: text
+---
+<p><a class="external" rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-3.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_follow.snap
similarity index 58%
rename from components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-3.snap
rename to components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_follow.snap
index 27a53f569..ce7424825 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-3.snap
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_follow.snap
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ---
-source: components/rendering/tests/markdown.rs
-assertion_line: 155
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
 expression: body
-
+snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
-
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_options.snap
similarity index 54%
rename from components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options.snap
rename to components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_options.snap
index 4f539aa00..b184b12c3 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options.snap
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_options.snap
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ---
-source: components/rendering/tests/markdown.rs
-assertion_line: 144
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
 expression: body
-
+snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 <p><a href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
-
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-4.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_referrer.snap
similarity index 59%
rename from components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-4.snap
rename to components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_referrer.snap
index ef73ab0bc..78e9bfbab 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-4.snap
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_no_referrer.snap
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ---
-source: components/rendering/tests/markdown.rs
-assertion_line: 161
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
 expression: body
-
+snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 <p><a rel="noreferrer" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
-
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-2.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_target_blank.snap
similarity index 62%
rename from components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-2.snap
rename to components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_target_blank.snap
index ae1b79e73..16af5ca41 100644
--- a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__can_use_external_links_options-2.snap
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__external_link_target_blank.snap
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 ---
-source: components/rendering/tests/markdown.rs
-assertion_line: 149
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
 expression: body
-
+snapshot_kind: text
 ---
 <p><a rel="noopener" target="_blank" href="https://google.com">https://google.com</a></p>
-
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_no_class.snap b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_no_class.snap
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d1e334d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_no_class.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
+expression: body
+snapshot_kind: text
+---
+<p><a href="https://getzola.org/about/">about</a></p>
diff --git a/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_without_class.snap.new b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_without_class.snap.new
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..02f5f43ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/components/markdown/tests/snapshots/markdown__internal_link_without_class.snap.new
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+source: components/markdown/tests/markdown.rs
+assertion_line: 148
+expression: body
+---
+<p><a href="https://getzola.org/about/">about</a></p>
diff --git a/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/configuration.md b/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/configuration.md
index 0591b021d..5b83712db 100644
--- a/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/content/documentation/getting-started/configuration.md
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ highlight_theme = "base16-ocean-dark"
 # Unicode emoji equivalent in the rendered Markdown files. (e.g.: :smile: => 😄)
 render_emoji = false
 
+# CSS class to add to external links (e.g. "external-link")
+external_links_class = 
+
 # Whether external links are to be opened in a new tab
 # If this is true, a `rel="noopener"` will always automatically be added for security reasons
 external_links_target_blank = false