diff --git a/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/css/style.css b/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/css/style.css
index 4a16ddb..b019cd4 100644
--- a/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/css/style.css
+++ b/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/css/style.css
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ html {
 /**************************************************************/
 /* approximately set up the layout of header, footer and main */
 /**************************************************************/
-
 body {
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
@@ -139,6 +138,12 @@ body {
   margin-bottom: var(--len-5);
 }
 
+a.external:after{
+  /*edd external icon to external link as :after with unicode symbol*/
+  content: "⮺";
+
+}
+
 .main-wrapper { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; }
 .main-wrapper > * { height: fit-content; }
 
diff --git a/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/js/href_handling.js b/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/js/href_handling.js
index ebff720..1704170 100644
--- a/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/js/href_handling.js
+++ b/themes/hugo-theme-flat/static/js/href_handling.js
@@ -11,8 +11,10 @@ document.querySelectorAll('a').forEach(function(element) {
         link.setAttribute('href', prefetchUrl);
         link.setAttribute('as', 'document');
         document.head.appendChild(link);
+        element.classList.add("internal");
     }else {
         element.setAttribute("target", "_blank");
+        element.classList.add("external");
     }
 })
 });
\ No newline at end of file