How to generate external url in WordPress

Question

I want to link a external url as follows:

$url='www.example.com';
$output ='<div class="button"><a href="'.$url.'"> View Profile</a></div>';

I run this wordpress web app at my localhost and base url is localhost/wordpress. When I echo $output it produce a link for view profile: localhost/wordpress/www.example.com. But it should be www.facebook.com

What change shall i make?

Answer 1

@Sam is close, but I think you need to do this:

$url = 'http://www.example.com';

Without the protocol in front, you get the wrong result. Change to

$url = 'https://www.example.com';

if you need an SSL link.

Answer 2

You have a / thats not needed in the href this will add the link to the end of your current url hence localhost/wordpress/www.example.com

    $url='www.example.com';
    $output ='<div class="button"><a href="'.$url.'"> View Profile</a></div>';
    echo $output;