diff --git a/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.spec.ts b/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.spec.ts
index 9044ee6c4..b7f815cd6 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.spec.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,162 @@
+import { Component, DebugElement } from '@angular/core';
+import { By } from '@angular/platform-browser';
+import { ComponentFixture, TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
+
 import { ExternalLinkDirective } from './external-link.directive';
 
+@Component({
+    template: `<a href="https://coryrylan.com/blog/managing-external-links-safely-in-angular">Link External</a>
+
+        <br /><br />
+        <a href="{{ dynamicExternalLink }}">Link External Dynamic</a>
+
+        <br /><br />
+        <a href="{{ hostname }}#anchor">Link Internal</a>
+
+        <br /><br />
+        <a href="{{ dynamicInternalLink }}">Link Internal Dynamic</a>
+
+        <br /><br />
+        <a (click)="doSomething()">Link without href</a>`
+})
+class TestExernalLinkComponent {
+    hostname = location.hostname;
+    dynamicInternalLink = this.hostname + '#anchor';
+    dynamicExternalLink = 'https://coryrylan.com/blog/managing-external-links-safely-in-angular';
+
+    doSomething() {
+        console.log('Clicked on link without href');
+    }
+}
+
 describe('ExternalLinkDirective', () => {
-    it('should create an instance', () => {
-        const directive = new ExternalLinkDirective();
-        expect(directive).toBeTruthy();
+    let component: TestExernalLinkComponent;
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<TestExernalLinkComponent>;
+
+    let aDes: DebugElement[];
+    let bareADes: DebugElement[];
+
+    const expectedExternalLink = 'https://coryrylan.com/blog/managing-external-links-safely-in-angular';
+    const expectedNewExternalLink = 'https://anton-webern.ch/';
+    const expectedInternalLink = '#anchor';
+    const expectedRelAttr = 'noopener noreferrer';
+    const expectedTargetAttr = '_blank';
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+            declarations: [TestExernalLinkComponent, ExternalLinkDirective]
+        });
+
+        fixture = TestBed.createComponent(TestExernalLinkComponent);
+        component = fixture.componentInstance;
+
+        fixture.detectChanges(); // initial binding
+    });
+
+    it('should have 4 anchor elements with href attributes', () => {
+        // all elements with an attached ExternalLinkDirective (a[href])
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+
+        expect(aDes.length).toBe(4, 'should be 4');
+
+        console.log(aDes);
+    });
+
+    it('should have 1 anchor element without href attributes', () => {
+        bareADes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('a:not([href])'));
+
+        expect(bareADes.length).toBe(1, 'should be 1');
+    });
+
+    it('should apply [href|target|rel] values to 1st anchor element (external)', () => {
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+        const aEl = aDes[0].nativeElement;
+
+        expect(aEl.href).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.href).toBe(expectedExternalLink, `should be ${expectedExternalLink}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBe(expectedRelAttr, `should be ${expectedRelAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.target).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.target).toBe(expectedTargetAttr, `should be ${expectedTargetAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.innerText).toBe('Link External', 'should be "Link External"');
+    });
+
+    it('should apply [href|target|rel] values to 2nd anchor element (dynamic external)', () => {
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+        const aEl = aDes[1].nativeElement;
+
+        expect(aEl.href).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.href).toBe(expectedExternalLink, `should be ${expectedExternalLink}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBe(expectedRelAttr, `should be ${expectedRelAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.target).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.target).toBe(expectedTargetAttr, `should be ${expectedTargetAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.innerText).toBe('Link External Dynamic', 'should be "Link External Dynamic"');
+    });
+
+    it('should not apply [target|rel] values to 3rd anchor element (internal)', () => {
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+        const aEl = aDes[2].nativeElement;
+
+        const expectedHref = aEl.baseURI + aEl.hostname + expectedInternalLink;
+
+        expect(aEl.href).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.href).toBe(expectedHref, `should be ${expectedHref}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.rel).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+        expect(aEl.target).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+
+        expect(aEl.innerText).toBe('Link Internal', 'should be "Link Internal"');
+    });
+
+    it('should not apply [target|rel] values to 4th anchor element (dynamic internal)', () => {
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+        const aEl = aDes[3].nativeElement;
+
+        const expectedHref = aEl.baseURI + aEl.hostname + expectedInternalLink;
+
+        expect(aEl.href).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.href).toBe(expectedHref, `should be ${expectedHref}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.rel).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+        expect(aEl.target).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+
+        expect(aEl.innerText).toBe('Link Internal Dynamic', 'should be "Link Internal Dynamic"');
+    });
+
+    it('should not apply [href|target|rel] values to bare anchor', () => {
+        bareADes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('a:not([href])'));
+
+        expect(bareADes[0].properties.href).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+        expect(bareADes[0].properties.target).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+        expect(bareADes[0].properties.rel).not.toBeTruthy('should be empty string');
+        expect(bareADes[0].properties.innerText).toBe('Link without href', 'should be "Link without href"');
+    });
+
+    it('should reflect input change for [href] values', () => {
+        component.dynamicExternalLink = expectedNewExternalLink;
+
+        // apply changes
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        aDes = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(ExternalLinkDirective));
+        const aEl = aDes[1].nativeElement;
+
+        expect(aEl.href).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.href).toBe(expectedNewExternalLink, `should be ${expectedNewExternalLink}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.rel).toBe(expectedRelAttr, `should be ${expectedRelAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.target).toBeTruthy();
+        expect(aEl.target).toBe(expectedTargetAttr, `should be ${expectedTargetAttr}`);
+
+        expect(aEl.innerText).toBe('Link External Dynamic', 'should be "Link External Dynamic"');
     });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.ts b/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.ts
index f42efa53f..798dc44ab 100644
--- a/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.ts
+++ b/src/app/shared/external-link/external-link.directive.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ export class ExternalLinkDirective implements OnChanges {
             this.targetAttr = '_blank';
             this.relAttr = 'noopener noreferrer';
         }
-        console.log(this.hrefAttr);
     }
 
     private isExternalLink() {