diff --git a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link.js b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link.js
index eee093774ef..4565001970b 100644
--- a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link.js
+++ b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link.js
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ const Link = Widget.extend({
         }
 
         this._updateOptionsUI();
-        this._adaptPreview(false);
+        this._adaptPreview();
 
         this.$('input:visible:first').focus();
 
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ const Link = Widget.extend({
      * @abstract
      * @private
      */
-    _adaptPreview: function (createStep = true) {},
+    _adaptPreview: function () {},
     /**
      * @private
      */
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ const Link = Widget.extend({
         return {
             content: content,
             url: this._correctLink(url),
-            classes: classes.replace(allWhitespace, ' ').replace(allStartAndEndSpace, '').replace(/oe_edited_link/, ''),
+            classes: classes.replace(allWhitespace, ' ').replace(allStartAndEndSpace, ''),
             oldAttributes: this.data.oldAttributes,
             isNewWindow: isNewWindow,
             doStripDomain: doStripDomain,
diff --git a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link_tools.js b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link_tools.js
index cc661c86700..18449cb1abc 100644
--- a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link_tools.js
+++ b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/widgets/link_tools.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ const LinkTools = Link.extend({
      * @override
      */
     init: function (parent, options, editable, data, $button, link) {
-        options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.automaticStepSkipStack();
         link = link || this.getOrCreateLink(editable);
         this._super(parent, options, editable, data, $button, link);
     },
@@ -29,21 +28,24 @@ const LinkTools = Link.extend({
      * @override
      */
     start: function () {
+        this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.observerUnactive();
         this.$link.addClass('oe_edited_link');
         this.$button.addClass('active');
         return this._super(...arguments);
     },
     destroy: function () {
-        this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.automaticStepSkipStack();
         $('.oe_edited_link').removeClass('oe_edited_link');
         const $contents = this.$link.contents();
         if (!this.$link.attr('href') && !this.colorCombinationClass) {
             $contents.unwrap();
         }
         this.$button.removeClass('active');
+        this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.observerActive();
+        this.applyLinkToDom(this._getData());
         const start = $contents[0] || this.$link[0];
         const end = $contents[$contents.length - 1] || this.$link[0];
         setCursor(start, 0, end, nodeSize(end));
+        this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.historyStep();
         this._super(...arguments);
     },
 
@@ -54,19 +56,13 @@ const LinkTools = Link.extend({
     /**
      * @override
      */
-    _adaptPreview: function (createStep = true) {
+    _adaptPreview: function () {
         var data = this._getData();
         if (data === null) {
             return;
         }
-        const $links = $('.oe_edited_link');
-        $links.removeClass('oe_edited_link');
+        data.classes += ' oe_edited_link';
         this.applyLinkToDom(data);
-        if (createStep) {
-            this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.historyStep();
-        }
-        this.options.wysiwyg.odooEditor.automaticStepSkipStack();
-        $links.addClass('oe_edited_link');
     },
     /**
      * @override
diff --git a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/wysiwyg.js b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/wysiwyg.js
index 5bbca25a4e9..fa792d045ce 100644
--- a/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/wysiwyg.js
+++ b/addons/web_editor/static/src/js/wysiwyg/wysiwyg.js
@@ -544,6 +544,16 @@ const Wysiwyg = Widget.extend({
             if (forceOpen || !this.linkTools) {
                 const $btn = this.toolbar.$el.find('#create-link');
                 this.linkTools = new weWidgets.LinkTools(this, {wysiwyg: this}, this.odooEditor.editable, {}, $btn, link);
+                const _onMousedown = ev => {
+                    if (!ev.target.closest('.oe-toolbar')) {
+                        // Destroy the link tools on click anywhere outside the
+                        // toolbar.
+                        this.linkTools && this.linkTools.destroy();
+                        this.linkTools = undefined;
+                        this.odooEditor.document.removeEventListener('mousedown', _onMousedown, true);
+                    }
+                };
+                this.odooEditor.document.addEventListener('mousedown', _onMousedown, true);
                 this.linkTools.appendTo(this.toolbar.$el);
             } else {
                 this.linkTools = undefined;
@@ -891,9 +901,6 @@ const Wysiwyg = Widget.extend({
         // Remove the alt tools.
         this.altTools && this.altTools.destroy();
         this.altTools = undefined;
-        // Remove the link tools.
-        this.linkTools && this.linkTools.destroy();
-        this.linkTools = undefined;
         // Hide the create-link button if the selection spans several blocks.
         const selection = this.odooEditor.document.getSelection();
         const range = selection.rangeCount && selection.getRangeAt(0);