diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
index 915791db71c0..d1a2c3d77af5 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/dates.py
@@ -55,10 +55,10 @@
 :mod:`matplotlib.ticker` for general information on tick locators
 and formatters.  These are described below.
 
+The dateutil_ module provides additional code to handle date ticking, making it
+easy to place ticks on any kinds of dates.  See examples below.
 
-The `dateutil module <https://dateutil.readthedocs.io>`_ provides
-additional code to handle date ticking, making it easy to place ticks
-on any kinds of dates.  See examples below.
+.. _dateutil: https://dateutil.readthedocs.io
 
 Date tickers
 ------------
@@ -104,13 +104,10 @@
 
     * :class:`YearLocator`: locate years that are multiples of base
 
-    * :class:`RRuleLocator`: locate using a
-      :class:`matplotlib.dates.rrulewrapper`.  The
-      :class:`rrulewrapper` is a simple wrapper around a
-      :class:`dateutil.rrule` (`dateutil
-      <https://dateutil.readthedocs.io>`_) which allow almost
-      arbitrary date tick specifications.  See `rrule example
-      <../gallery/ticks_and_spines/date_demo_rrule.html>`_.
+    * :class:`RRuleLocator`: locate using a `matplotlib.dates.rrulewrapper`.
+      `.rrulewrapper` is a simple wrapper around dateutil_'s `dateutil.rrule`
+      which allow almost arbitrary date tick specifications.  See :doc:`rrule
+      example </gallery/ticks_and_spines/date_demo_rrule>`.
 
     * :class:`AutoDateLocator`: On autoscale, this class picks the best
       :class:`DateLocator` (e.g., :class:`RRuleLocator`)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
index a1a687fa5934..53a99ffbe872 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
@@ -600,12 +600,13 @@ class FontProperties(object):
     approach allows all text sizes to be made larger or smaller based
     on the font manager's default font size.
 
-    This class will also accept a `fontconfig
-    <https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/fontconfig/>`_ pattern, if it is
-    the only argument provided.  See the documentation on `fontconfig patterns
-    <https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html>`_.
-    This support does not require fontconfig to be installed.  We are merely
-    borrowing its pattern syntax for use here.
+    This class will also accept a fontconfig_ pattern_, if it is the only
+    argument provided.  This support does not require fontconfig to be
+    installed.  We are merely borrowing its pattern syntax for use here.
+
+    .. _fontconfig: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/fontconfig/
+    .. _pattern:
+       https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html
 
     Note that Matplotlib's internal font manager and fontconfig use a
     different algorithm to lookup fonts, so the results of the same pattern
@@ -728,12 +729,9 @@ def get_file(self):
 
     def get_fontconfig_pattern(self):
         """
-        Get a fontconfig pattern suitable for looking up the font as
+        Get a fontconfig_ pattern_ suitable for looking up the font as
         specified with fontconfig's ``fc-match`` utility.
 
-        See the documentation on `fontconfig patterns
-        <https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html>`_.
-
         This support does not require fontconfig to be installed or
         support for it to be enabled.  We are merely borrowing its
         pattern syntax for use here.
@@ -842,10 +840,7 @@ def set_file(self, file):
 
     def set_fontconfig_pattern(self, pattern):
         """
-        Set the properties by parsing a fontconfig *pattern*.
-
-        See the documentation on `fontconfig patterns
-        <https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html>`_.
+        Set the properties by parsing a fontconfig_ *pattern*.
 
         This support does not require fontconfig to be installed or
         support for it to be enabled.  We are merely borrowing its
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/fontconfig_pattern.py b/lib/matplotlib/fontconfig_pattern.py
index 76d1a8936acc..d384bae07e5b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/fontconfig_pattern.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/fontconfig_pattern.py
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 """
-A module for parsing and generating fontconfig patterns.
+A module for parsing and generating `fontconfig patterns`_.
 
-See the `fontconfig pattern specification
-<https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html>`_ for
-more information.
+.. _fontconfig patterns:
+   https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html
 """
 
 # This class is defined here because it must be available in:
@@ -29,11 +28,11 @@
 
 
 class FontconfigPatternParser(object):
-    """A simple pyparsing-based parser for fontconfig-style patterns.
+    """
+    A simple pyparsing-based parser for `fontconfig patterns`_.
 
-    See the `fontconfig pattern specification
-    <https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html>`_
-    for more information.
+    .. _fontconfig patterns:
+       https://www.freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html
     """
 
     _constants = {
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/image.py b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
index 28aefa96447f..65fa77ea9070 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/image.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/image.py
@@ -1529,8 +1529,10 @@ def thumbnail(infile, thumbfile, scale=0.1, interpolation='bilinear',
     Parameters
     ----------
     infile : str or file-like
-        The image file -- must be PNG, Pillow-readable if you have `Pillow
-        <http://python-pillow.org/>`_ installed.
+        The image file -- must be PNG, or Pillow-readable if you have Pillow_
+        installed.
+
+        .. _Pillow: http://python-pillow.org/
 
     thumbfile : str or file-like
         The thumbnail filename.