diff --git a/docs/configuration.rst b/docs/configuration.rst
index 85282c92f1..bfc7e7b4c2 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.rst
+++ b/docs/configuration.rst
@@ -395,6 +395,18 @@ Description Try to follow external URLs of embedded players.
 =========== =====
 
 
+extractor.deviantart.external
+-----------------------------
+=========== =====
+Type        ``bool``
+Default     ``false``
+Description Try to follow external URLs in description fields.
+
+            Note: deviantart.metadata_ needs to be enabled to make descriptions
+            available.
+=========== =====
+
+
 extractor.deviantart.flat
 -------------------------
 =========== =====
@@ -1586,6 +1598,7 @@ Description An object with the ``name`` of a post-processor and its options.
 .. _skipped: `extractor.*.skip`_
 .. _`date-min and date-max`: `extractor.reddit.date-min & .date-max`_
 .. _date-format: extractor.reddit.date-format_
+.. _deviantart.metadata: extractor.deviantart.metadata_
 
 .. _.netrc:            https://stackoverflow.com/tags/.netrc/info
 .. _tempfile.gettempdir(): https://docs.python.org/3/library/tempfile.html#tempfile.gettempdir
diff --git a/docs/gallery-dl.conf b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
index 24c6bb9a76..678d4ef19f 100644
--- a/docs/gallery-dl.conf
+++ b/docs/gallery-dl.conf
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
         "deviantart":
         {
             "refresh-token": null,
+            "external": false,
             "flat": true,
             "folders": false,
             "journals": "html",
diff --git a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
index 4e1297855e..5c07c070bb 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/extractor/deviantart.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ def __init__(self, match=None):
         self.offset = 0
         self.flat = self.config("flat", True)
         self.original = self.config("original", True)
+        self.external = self.config("external", False)
         self.user = match.group(1) or match.group(2)
         self.group = False
 
@@ -95,6 +96,13 @@ def items(self):
                 journal = self.api.deviation_content(deviation["deviationid"])
                 yield self.commit_journal(deviation, journal)
 
+            if self.external:
+                for url in text.extract_iter(
+                        deviation.get("description", ""), 'href="', '"'):
+                    if "deviantart.com/users/outgoing?" in url:
+                        url = text.unquote(url.partition("?")[2])
+                    yield Message.Queue, url, deviation
+
     def deviations(self):
         """Return an iterable containing all relevant Deviation-objects"""
         return []
@@ -361,6 +369,14 @@ class DeviantartDeviationExtractor(DeviantartExtractor):
             "pattern": (r"https://images-wixmp-\w+\.wixmp\.com"
                         r"/f/[^/]+/[^.]+\.gif\?token="),
         }),
+        # external URLs from description (#302)
+        (("https://www.deviantart.com/uotapo/art/"
+          "INANAKI-Memorial-Humane7-590297498"), {
+            "options": (("external", 1), ("metadata", 1), ("original", 0)),
+            "pattern": r"https?://(sta\.sh|youtu\.be)/\w+$",
+            "range": "2-",
+            "count": 6,
+        }),
         # old-style URLs
         ("https://shimoda7.deviantart.com"
          "/art/For-the-sake-of-a-memory-10073852"),