how do i stop edge from adding quick links on its own?

Hi,

Unfortunately, there’s currently no option to stop links from being added automatically. The best workaround probably is to fill the rows with your preferred pinned links, so Edge won’t populate them with random or frequently visited sites. If you don’t have enough preferred links to fill the rows, I’d recommend submitting feedback to request this as an option in future updates. In the meantime, there are plenty of extensions available that can replace the new tab page and let you customize it with only your preferred pinned items. If you’d like me to recommend a few good ones, just let me know.