To learn how to make a hyperlink, connect a visible item—usually text or an image—to a destination URL. When someone clicks that item, the hyperlink opens the address in the current tab or a new tab, depending on the app and its settings.
A working link has two separate parts: link text, the words people see, and the destination URL, the web address the link opens. These parts can differ. For example, you can display “Read the guide” while linking to a long URL. Plain text that merely displays a web address is not necessarily clickable; the editor must create a link around it.
How to Make a Hyperlink: What It Needs
Choose the destination first and copy its complete URL, including https:// when the address uses it. Check the address for typing errors, missing characters, or unwanted spaces before inserting it.
Next, choose what will be clickable. You can use a short phrase, a full sentence, or an image. Descriptive link text such as “download the schedule” tells readers what to expect more clearly than “click here.”
How do you make a hyperlink from selected text?
The common workflow is the same in most document editors, email composers, website editors, and note-taking apps:
- Select the text. Drag across the words you want to link. Select only the intended text, without adding nearby punctuation unless it belongs in the link.
- Open the link tool. Choose Insert link or the chain-link icon in the toolbar. In many apps, you can use Ctrl+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac.
- Enter the destination. Paste or type the URL into the address field. Some editors also show a separate text field, where you can change the displayed words without changing the destination.
- Apply the link. Select Insert, Save, or the equivalent button. The selected text may change color or gain an underline, but that visual change alone does not confirm that the URL works.
If the editor automatically turns a pasted URL into a link, still check that it opens the intended page. A visible address can remain ordinary text if you paste it into an app that does not support automatic linking.
How do I create a hyperlink for an image?
Many editors let you attach a link to an image. The image itself becomes the clickable item, while its destination remains a separate URL.
- Select or click the image once. Avoid opening the image editor unless you need to crop or resize it.
- Choose the link button, open the image’s link settings, or use Ctrl+K or Command+K if the app supports the shortcut.
- Paste the destination URL, then choose Apply, Insert, or Save. Preview the image to make sure the link does not interfere with selecting or moving it.
Edit, Remove, and Test a Link
To edit a link, select the linked text or image and choose the link icon or Edit link. Replace the existing URL, update the displayed text if needed, and save the change.
To remove a link, select the linked item and choose Remove link or the broken-chain icon. This keeps the text or image but removes its clickable destination.
Test every link in the editor’s preview, published page, or sent email. Click the text or image and confirm that the intended page opens. If it fails, check the URL, remove extra spaces, confirm that the destination is available, and recreate the link if necessary.