What linking slides means and why you'd do it
Linking slides means creating a clickable connection from one slide to another within the same presentation. When you click the link during a slideshow, Google Slides jumps you to the slide you specified instead of moving forward one slide at a time. This is useful when you want to skip ahead, loop back to an earlier point, or let your audience choose which topic to explore next.
The most common reason to link slides is to build an interactive table of contents. You put your main topics on the first slide, make each one clickable, and each link takes you to that section. Another reason is to create a non-linear presentation — for example, a training where different people need different paths through the material, or a quiz where the next question depends on the answer to the current one.
Google Slides links work only during a live slideshow. In edit mode, clicking a link takes you to that slide but does not start the presentation. Once you start the slideshow, the links work as intended.
Key Takeaways
- To link a slide, select the text or shape you want to click, then use the Insert menu to add a link to a specific slide in your presentation.
- Links work only during a slideshow — in edit mode, they navigate but do not start the presentation.
- You can link to any slide in the same presentation, including slides you have not yet created, as long as you know the slide number.
- A common setup is a clickable table of contents on slide 1 that links to each section, letting you jump to any topic without scrolling through slides in order.
- Links remain active if you rearrange slides, but the destination slide number changes, so you may need to update the links afterward.
How to create a link from text to another slide
Start by clicking the text you want to make clickable. This is usually a word or phrase on your slide — for example, "Introduction" or "Pricing Details". Highlight the text by clicking and dragging across it, or triple-click to select the entire text box.
With the text selected, open the Insert menu at the top of the screen and choose Link. A small dialog box appears. At the bottom of this box, you will see a dropdown that says "Slides in this presentation" — click it. A list of all your slides appears, numbered and showing a thumbnail preview of each one. Click the slide you want to link to, then click explore. The text now appears underlined and in blue, showing it is a link.
If you have not yet created the slide you want to link to, you can still create the link. In the Link dialog, type the slide number directly into the field instead of choosing from the list. For example, if you want to link to slide 15 but you only have 10 slides now, type "15" and the link will work once you add more slides.
How to link a shape or image to another slide
You can link any shape or image, not just text. Click the shape or image you want to make clickable. If it is a shape you drew (a rectangle, circle, arrow, or callout), click it once to select it. If it is an image, click it once as well.
With the shape or image selected, open the Insert menu and choose Link. The same dialog appears. Select "Slides in this presentation" and choose the destination slide, then click explore. The shape or image now has a small link icon in the corner, showing it is clickable.
This approach works well for buttons. You can draw a rectangle, fill it with color, add text inside it, and then link the whole shape to another slide. During the slideshow, clicking anywhere on that shape takes you to the linked slide.
Building an interactive table of contents
A table of contents slide is the most practical use of slide links. Create a new slide at the beginning of your presentation and title it "Table of Contents" or "Topics". List each section or topic as a separate line of text — for example, "Overview", "Budget", "Timeline", "Next Steps".
Highlight the first topic and add a link to the slide where that section begins. Repeat for each topic. Now when you present, you can click any topic on the first slide and jump straight to it. If someone asks a question about a later topic, you do not have to scroll through slides to get there — you click and go.
After you finish linking, test the presentation by pressing F5 (or Cmd+Shift+F5 on Mac) to start the slideshow from the beginning. Click each link to make sure it takes you to the right slide. If a link goes to the wrong place, click the text again, open Insert > Link, and choose the correct slide.
What happens when you rearrange or delete slides
If you move a slide to a different position, any links pointing to it still work — Google Slides updates the link automatically. However, if you delete a slide that other slides link to, those links break. When you click a broken link during a slideshow, nothing happens.
If you delete a slide by accident and undo the action when ready (Ctrl+Z or Cmd+Z), the links repair themselves. If you delete a slide and then save, you will need to find and fix the broken links manually. To do this, click the text or shape that contains the broken link, open Insert > Link, and choose a new destination slide.
The safest approach is to finalize your slide order and content before you add links. That way you avoid having to update links later.
Linking back to the table of contents
After you link your table of contents to each section, add a link on the last slide of each section that takes you back to the table of contents. This lets you return to the main menu after exploring a topic, then jump to a different section without clicking through every slide in between.
To do this, go to the last slide of your first section. Add a text box or shape at the bottom and type "Back to Contents" or "Menu". Select that text, open Insert > Link, and link it to slide 1 (or whichever slide holds your table of contents). Repeat this on the last slide of each section.
During the presentation, you now have a complete loop: click a topic from the table of contents, explore that section, click "Back to Contents" when done, and choose the next topic. This creates a smooth, non-linear experience.
Troubleshooting links that do not work
If a link does not work during a slideshow, the most common cause is that you are not in slideshow mode. Links do not set up in edit mode — they just navigate. Press F5 to start the slideshow from the beginning, or click the play button in the top right corner to start from the current slide.
If a link works in edit mode but not during the slideshow, check that you are clicking directly on the linked text or shape. Sometimes a link is only active on a small part of an object. Try clicking the exact center of the text or shape.
If you moved or deleted the destination slide, the link may be broken. Click the linked text, open Insert > Link, and verify that the destination slide still exists and is the one you intended. If the slide was deleted, choose a new destination or recreate the slide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I link to a slide in a different presentation?
No. Google Slides links only work within the same presentation. If you need to jump to a different file, you would need to use a regular web link instead. However, you can link to a Google Drive folder or another Google Doc if you want to send people outside your presentation.
Do links work if I share the presentation with someone else?
Yes. Links work for anyone who views the presentation in slideshow mode, whether they are the owner or a viewer with access. The links point to slides within the same file, so they work as long as the person can see the presentation.
Can I make a link that goes to a specific part of a slide, not just the whole slide?
No. Google Slides links always take you to the top of the destination slide. You cannot link to a specific text box or shape within a slide. If you need that level of control, you would need to break up your content across more slides.
What if I want to link to a slide that comes before the current one?
You can link backward just as easily as forward. Select your text or shape, open Insert > Link, choose "Slides in this presentation", and select any slide — earlier or later. During the slideshow, clicking the link takes you to that slide regardless of whether it comes before or after the current one.
Do I need to do anything special to make links work in a shared presentation?
No. Links work automatically in any presentation you can view in slideshow mode. If you are editing the presentation with others at the same time, links may briefly not work while changes are being saved, but they return to normal once the save is complete.