Where to find the link tool in Canva

Open your design in Canva and select the element you want to turn into a link — this can be text, a button, an image, or a shape. With that element selected, look at the top toolbar. You will see an icon that looks like a chain link or paperclip. Click it.

If you are working on a text box, you can also highlight just the words you want to link instead of linking the entire text box. Select the text tool, triple-click to highlight the text, then click the link icon in the toolbar.

A small popup will appear asking you to paste or type the URL. The link must start with http:// or https:// — Canva will not recognize it otherwise. Paste the full web address, then click outside the popup or press Enter to confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • Select any element in your design, click the chain link icon in the toolbar, and paste the full URL starting with http:// or https://.
  • You can link text, buttons, images, shapes, or any other design element — the process is the same for all of them.
  • Links only work when someone views or downloads your design as an interactive file; they do not appear in static image exports.
  • Test your link before sharing by clicking it in preview mode to make sure it goes to the right place.

What file types preserve your links

Links work only in certain formats. If you read your design as a PDF, the links will be clickable. If you read as a JPG or PNG image file, the links disappear — they become invisible and do not work. The same is true if you take a screenshot or print the design to paper.

If you are sharing the design directly from Canva — by sending a link to the design itself or embedding it on a website — the links will work. If you are sharing a static image file, they will not. Think about how the person receiving your design will actually use it before you spend time adding links.

Editing or removing a link you already added

Click on the element that has the link. The chain link icon in the toolbar will appear highlighted or filled in, showing that a link is already attached. Click it again to open the popup and see the current URL.

To change the URL, clear the text box and paste a new one. To remove the link entirely, click the link icon and then click the small X or trash icon inside the popup. The element itself stays in your design — only the link is deleted.

Making links visible so people know to click

Canva does not automatically make linked elements look clickable. A linked image looks exactly like an unlinked image. A linked piece of text looks like regular text unless you style it yourself. This means your audience might not realize something is clickable.

Use visual cues to show where the links are. Make linked text blue and underlined, or add a button shape behind it. If you are linking an image, add a small arrow or "click here" label nearby. You can also add a note at the bottom of your design saying "Click the blue text to learn more" or similar.

Common reasons links do not work

The most common mistake is forgetting the http:// or https:// at the start of the URL. Canva needs this to recognize it as a web address. If you paste just "google.com" without the protocol, it will not work. Always include the full address.

The second reason is exporting as an image instead of a PDF. As mentioned above, JPG and PNG files strip out all links. If your links are not working after you share the file, check what format you downloaded it in.

The third reason is that the website itself is down or the URL is wrong. Test your link in a web browser before adding it to your design. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar and paste it directly into Canva — this reduces the chance of typos.

Adding links to buttons and call-to-action elements

Buttons are the most obvious place to put links because people expect them to be clickable. Create or select a button in Canva, then click the link icon and paste your URL. The button will work the same way as any other linked element.

If you want the button to look more professional, add text on top of it that says "Learn More", "Sign Up", "Shop Now", or whatever action you want people to take. Make sure the text is readable — use high contrast between the button color and the text color. Then link the button itself, not just the text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I link to a specific page on a website or just the homepage?

You can link to any page. Paste the full URL including the page path — for example, "https://www.example.com/about" or "https://www.example.com/products/shoes". Canva treats the entire URL as the destination, so be as specific as you need.

What happens if I link to a website that later goes down?

The link will break and people will see an error page when they click it. You cannot control what happens on the other website. If you are linking to something you do not own, check it occasionally to make sure it still exists.

Can I link to an email address or phone number?

The standard link tool in Canva works for web URLs only. To create a clickable email link, use the format "mailto:yourname@example.com". For phone numbers, use "tel:+1-555-123-4567". Not all file formats support these, so test before sharing.

Do links work if someone downloads my Canva design and opens it on their computer?

Yes, if they read it as a PDF. Links in PDFs remain clickable when opened on any device. If they read as JPG or PNG, the links are gone. Make sure the person knows which format to read if links are important to your design.

Can I see how many people clicked my links?

Canva does not track clicks on links within designs. If you need to count clicks, you can use a URL shortener like Bit.ly or TinyURL, which shows click statistics. Paste the shortened URL into Canva instead of the original one.