Adding a link in Canva takes three steps: select an element, open the link panel, and paste your URL

Open your Canva design and click on the text, image, button, or shape you want to link. In the toolbar at the top, look for the chain-link icon (it looks like 🔗). Click it, paste your URL into the box that appears, and press Enter. That element now links to that URL when someone clicks it in your published design or shared link.

The link icon appears in the top toolbar whenever you have an element selected. If you do not see it, make sure you have actually clicked on something in your design — the toolbar changes based on what is selected. Text, buttons, images, and shapes all accept links the same way.

Key Takeaways

  • Select any element (text, image, button, or shape), click the chain-link icon in the toolbar, and paste your URL to add a link.
  • Links work in published Canva designs, shared links, and downloaded PDFs with interactive features enabled, but not in static image downloads.
  • You can link to external websites, your own Canva designs, email addresses (using mailto:), or phone numbers (using tel:).
  • Test your link before sharing by clicking it in preview mode or in the published design to make sure it goes where you intended.

Where the link icon appears and what it looks like

When you click on any element in your Canva design, the toolbar at the top of the screen shows formatting options for that element. The chain-link icon sits in this toolbar, usually toward the right side. It is a small icon that looks like two connected links of a chain.

If you have selected text, you will also see options for bold, italic, and color. If you have selected an image or shape, you will see options for transparency and effects. The link icon appears alongside all of these. If the toolbar looks empty or does not show the link icon, click directly on your element again to make sure it is actually selected — you should see a blue outline around it.

Pasting and formatting your URL correctly

When you click the link icon, a text box appears asking for your URL. Paste the full web address, starting with https:// or http://. If you paste a URL without the protocol (just example.com), Canva usually adds https:// automatically, but typing it yourself prevents confusion.

For links to email addresses, type mailto: followed by the email address with no spaces — for example, mailto:contact@example.com. For phone numbers, type tel: followed by the number with hyphens — for example, tel:555-123-4567. These special formats tell browsers to open the email app or phone dialer instead of trying to visit a website.

Testing your link before you share

After you add a link, switch to preview mode to test it. Click the play button (▶) in the top right corner of the Canva editor. In preview mode, you can click the linked element and see whether it opens the correct URL. If the link does not work or goes to the wrong place, go back to edit mode and click the element again to fix the URL.

If you have already published or shared your design, you can test the link in the published version as well. Canva shows you a preview link when you publish — click that link to open your design in a browser, then test each linked element. This catches mistakes before your audience sees them.

What types of designs support links

Links work in Canva designs that are published as interactive web pages, shared via Canva's shareable link, or downloaded as interactive PDFs. If you read your design as a static image (JPG or PNG), the links will not work — the image file itself does not contain interactive elements. If you need people to click links, share the design using Canva's share feature or publish it instead of downloading an image file.

For presentations, links work in Canva's presentation mode. For social media posts, links do not carry over — social platforms like Instagram and Facebook have their own link systems. If you are designing a social post and want to direct people to a URL, use your platform's built-in link feature (like a link in your Instagram bio or a link sticker in Stories) rather than relying on links inside the design itself.

Editing or removing a link you have already added

To change a link, click the element again and click the chain-link icon. The URL box opens with your current link. Delete the old URL, paste the new one, and press Enter. To remove a link entirely, click the element, click the chain-link icon, delete the URL from the box, and press Enter. The element stays in your design but no longer links anywhere.

If you have linked multiple elements and need to change them all to the same new URL, you have to edit each one individually — Canva does not have a find-and-replace feature for links. For designs with many links, it helps to write down all your URLs before you start adding them, so you can copy and paste them quickly without typing.

Common reasons a link might not work

The most common problem is forgetting the https:// at the start of the URL. Without it, browsers do not know it is a web address. Another issue is typos in the URL — if you type example.com instead of example.com, the link goes nowhere. Copy and paste URLs from your browser's address bar rather than typing them by hand to avoid mistakes.

Links also do not work if you read your design as a static image file. If you want clickable links, use Canva's share feature or publish the design instead. If you are sharing a design file with someone else (not publishing it), they will see the links in the Canva editor, but the links may not work when they open the file — it depends on how they open it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I link to another Canva design I made?

Yes. Get the shareable link for the other design by clicking Share and copying the link. Then add that link to your current design the same way you would add any other URL. When someone clicks the linked element, they will see the other design.

Do links work if I read my design as a PDF?

Links work in interactive PDFs, but not in standard PDFs. When you read, Canva asks whether you want an interactive or standard PDF. Choose interactive if you want links to work. Interactive PDFs open in browsers or PDF readers that support clickable links.

What happens if I link to a website that no longer exists?

The link will break — people who click it will see an error page. Check your links regularly, especially if your design will be shared for a long time. If a website changes or closes, update the link in your design to point somewhere else or remove it.

Can I make only part of a text block into a link?

No. In Canva, you link the entire text element, not individual words. If you need to link different words to different places, create separate text boxes for each link and link them individually.

Do links work in Canva presentations?

Yes. When you present a Canva design as a slideshow, linked elements are clickable. Click a linked element during the presentation and it opens the URL in a new browser tab or window without stopping your presentation.