The fastest way to add a hyperlink in PowerPoint

Select the text or image you want to turn into a link, then right-click and choose Link from the menu. A dialog box opens where you type or paste the web address you want to link to. Click OK and you're done — the text turns blue and underlined to show it's clickable.

If you're linking to a website, paste the full address starting with https://. If you're linking to another file on your computer, click Browse instead and navigate to that file. PowerPoint remembers recent links, so if you've linked to the same page before, you can just click it from the dropdown list.

During a presentation, you can click the hyperlink to jump to that website or file. After you're done, press Escape to return to your slide. If you're presenting in slideshow mode and want to click a link, hold Ctrl while clicking — otherwise a single click just advances to the next slide.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any text or image, select Link, and paste the web address to create a clickable hyperlink in seconds.
  • Links to websites need the full address starting with https://, while links to files on your computer use the Browse button.
  • During a live presentation, hold Ctrl and click a hyperlink to follow it without advancing to the next slide.
  • You can link to specific slides within the same presentation by choosing Place in This Document instead of typing a web address.

Linking to a website or web page

The most common hyperlink points to a website. Select the word or phrase you want people to click — this could be "Learn more", "Visit our site", or the name of an organization. Right-click and choose Link. In the dialog that opens, paste the full web address into the field labeled Address. Make sure it starts with https:// or http://, not just www.

If you've linked to that same website before in any PowerPoint file, it appears in the Recent Links section at the bottom of the dialog. You can click it there instead of typing it again. When you click OK, the text becomes blue and underlined. Test the link before your presentation by holding Ctrl and clicking it — your browser should open to that page.

Linking to files on your computer or network

You can link to a PDF, Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or any other file stored on your computer or a shared network drive. Select the text or image you want to be clickable, right-click, and choose Link. Instead of typing an address, click the Browse button next to the Address field.

A file browser window opens. Navigate to the folder where your file lives and click the file name, then click OK twice — once to confirm the file, and once to close the link dialog. When someone clicks that link during your presentation, the file opens in whatever program it's associated with on their computer. If the file is on a shared drive, make sure everyone who will view the presentation has access to that same drive.

Linking to another slide in the same presentation

You can create a link that jumps to a different slide within your own presentation. This is useful for presentations with a table of contents or when you want to skip ahead to answer a question. Select your text or image, right-click, and choose Link. Instead of entering an address, click Place in This Document on the left side of the dialog.

A list of all your slides appears, numbered and showing a thumbnail of each one. Click the slide you want to jump to, then click OK. During your presentation, clicking that link takes you directly to that slide. This works in both normal view and slideshow mode — just hold Ctrl while clicking if you're in slideshow mode.

Changing or removing a hyperlink

To edit a link you've already created, right-click the blue underlined text and choose Edit Link. The dialog opens with the current address showing. You can change the web address, swap it for a different file, or switch to linking to a different slide. Click OK when you're done.

To remove a hyperlink entirely, right-click the blue text and choose Remove Link. The text stays on your slide but is no longer clickable — it turns back to regular black text. You can also select the text and press Ctrl+Shift+F9 to remove all hyperlinks at once, though this is less common.

Making hyperlinks visible and testable

By default, hyperlinks appear as blue underlined text, which signals to viewers that they're clickable. If you want a hyperlink on an image instead of text, the image won't show any visual change — viewers won't know it's clickable unless you tell them. Consider adding a note like "Click the logo to visit our website" or using a button shape with text inside it.

Always test your hyperlinks before presenting. In normal editing view, hold Ctrl and click each link to make sure it goes where you expect. If you're linking to a website, check that you have internet access during your presentation. If you're linking to files, verify that those files are in the same folder or on an accessible network drive, especially if you're presenting on a different computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make a hyperlink open in a new window instead of replacing my presentation?

PowerPoint doesn't have a built-in option for this. When you click a web link during a presentation, it opens in your default browser and may cover your slides. To return to PowerPoint, click the PowerPoint window in your taskbar. If you need to show a website without leaving your presentation, consider embedding a screenshot or using a second monitor.

What happens if I move or delete a file I've linked to?

If you link to a file on your computer and then move or delete that file, the link breaks. PowerPoint won't warn you until someone tries to click it. If you're sharing your presentation with others, keep linked files in the same folder as the presentation, or use a shared network drive that everyone can access.

Can I change the color of hyperlinks so they don't look blue?

Yes. Click the Design tab, then Variants, and look for color scheme options. You can also right-click the blue text, choose Font Color, and pick a different color. Keep in mind that viewers expect blue underlined text to be clickable, so changing the color might make links less obvious.

How do I link to a specific page in a PDF?

PowerPoint's basic link dialog doesn't let you specify a page number. You can link to the PDF file itself, and it opens to page one. If you need to jump to a specific page, consider converting that page to an image and embedding it in your slide instead, or use a web link to a PDF hosted online that supports page anchors.