The quickest way to add a clickable link

To add a link 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 paste the web address you want to link to. Click OK, and that text or image is now clickable during your presentation.

The text stays visible on your slide, but it changes color (usually blue) and gets underlined to show it's a link. When you present and click that link, PowerPoint opens the web page in your browser without leaving your presentation.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut: select your text or image, then press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on Mac. This opens the same link dialog faster than right-clicking.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click selected text or an image, choose Link, paste your web address, and click OK to create a clickable link on your slide.
  • Use Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac) as a faster way to open the link dialog without right-clicking.
  • Links open in your web browser during a presentation, so test them before you present to make sure they work.
  • You can link to websites, email addresses, other slides in the same presentation, or files on your computer.
  • Remove a link by right-clicking it and choosing Remove Link, which keeps your text but deletes the clickable part.

Linking to different types of destinations

PowerPoint links don't have to go to websites. When you open the link dialog, you see tabs for different link types. The Existing File or Web Page tab is selected by default and handles both web addresses and files on your computer. Paste a full web address like https://www.example.com or browse to a file on your hard drive.

The Place in This Document tab lets you link to another slide in the same presentation. This is useful if you have a table of contents slide and want each item to jump to the matching section. Select the slide you want to link to from the list, then click OK.

The E-mail Address tab creates a link that opens the viewer's email program when clicked. Type the email address and a subject line if you want one. During a presentation, this is less useful than a web link, but it works if you want people to email you after they see your slides.

Testing your links before you present

Links sometimes break or point to the wrong page, so test each one before you present. The safest way is to run your presentation in slideshow mode and click each link to confirm it opens what you expect. Press F5 on Windows or click the Slideshow tab and select From Beginning on Mac to start your presentation from the first slide.

When you're on a slide with a link, click it to test it. If it opens the right page or file, you're good. If it doesn't work or opens something else, exit the slideshow (press Esc), fix the link, and test again.

If you're presenting over the internet and linking to websites, test your internet connection too. A slow connection can make links take several seconds to load, which looks awkward during a live presentation. If speed is a problem, consider embedding a screenshot of the webpage instead and only use the link if you have time.

Making links visible and clickable during a presentation

In slideshow mode, your cursor changes to a hand when you hover over a link, showing your audience that something is clickable. Click the link to open it. The webpage or file opens in a new window, and your presentation stays open in the background.

If you want to return to your presentation after clicking a link, close the browser window or file you opened. Your presentation is still there, and you can continue from where you left off. This works smoothly if you're presenting on a single monitor, though it can be confusing if your audience can only see one window at a time.

If you're presenting on a projector or large screen and want to show a webpage without leaving your presentation visible, open the webpage in a separate browser window before you start presenting. Then you can switch between windows during your presentation without your audience seeing your PowerPoint slide thumbnails or other distractions.

Changing link colors and removing links

By default, PowerPoint colors links blue and underlines them. If you want to change the color to match your slide design, right-click the link and select Edit Link. In the dialog, click Appearance or Formatting (depending on your version) to change the text color, font, or underline style.

If you decide a link shouldn't be clickable anymore but want to keep the text, right-click the link and select Remove Link. The text stays on your slide in regular formatting, and clicking it during a presentation does nothing.

To delete the link and the text together, just select the text and press Delete. This removes everything from the slide.

Linking to slides within the same presentation

Internal links let you jump between slides without clicking through them in order. This is useful for presentations with a table of contents, a Q&A section, or topics you might skip depending on your audience. Create a link on your table of contents slide that jumps to each section, so you can navigate quickly.

To set up an internal link, select the text or image you want to be clickable. Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac), then click the Place in This Document tab. A list of all your slides appears. Click the slide you want to link to, then click OK.

During your presentation, clicking that link jumps straight to the slide you selected. You can jump forward or backward, which gives you flexibility if someone asks a question about a topic you haven't reached yet.

Troubleshooting links that don't work

If a link doesn't open during your presentation, the most common cause is a typo in the web address. Check that you pasted the full URL, including https:// at the beginning. If you copied the address from your browser's address bar, make sure you didn't accidentally include extra spaces or characters.

For links to files on your computer, the file has to be in the location you specified when you created the link. If you move the file or the presentation to a different folder, the link breaks. To fix this, right-click the link, select Edit Link, and browse to the file's new location.

If you're presenting on a different computer than the one where you created the presentation, links to local files won't work unless you copy those files to the same folder structure on the new computer. Web links work on any computer as long as there's an internet connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

PowerPoint doesn't have a built-in option to open links in a new window automatically. During a presentation, links open in a new browser window by default, but your presentation stays open behind it. If you want more control, open your web browser before you start presenting and have the webpage ready to switch to.

What if I want to link to a PDF file?

Use the Existing File or Web Page tab in the link dialog and browse to your PDF file on your computer. When you click the link during a presentation, the PDF opens in your default PDF viewer. Make sure the PDF is in a location that will still exist when you present, or keep it in the same folder as your PowerPoint file.

Can I link to a specific page in a PDF?

PowerPoint doesn't have a built-in way to link to a specific page in a PDF. You can link to the whole PDF file, and it opens on the first page. If you need to jump to a specific page, consider taking a screenshot of that page and embedding it in your slide instead.

How do I know if a link is working before I present?

Start your presentation in slideshow mode by pressing F5 (Windows) or using the Slideshow menu (Mac), then click each link to test it. If it opens the right page or file, it's working. If not, exit the slideshow and fix the link before you present to a live audience.

What happens to links if I save my presentation as a PDF?

Links stay clickable when you save a PowerPoint presentation as a PDF, so your audience can click them in the PDF viewer. Test the links in the PDF version before you share it, because sometimes the conversion changes how links behave depending on your PDF reader.