What a link is and why you'd create one

A link is text or an image that, when you click it, takes you to a different webpage or document. When you create a link, you're telling your computer or website to connect one piece of content to another. The URL (the web address like www.example.com) is the destination — the place the link points to.

You create links when you want to direct someone to another page without making them type out a long web address. A link might say "click here" or show the name of the page you're sending them to, but behind the scenes it's connected to the full URL.

The method for creating a link depends on what tool you're using — a word processor, email, website builder, or social media platform. The steps are different for each one, but the idea is always the same: you highlight text, tell the tool "this is a link," and paste in the URL you want it to point to.

Key Takeaways

  • A link is clickable text or an image that takes you to a URL when clicked, and you create one by selecting text and attaching a web address to it.
  • In Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and most email programs, you highlight text, right-click, and choose "Link" or "Insert Link," then paste the URL.
  • On websites and blogs, the process usually involves a toolbar button that looks like a chain link, or you use keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac).
  • The text you choose for a link should tell the reader where they're going — "click here" is less useful than "Housing Authority contact information."
  • You can link to external websites, pages within your own site, email addresses, or even specific files like PDFs.

Creating a link in Microsoft Word

Open your document and highlight the text you want to turn into a link. Right-click on the highlighted text and select "Link" from the menu that appears. A dialog box will open asking for the URL.

Paste the full web address into the field labeled "Address" — for example, www.example.com. If you want the link to open in a new window when someone clicks it, look for a checkbox that says "Open link in a new window" and check it. Click "OK" and your text is now a link, usually shown in blue and underlined.

Creating a link in Google Docs

Highlight the text you want to link. Press Ctrl+K on Windows or Cmd+K on Mac, or go to the Insert menu and click "Link." A small box will appear asking for the URL.

Type or paste the web address and press Enter. The text turns blue and underlined. If you want to remove a link later, highlight it again, press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K, and click the trash icon that appears.

Creating a link in email

The process is similar in Gmail, Outlook, and most other email programs. Highlight the text you want to link, then look for a chain-link icon in the toolbar above your message. Click it and paste the URL into the box that appears.

In Gmail, you can also highlight text and press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K. In Outlook, the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+K on both Windows and Mac. After you paste the URL and press Enter, the text becomes a clickable link that your recipient can use.

Creating a link on a website or blog

If you're writing on a website, blog platform like WordPress, or a page builder, look for a toolbar with formatting buttons. The link button usually looks like a chain link or paperclip. Highlight your text and click that button.

A dialog box or inline field will appear asking for the URL. Paste the address you want to link to and press Enter or click a confirmation button. Some platforms let you choose whether the link opens in the same window or a new one — this option is usually labeled "Open in new tab" or "Open in new window."

Choosing text that describes where the link goes

The words you choose for a link matter. "Click here" tells the reader nothing about where they're going. Instead, use text that describes the destination — "Housing Authority contact information," "Property tax assessment form," or "Tenant rights guide."

This helps two groups of people. First, it helps readers decide whether they want to click before they do. Second, it helps people using screen readers (software that reads web pages aloud to people with vision loss) understand what each link does. Screen reader users often jump from link to link on a page, so descriptive link text is essential for them to navigate.

Linking to different types of destinations

Most links point to webpages, but you can link to other things too. To link to a PDF or Word document, paste the full URL of that file — for example, www.example.com/documents/lease-template.pdf. To link to an email address, use mailto: followed by the address, like mailto:landlord@example.com. When someone clicks this link, their email program opens with that address already filled in.

You can also link to a specific section within a webpage if that page has anchor links set up. This is less common on most websites, but some longer pages use it to let you jump to a particular heading. If a page supports this, the URL will include a # symbol followed by a section name, like www.example.com/guide#section-2.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a link is safe to click?

Hover your mouse over a link without clicking it, and your browser will show you the actual URL in the bottom left corner of the screen. Check that the address matches what the link text says it should be. Be cautious of links that say one thing but point somewhere else, or URLs that look misspelled or unusual.

Can I change a link after I've created it?

Yes. Highlight the linked text again and use the same method you used to create it — right-click and select Link, or press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K. The dialog box will show the current URL. You can edit it, replace it with a new one, or delete it entirely to remove the link.

What's the difference between a relative link and an absolute link?

An absolute link includes the full web address, like www.example.com/page. A relative link is shorter and only includes the part after the domain, like /page. Relative links only work within the same website. If you're linking to a different website, always use the full absolute URL.

Why does my link show the URL instead of the text I chose?

This usually means the link wasn't created correctly. Delete it and try again, making sure you highlight the text first, then attach the URL to it. If you see a URL displayed as plain text, it may have been automatically converted to a link by your program — you can usually right-click it and choose to remove the link formatting.

Can I link to a specific part of a webpage?

Only if that webpage has anchor links set up. You can't create an anchor yourself on someone else's website, but if the page has them, you can link directly to a section. Look at the URL when you scroll to a section — if it changes to include a # symbol, that section has an anchor and you can link to it.