What a hyperlink is and why you'd use one in email

A hyperlink is text or an image in your email that someone can click to jump to a website, open an email address, or read a file. Instead of pasting a long web address into your message, you turn a few words into a clickable link — so instead of asking someone to copy and paste "https://www.example.com/support/password-reset", you can just write "reset your password" and have that phrase do the work.

Email hyperlinks look different depending on your email program — usually they're underlined and blue — but they all work the same way. When someone clicks them, their browser opens to wherever you pointed the link.

You create a hyperlink by selecting the text you want to turn into a link, then telling your email program where that link should go. The steps differ slightly between Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other programs, but the idea is identical across all of them.

Key Takeaways

  • A hyperlink is text you can click in an email to jump to a website, send an email, or read a file without typing or copying anything.
  • You create a hyperlink by selecting the text you want to link, then pasting or typing the web address into a dialog box your email program provides.
  • Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail all have a link button in the compose toolbar — usually marked with a chain link icon — that opens the dialog where you enter the web address.
  • You can also right-click selected text in most email programs and choose "Add link" or "Insert hyperlink" from the menu that appears.
  • Test your hyperlink before sending by holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and clicking it to make sure it goes to the right place.

Creating a hyperlink in Gmail

Open Gmail and start composing a new email or reply. Type the text you want to turn into a link — for example, "click here to view the document" — then highlight that text by clicking and dragging across it with your mouse.

Look at the toolbar below the compose box. You'll see a chain link icon (it looks like two links of a chain connected together). Click that icon. A small dialog box will appear asking you to paste or type the web address. If you're linking to a website, paste the full address starting with "https://" — for example, "https://www.google.com". If you're linking to an email address, type "mailto:" followed by the address with no spaces — for example, "mailto:someone@example.com". Click the blue "explore" button or press Enter.

The text you selected will now appear as a blue underlined link. You can test it before sending by holding Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and clicking the link — it should open in a new tab or window.

Creating a hyperlink in Outlook (desktop and web)

In Outlook on your computer, open a new email or reply and type the text you want to link. Select that text by clicking and dragging across it. Right-click the selected text and choose "Link" from the menu, or look for the chain link icon in the toolbar at the top of the compose window and click it.

A dialog box titled "Insert Hyperlink" will open. In the field labeled "Address" (or sometimes "URL"), paste the web address you want to link to — for example, "https://www.example.com". If you're linking to an email address, type "mailto:" followed by the address. Click "OK" to create the link.

In Outlook on the web (Outlook.com), the process is nearly identical. Select your text, click the chain link icon in the toolbar, paste the web address into the dialog, and click "Insert" or "OK".

Creating a hyperlink in Apple Mail

Open Apple Mail and compose a new message or reply. Type the text you want to turn into a link and select it by clicking and dragging. Right-click the selected text and choose "Add Link" from the menu that appears.

A small dialog will pop up with a field for the web address. Paste the full address starting with "https://" — for example, "https://www.apple.com" — or type "mailto:" followed by an email address if you're linking to an email. Press Enter or click the checkmark button to create the link.

If the right-click menu doesn't show "Add Link", you can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+K to open the link dialog while your text is selected.

What to paste into the address field

The address you paste depends on what you want the link to do. For a website, use the full web address from your browser's address bar — it should start with "https://" or "http://". For example, "https://www.weather.gov" or "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ".

For a link that opens someone's email program to send you a message, type "mailto:" followed when ready by the email address with no spaces — for example, "mailto:support@example.com". When someone clicks this link, their default email program will open with a new message addressed to that email.

For a link to a file on the internet (like a PDF or spreadsheet), paste the full web address of that file — for example, "https://www.example.com/documents/report.pdf". When someone clicks it, the file will read or open in their browser depending on their settings.

Fixing or removing a hyperlink

If you made a mistake and the link points to the wrong place, right-click the link and choose "Edit Link" or "Edit Hyperlink" (the exact wording depends on your email program). The dialog will open again so you can change the address. Make your correction and click "OK" or "explore".

To remove a hyperlink and turn it back into plain text, right-click the link and choose "Remove Link" or "Delete Link". The text will stay in your email but will no longer be clickable.

If you want to change the text that appears but keep the link pointing to the same place, right-click the link, choose "Edit Link", and look for a field labeled "Display Text" or "Link Text". Change the words there and click "OK".

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is forgetting to include "https://" at the start of a web address. If you paste just "www.example.com" without the "https://", the link might not work or might go to the wrong place. Always copy the full address from your browser's address bar to be sure.

Another mistake is selecting text that's too long or too short. If you select "click here to view the document and let me know what you think", the entire phrase becomes a link, which can look cluttered. It's usually clearer to link just a few words — "view the document" — and put the rest as plain text before or after.

If you're linking to an email address and forget the "mailto:" part, the link won't work. Always type "mailto:" first, then the email address with no spaces between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make an image into a hyperlink?

Yes. Select the image in your email compose window, then click the chain link icon or right-click and choose "Add Link" or "Insert Hyperlink". Paste the web address into the dialog the same way you would for text. When someone clicks the image, it will open that web address.

What if the link I'm creating is very long?

Paste the entire long address into the address field — for example, "https://www.example.com/search?q=how+to+reset+password&sort=date&filter=recent". The address can be as long as it needs to be. The text that appears in your email can be short and straightforward, like "search results", while the actual link goes to that long address.

Will the person receiving my email see the web address or just the linked text?

They see only the linked text — for example, "click here" in blue and underlined. The web address is hidden behind it. When they hover their mouse over the link, most email programs will show them the address in a small tooltip so they can see where the link goes before clicking.

Can I create a hyperlink on my phone?

Yes, though it's slower than on a computer. In Gmail on your phone, compose a message, select the text you want to link, tap the chain link icon, paste the web address, and tap "explore". In Outlook on your phone, select text, tap the three dots menu, and look for "Link" or "Insert Link". The process is the same — you're just using touch instead of a mouse.

What if I want to link to a specific part of a webpage?

Some websites use anchors — special markers within a page that let you link to a specific section. If the website supports this, you can copy the address from your browser's address bar when you scroll to that section, and it will include the anchor automatically. For example, "https://www.example.com/guide#section-3" links to section 3 of that guide. Paste this full address into your hyperlink dialog.