Hyperlinks are an essential part of almost any document, so its no surprise that Google Docs makes it possible to link out to websites with just a few clicks (or, if youre editing on your mobile device, a few taps).
Adding hyperlinks to your Google Docs provides an easy way to connect your content to external websites, documents, references, and more. Hyperlinks allow readers to quickly navigate to supplementary information with just a click
This comprehensive tutorial covers everything you need to know about inserting hyperlinks in Google Docs. Follow these simple steps to start linking your documents.
What is a Hyperlink?
A hyperlink is a clickable link within text or an image that directs users to another web page, file, location within a document, email address, or other linked resource. Hyperlinks are the foundation of website navigation and allow seamless movement between webpages and sites.
When you click a hyperlink, you’ll instantly be taken to the external destination, such as a new webpage, downloadable file, app, website anchor, email program, location in a document, and more. Any webpage, document, or image can have hyperlinks added.
Types of Hyperlinks
There are a few key types of hyperlinks to be aware of:
- External – Links to outside webpages, files, apps, documents.
- Internal – Links between pages or headings within the same document.
- Email – Links that open a new email message when clicked.
- Bookmark – Link to a specific spot within a webpage or document.
- Attachment – Link to media like images, videos, PDFs.
Google Docs supports adding all of these hyperlink varieties into your text documents.
Why Use Hyperlinks in Docs?
Adding hyperlinks within your Google Docs provides immense value:
- Directs readers to more information and context
- Creates smooth navigation between websites and documents
- No need to copy/paste long URLs; hyperlink text is cleaner
- Allows citing sources as in-text reference links
- Connects related documents and information
- Enhances in-text readability
- Keeps footnotes and references organized
Hyperlinks make documents more usable, dynamic, and powerful. Readers can seamlessly continue their research journey while staying engaged with your core content.
How to Add a Hyperlink in Google Docs
Adding a hyperlink only takes a few simple steps:
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Open the Google Doc and highlight the text where you want to add the link.
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Click the “Insert Link” option (the chain links icon) in the toolbar above.
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In the pop-up box, enter the desired text you want to display as the link in the “Text” field.
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Then paste or type the webpage or document URL you want to link to in the “Link” field.
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Click “Apply” and your hyperlink will be inserted.
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To display the link’s underlying URL, right-click the link and select “Show link address”.
The text will now appear as a clickable link directing to your specified webpage, file, or other online destination. Easy!
Linking to Webpages
To link to an external website or webpage, follow the same steps outlined above:
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Highlight text.
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Open link pop-up.
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Type visible link text.
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Enter full URL of desired webpage.
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Click “Apply”.
The hyperlinked text will send users directly to that webpage when clicked. Be sure to enter the full URL including “http://” or “https://”.
You can also hyperlink text to jump to specific website sections using anchor links. Simply append the anchor link ID to the URL:
http://example.com/page#Section2This allows jumping deep into long webpages.
Linking to Other Documents
You can also link your Google Doc to other documents like:
- Other Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- Word, Excel, PowerPoint documents
- PDF files
- Images
- Video and audio files
The process is the same. For example:
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Select text to hyperlink.
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Open link pop-up.
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Enter visible text.
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Paste file URL or attach document.
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Click “Apply”.
Now clicking the link will open or download the linked file. Ensure readers have access before linking documents.
Linking Within The Same Document
Adding internal links within the same Google Doc is easy:
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Highlight the in-text phrase you want to link.
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Open the insert link pop-up.
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Under “Link to” select “Heading” or “Bookmark”.
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Choose which heading or bookmark to link to.
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Click “Apply”.
Now clicking that in-text link will instantly scroll the document to your selected heading or bookmark location.
Linking to an Email Address
To create a link that automatically opens and populates a new email message when clicked, follow these steps:
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Highlight the text to trigger the email link.
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Open the insert link pop-up.
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Paste the desired email address into the “Link” field.
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Click “Apply”.
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A mailto: link will be created.
Once published, clicking the link will launch the user’s email client with your email address pre-populated.
Creating Link Bookmarks
Bookmarks allow jumping to specific spots within a Google Doc. To make a bookmark:
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Select the heading or text you want to bookmark.
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Click “Add bookmark” in the toolbar.
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Name the bookmark.
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Click “Done”.
You can now link to this bookmark from any page in the document.
Linking Images and Tables
You can also turn images, charts, and tables into clickable links. Just right-click on the element, choose “Link”, and enter the target URL. This makes images and tables more dynamic.
Best Practices for Hyperlinks
Follow these tips for adding clean, useful hyperlinks:
- Use descriptive, meaningful anchor text, like “Microsoft’s Website” rather than just “click here”.
- Hyperlink nouns and key phrases rather than full sentences.
- Only use hyperlinks where truly relevant and helpful for the reader.
- Make sure all links work – test them!
- Use consistent link formatting and colors so they stand out.
- Place longer URLs in footnotes to avoid cluttering text.
- Include hyperlinks to allow readers to easily verify cited sources.
Taking a strategic approach ensures your hyperlinks provide real value for your readers.
Advanced Tips and Tricks
Take advantage of these advanced techniques:
- Change link text color and style for quick identification.
- Remove a hyperlink by right-clicking and selecting “Remove link”.
- Assign keyboard shortcuts to insert links faster.
- Use the explore tool to easily sideload research links.
- Add descriptive hover text to provide more context.
- Hyperlink text across paragraph breaks.
- Wrap lengthy links using line breaks to improve flow.
Explore Google Docs’ formatting options to customize your hyperlinks and linking workflow.
Common Hyperlink Issues and Troubleshooting
Here are some common hyperlink problems and solutions:
- Broken links – Verify URLs load correctly in a browser. Redirect or update any changed URLs.
- Incorrect anchors – Double check anchor links point to active IDs on target pages.
- Link styling lost – Link formatting can revert after editing text. Reapply styles like color or underline.
- Links linking to the wrong destination – Double check URLs entered lead to the intended websites or files.
- Security warnings – Update links to use “https://” if possible to avoid browser warnings.
- Access errors – Make sure users have permission to access any linked documents requiring login credentials.
Actively maintaining your hyperlinks ensures they remain functional and up-to-date.
Linking with Google Docs Add-ons
Handy Google Docs add-ons provide more options for power linking:
- AutoCrit – Adds hyperlinks for citations and references automatically.
- WorkFlowy – Creates outline linking between topics.
- Qordoba – Checks for broken links and missing anchor text.
- Zapier – Connects your Google Docs to web apps.
- IntelligenceX – Imports links from Chrome for research.
Look to the Google Workspace Marketplace for more specialized linking add-ons.
Why Hyperlink?
Adding hyperlinks makes your documents more interactive, useful, and engaging. Linking demonstrates connections between ideas, provides quick access to sources, and allows readers to dive deeper through your content.
Whether you want to link to websites, citations, footnotes, or within your document, Google Docs makes it fast and easy. Incorporate hyperlinks liberally to see the benefits.
So explore all the options for adding clickable links to enhance your Docs. Just highlight, click, link, and watch your documents come alive!
How to hyperlink in Google Docs using a computer
1. Open a document in Google Docs using a web browser.
2. Select the text that you want to turn into a hyperlink.
3. Click the Insert link button in the toolbar (which looks like a link in a chain).
Quick tip: Instead of clicking the Insert Link button, you can also just right-click the selected text and click Link from the drop-down menu.
4. In the pop-up Link dialog box, type or paste the URL you want to link to. The URL should be a valid web address, but you dont need to include the “http://” portion — for example, you can enter “businessinsider.com.” As a general rule though, its a good idea to copy and paste the URL from the address bar of a web browser, so you know the link is error-free.
5. Click Apply to finish.
You can also bring up the text-to-link box pictured above by highlighting text and pressing Command + K on a Mac computer or Control + K on a PC, and then inserting your link in the same way.
If you later need to change the URL, you can click the link and choose an option from the pop-up menu. You can copy the URL, edit it, or remove it entirely. Advertisement
How to hyperlink in Google Docs using the mobile app
1. Open a document in the Google Docs app on your iPhone or Android phone.
2. Select the text that you want to turn into a hyperlink. A toolbar should automatically appear under the selected text.
3. Tap Insert Link.
4. On the Insert Link page, type or paste the URL you want to link to.
5. When youre done, tap the checkmark at the top right of the screen.
How to Add a Hyperlink in Google Docs | How to Link to a Website from Google Docs
How to create a hyperlink in Google Docs?
Creating a hyperlink in Google Docs is as easy as selecting the text and then adding the link address using the link icon. Here’s how to do it. Step 1: Open Google Docs and go to the relevant file. Step 2: In the document, select the text you want to add the hyperlink to. Step 3: Click on the Insert link icon in the menu bar.
How do I add a link to Google Docs?
While your text is selected, in Google Docs’ toolbar at the top, click the “Insert Link” option (a chain icon). Alternatively, use the Ctrl+K (Windows, Linux, and Chromebook) or Command+K (Mac) keyboard shortcut . A “Search or Paste a Link” box will open. In this box, type or paste the link that you want to add to your text. Then press Enter.
How to remove a link from Google Docs?
Step 1: In your Google Doc, click on the link you want to edit. Step 2: From the options, click on the Edit link icon. Step 3: Then, edit the text or the link URL. Step 4: Once done, click on Apply. This will edit the Google Docs hyperlink. Step 1: Open the relevant Google Doc and click on the hyperlink. Step 2: Then, click on the Remove link icon.
How do I link a Google Doc to another Google Doc?
Click the Share button in the Doc you want to link to. At the bottom of the window, select Copy Link. Then, open the second Google Doc and set up a hyperlink. Note that everyone you want to see both items will need permission to read them.
