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Introduction

Whenever you use the Internet, you use hyperlinks (also known as links) to navigate from one webpage to another. If you want to include a web address or email address in your PowerPoint presentation, you can choose to format it as a link so a person can easily click it. It's also possible to link to files and other slides within a presentation.

Optional: Download our practice presentation.

Watch the video below to learn more about inserting links in PowerPoint.

About links

Links have two basic parts: the address of the webpage, email address, or other location they are linking to; and the display text, which can also be a picture or shape. For example, the address could be https://www.youtube.com, and YouTube could be the display text. In some cases, the display text might be the same as the address. When you're creating a link in PowerPoint, you'll be able to choose both the address and the display text or image.

To insert a link:

1. Select the image or text you want to make a link.
2. Right-click the selected text or image, then click Link. You can also go to the Insert tab and click the Link command.
   
3. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will open.
   
4. If you selected text, the words will appear in the Text to display field at the top. You can change this text if you want.
5. Type the address you want to link to in the Address field.
6. Click OK. The text or image you selected will now be a link to the web address.
   

To insert a link to an email address:

1. Right-click the selected text or image, then click Link.
2. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will open.
3. On the left side of the dialog box, click Email Address.
   
4. Type the email address you want to connect to in the Email Address box, then click OK.
   

PowerPoint often recognizes email and web addresses as you type and will format them as links automatically after you press the Enter key or spacebar.

To open and test a link:

1. After you create a link, you should test it. Right-click the link, then click Open Link.
   
2. Your web browser should open and then navigate to the linked page. If it doesn't work, check the link address for any misspellings.

To open a link while viewing your slide show, click the link.

To remove a link:

1. Right-click the link.
2. Click Remove Link.
   

More links

In PowerPoint, you can use links to link to resources that are not online. To create a quick way to refer to another slide in your presentation, you can create a link to that slide. If you need to access a file stored on your computer, you can create a link to it. Additionally, PowerPoint allows you to format pictures and shapes as links.

Using shapes and pictures as links

Sometimes you might want to format objects—including shapes, text boxes, and pictures—as links. This is especially helpful if you want the object to act like a button. To do this, right-click the desired object and select Link from the menu that appears. Click the object during the presentation to open the link.

To insert a link to another slide:

1. Right-click the selected text or image, then click Link.
2. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will appear.
3. On the left side of the dialog box, click Place in this Document.
   
4. A list of other slides in your presentation will appear. Click the name of the slide you want to link to.
   
5. Click OK. The text or image will now be a link to the slide you selected.
   

Adding a link to a shape is similar to creating an action button. We'll talk more about how to turn a shape into a button in our Action Buttons lesson.

To insert a link to another file:

1. Right-click the selected text or image, then click Link. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box will appear.
2. On the left side of the dialog box, click Existing File or Webpage.
3. Click the drop-down arrow to browse for your file.
   
4. Select the desired file.
   
5. Click OK. The text or image will now be a link to the file you selected.
   

If you want to display your presentation on a different computer than you used to create it, your link to another file may not work. Make sure you have a copy of the linked file on the computer you are using to present, and always test links before giving a presentation.

Challenge!

1. Open our practice presentation.
2. On slide 2, select the Accomplishments shape and create a link to slide 5.
3. On slide 11, select the text Tax forms and create a link to http://irs.gov.
4. On slide 12, remove the link from the text USA.gov Retirement Resources.
5. When you're finished, test the links you created.

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