Adding a link in PowerPoint takes 30 seconds

To add a clickable link in PowerPoint, select the text or image you want to turn into a link, then use the Insert menu to paste the web address. The link works immediately — when you present the slide, viewers can click it to open a website, email address, or another slide in your presentation.

The process is the same whether you are linking to an external website, an email address, or jumping to a different slide within your own presentation. PowerPoint handles all three from one dialog box.

Key Takeaways

  • Select the text or image first, then go to Insert > Link to add the web address or email.
  • Links to websites must include http:// or https:// at the start, or PowerPoint will not recognize them as web addresses.
  • You can link to another slide in the same presentation by choosing "Place in This Document" instead of typing a web address.
  • In Presentation mode, hold Ctrl and click a link to open it; in Normal editing mode, Ctrl+click also works but is not required.
  • Test every link before you present — broken links and typos show up immediately when you click them during a live presentation.

How to link to a website or email address

Start by clicking on the text or image you want to make clickable. This can be a single word, a full sentence, or a shape. The selected item will have a border around it showing it is active.

Go to the Insert tab at the top of PowerPoint, then click Link (or Hyperlink depending on your version). A dialog box will open. In the address field, type the full web address — for example, https://www.example.com — or an email address like someone@example.com. Click OK, and the text will turn blue and underlined, showing it is now a link.

If you type a web address without https:// or http:// at the start, PowerPoint may not recognize it as a link. Always include the protocol at the beginning. For email links, type mailto: before the address — for example, mailto:contact@example.com — so PowerPoint knows to open the email client instead of a browser.

Linking to another slide in your presentation

You can create a link that jumps to a different slide in the same presentation. This is useful for presentations with a table of contents or when you want viewers to navigate back and forth between sections.

Select your text or image, open the Insert menu, and click Link. Instead of typing a web address, look for an option called Place in This Document or Link to Slide (the exact wording varies by PowerPoint version). A list of all your slides will appear. Click the slide you want to link to, then click OK. The link is now set and will jump to that slide when clicked during presentation mode.

Changing or removing a link

To edit a link you have already created, right-click on the linked text or image and select Edit Link from the menu. The link dialog will open again, and you can change the address or remove the link entirely by clicking Remove Link.

If you want to change just the text that appears (but keep the link pointing to the same place), right-click the link and select Edit Text. This lets you change what the link says without touching where it points.

Testing links before you present

Links in PowerPoint do not work in Normal editing mode the way they do during a presentation. To test a link, you must switch to Presentation mode (press F5 or click the Slide Show button). Once you are presenting, hold Ctrl and click the link to open it. If the link is broken or the address is wrong, you will see an error message immediately.

Test every link before a live presentation. A broken link during a presentation stops the flow and makes you look unprepared. Open each link, verify it goes to the right place, and then close it to return to your slides. If you are linking to a website, make sure you have an internet connection during your presentation, or the link will not open.

Why a link might not work

The most common reason a link does not work is a missing protocol. If you typed example.com instead of https://example.com, PowerPoint will not recognize it as a web address. Go back, edit the link, and add the protocol at the start.

Another reason is a typo in the address. If you are copying and pasting the address from somewhere else, make sure there are no extra spaces at the beginning or end. PowerPoint will include those spaces in the link, and the address will not work. If a link worked before but does not work now, the website itself may have moved or gone offline — this is not a PowerPoint problem, but it means the link is no longer valid.

Styling linked text so it stands out

By default, PowerPoint makes linked text blue and underlined. If you want to change how a link looks, select it and use the font color and underline buttons in the Home tab just as you would for any other text. You can make a link red, remove the underline, or change the font size — the link will still work, but it will look different.

Keep in mind that viewers may not recognize a non-blue link as clickable. If you remove the standard blue color, consider adding a note on the slide or using a button shape to make it clear that the text is interactive. During a presentation, you can also tell your audience which elements are clickable before they try to click them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I link to a PDF or a file on my computer?

Yes. In the Link dialog, instead of typing a web address, look for an option to browse for a file. Select the PDF or document from your computer, and PowerPoint will create a link to it. The file must be in the same folder as your presentation, or the link will break if you move the presentation to a different computer.

What happens if I click a link while editing instead of presenting?

In Normal editing mode, clicking a link does nothing — you have to hold Ctrl and click to open it. This prevents you from accidentally opening links while you are trying to edit your slides. Once you start the presentation (press F5), links work with a single click.

Can I link to a specific part of a website, like a section halfway down the page?

Yes, if the website uses anchor links. An anchor link is a special URL that points to a specific section — for example, https://example.com/page#section-name. Type the full URL including the anchor in the link dialog. Not all websites support this, so test it first.

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

Press F5 to start the presentation from the beginning, navigate to the slide with the link, hold Ctrl, and click it. If the link opens correctly, it works. If you see an error message, the address is wrong or the website is down. Close the presentation and fix the link before presenting to an audience.

What if my presentation will be shown on a computer without internet?

Links to websites will not work without an internet connection. If you need to show content from the web, download it as a PDF or image and embed it in the presentation instead of linking to it. Links to other slides in the same presentation will work offline because they do not need the internet.