![How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint? [The Complete Guide!]](https://artofpresentations.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Featured-Image-How-to-Add-Hyperlink-in-PowerPoint.webp)
If you wish to jump a few slides when delivering your PowerPoint presentation, you will need to make use of the “Hyperlink” feature in PowerPoint!
To insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint, first, select and highlight the text or object. Next, right-click and choose the “Link” option. Select the destination of the link. You can link to an existing file, web page, or a specific slide within the presentation. Once the destination is chosen, click “OK”.
In this article, you will get to understand the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint in great detail. I’ll share with you how to add a hyperlink (in further detail), how do you edit a hyperlink, and even how to link to files outside of PowerPoint! That and much more!
So, let’s get started!
1. How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?
Let’s get straight to the key reason why you are here reading this article i.e. how do you insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint?
A hyperlink is a link added to a text or image that leads to a new document or a new section within the document when clicked on.
In Microsoft PowerPoint, even though you can add a hyperlink to texts or images, the process of doing so is quite similar for both.
Let’s take a look at the step-by-step process involved in adding a hyperlink in PowerPoint.
Step-1: Select the Text and Click on the “Link” option
The first step is to “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to add the hyperlink. In the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.
You can also click on the “Insert” tab in PowerPoint, and click on the “Link” option from the ribbon. You can use any of the three methods, and you will be prompted with the “Insert Hyperlink” window.
Step-2: Choose the Destination of the Link
In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, you can either link a file from your computer or an online source by clicking on the “Existing File or Web Page” button. Then, navigate to the folder containing the file, click on the file to select it, and click “OK“.
Alternatively, you can also click on the “Place in this document” option to link to an existing slide. (I shall show the exact steps later in this article).
2. How to Edit Hyperlink Text in PowerPoint?
In PowerPoint, adding a hyperlink does not change the behavior of text or the text box. Thus, the process of editing a hyperlink text is similar to the way you would edit the text in PowerPoint normally.
All you have to do is click inside the text box and delete or add text. You can also change the appearance of the hyperlink text by using the tools in the “Font” section of the “Home” tab in PowerPoint.
3. How to Edit the Hyperlink in PowerPoint?
Once a hyperlink is added to a text or image in a PowerPoint slide, you can go back and edit it. To do so, “Right Click” on the hyperlinked text and select the “Edit Link” option from the dropdown menu.
This will open the familiar “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box that we saw in section 1 of this article. Simply select another file or slide from the presentation in order to edit the link.
4. How to Remove Hyperlink in PowerPoint?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can remove the hyperlink from a text or an image with only one click. “Right Click” on the text or image to open the dropdown menu.
Now all you have to do is click on the “Remove Link” option to remove the hyperlink.
5. How to Hyperlink to Another Slide in PowerPoint
As mentioned earlier in the article, you can even link one slide to another within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature. This has great benefits especially when you want to specifically jump to a section in the presentation that you want to show in further detail.
Here’s what you need to do in order to link to another slide within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint –
Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text or image
In the selected slide, “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to link another slide. Then click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu.
You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard. This will open a dialog box.
Step-2: Click on the “Place in This Document” option
In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” option from the left sidebar. Then select the slide you want to link.
You can see the selected slide in the “Slide preview” section in the dialog box. Finally, you have to click on the “OK” button to finish the process.
5a. How to Return Back to the Main Slide?
During a presentation, it may be important to return to the main slide in one click after jumping to the linked slide. To do so, you can add a shape and hyperlink it back to the main slide.
Here’s how to create a hyperlink back to the main slide –
Step-1: Click on the “Shapes” option
The first step is to open the linked slide. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Shapes” option and select your preferred shape from the dropdown menu.
Step-2: Edit the shape
Now you can select the shape and click on the “Shape Format” tab from the menu ribbon. In the “Format Shape” sidebar located on the right side of the screen, edit the color and of the shape to visually match the rest of the slide.
I would highly recommend adding a text to the shape something to the effect of “Go back to slide X” (where “X” is the slide number of the main slide you want to return). This will help you and others take note of why a shape exists on the slide and prevent others from deleting it accidentally.
Step-3: “Right Click” on the shape
Now, all we need to do is simply create a hyperlink that links back to the original slide.
Select the shape and “Right Click” on the shape. Then, click on the “Link” option. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard to open the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box.
Step-4: Hyperlink the main slide
In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” button from the sidebar located on the left side. Then select the main slide and click on the “OK” button.
Now all you have to do is click on the shape to return to the main slide during the presentation.
Note that this link will only work when you are viewing the presentation in slideshow mode!
6. How to Hyperlink Without Underline?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot hyperlink text without the underline directly. However, there is a workaround.
To add a hyperlink without underlining a text in PowerPoint, you will need to use a transparent shape. Insert a shape over the text. Right-click and add a hyperlink to the shape. Then, select the “No Fill” options to remove the “Fill” and “Line” colors in the “Format Shape” settings.
Here’s a detailed step-by-step process that you will need to follow –
Step-1: Click on the “Remove Link” option
The first step is to remove the hyperlink from the text. “Right Click” on the hyperlink text and select the “Remove Link” option from the dropdown menu.
This will ensure that the underline from the text gets removed.
Step-2: Click on the “Shapes” option
Now click on the “Insert” tab from the menu bar and click on the “Shapes” button in the “Insert” menu. From the dropdown menu, select the “Rectangle” option.
Then insert the rectangle shape over the hyperlink text.
Step-3: Add a hyperlink to the shape
The next step is to add the hyperlink to the shape instead of the text.
“Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.
In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, paste the link that was previously on the text (as we did before in the previous sections). Then click on the “OK” button.
Step-4: Click on the “Format Shape” option
Now all you have to do is “Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Format Shape” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu.
This will open a “Format Shape” sidebar located at the right side of the screen.
Step-5: Click on the “No fill” and “No line” options
In the “Format Shape” sidebar, click on the “No fill” option under the “Fill” section. Then click on the “No line” option under the “Line” section.
This will make the shape completely transparent and make the text visible while removing the underline from the text. You can now click on the text and access the hyperlink in the slideshow mode.
7. How to Add a YouTube Link in PowerPoint?
To add a Youtube link in a PowerPoint slide, you have to first open the Youtube video that you want to link and copy the link address. Then follow the 2 quick steps.
Step-1: Click on the “Link” option
First, you have to select the text to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.
Step-2: Paste the Youtube link
Click on the “Existing File or Web Page” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. Then paste the Youtube link in the “Address” box at the bottom.
Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button to hyperlink the Youtube video.
8. How to Insert a Website Link in PowerPoint?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can hyperlink to any resource available on the web. To insert a website link, you have to first obtain the link from the website. Then follow the 3 easy steps.
Step-1: Click on “Link”
In the open slide, select the text or image which you want to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text or image. Click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.
Step-2: Paste the link to the website
The next step is to paste the website link in the “Address” box in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. “Right Click” on the “Address” box and click on the “Paste” option from the dropdown menu.
This will paste the copied website link. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+V” keys on your keyboard.
Step-3: Click on the “OK” option
Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box to insert the link to the website (as shown in the image in step 2).
9. How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to an Excel File?
Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add both links from the web as well as links to existing files in your computer as a hyperlink. To hyperlink to an Excel file in a slide, follow the 3 simple steps.
Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text
The first step is to select the text or image where you want to insert the link. Then you have to “Right Click” on it. From the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option.
Step-2: Click on the “Browse for File” option
The next step is to click on the “Browse for File” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. It is the third icon at the right side of the “Look in” box and looks like a folder.
This will open another dialog box.
Step-3: Click on the “Search Documents” box
In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search Documents” box located at the top and right corner. Then type in the name of the Excel file you want to hyperlink.
Select the Excel file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box to insert the link to the Excel file.
10. How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to a PDF File?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can add a hyperlink to a PDF file. This can be an efficient way for you to link to references for your presentation content.
The process is similar to that of adding a link to an excel file. Here’s what you need to do –
Step-1: Click on the “Link” option
You have to first select a text or image and then “Right Click” on it. Click on the “Link” option from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.
Step-2: Click on “Browse for File”
In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog, click on the “Browse for File” option which is the icon that looks like a folder. It will open the “Link to File” dialog.
Step-3: Click on “Search This PC”
In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search This PC” option and type in the name of the PDF file you want to link.
Then select the PDF file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will hyperlink the PDF file to the presentation.
11. How to Open a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?
To open a hyperlink, “Right Click” on the hyperlink text or image. From the dropdown menu click on the “Open Link” option. This will open the hyperlink in a new window.
Alternatively, you can press down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink text or image simultaneously to open the hyperlink.
Using the keyboard shortcut is more practical in the “Slide Show” screen during a presentation.
12. Hyperlink Not Working in PowerPoint
When inserting or accessing a hyperlink in Microsoft PowerPoint, sometimes, you might run into some issues. For instance, the option to hyperlink a text or image may be greyed out and you may not be able to insert a hyperlink.
These and other issues can be solved quite easily.
12a. Hyperlink is Greyed Out
In the “Insert” menu, you may find that the “Link” option is greyed out. But, this problem can be easily fixed! Here’s what you need to do –
Step-1: Click on the “Insert” tab
In the open PowerPoint presentation, click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Links” section of the “Insert” menu, you will notice that the “Link” option is greyed out.
Step-2: Click on an object
The “Link” option is usually greyed out because there are no objects selected yet. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot insert a hyperlink to a slide. You can only insert hyperlinks to an object.
To be able to insert a hyperlink, all you have to do is click on any object in the open slide. You will now see that the “Link” option is no longer grayed out, and you can click on it.
12b. Hyperlink in PowerPoint is Not Clickable
After inserting a hyperlink in a PowerPoint presentation, you will notice that the hyperlink is not clickable. This is because you cannot click on the hyperlink in “Normal View”.
In Microsoft PowerPoint, “Normal View” is the default view where you can edit the slides. You can fix this problem in 3 easy methods.
Method-1: Click on “Ctrl+Save”
In the “Normal View”, you cannot open a hyperlink with a click. Instead, you have to press the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink simultaneously. This will allow you to access the link.
Method-2: Click on the “Slide Show” tab
In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “Slide Show” tab. Then click on the “From Current Slide” option in the “Slide Show” menu.
Alternatively, you can press the “Shift+F5” keys on your keyboard. This will start the slideshow where the hyperlink is clickable.
Method-3: Click on the “Reading View” option
In the menu ribbon, click on the “View” tab. Then click on the “Reading View” option from the “Presentation Views” section (as shown in the image in method 2 above).
For the shortcut, all you have to do is click on the “Reading View” option which is the icon that looks like an open book in the status bar located at the bottom of the screen.
This will open the reading view screen where the hyperlinks are clickable.
Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)