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ACROBAT

Add a hyperlink to a PDF

Learn how to add a hyperlink to a PDF with Adobe Acrobat to make it easy for users to find the information they need.

Add hyperlinks with Adobe Acrobat

Person working on adding links to sections in their PDF file

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What is a hyperlink?

Why add a hyperlink to a PDF?

How to add hyperlinks to a PDF with Adobe Acrobat.

How to add a hyperlink to a specific section of a PDF.

Editing a hyperlink in a PDF.

Frequently asked questions.

A hyperlink is a clickable element that links to a target source or URL. They can be used to navigate between different sections of content on the same page - just like the list of headings above. But they can also be used to link out to a relevant webpage, attachment, image, video or audio file to help users quickly access relevant information.

For instance, need to edit a PDF? Edit a PDF easily with the Adobe Acrobat online PDF editor.

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There are several reasons why you might decide to add hyperlinks to your PDFs – whether it’s to make your PDF easier to navigate or simply to improve the readability. Here are some of the main benefits to consider.

Improve the user experience.

Adding hyperlinks to your digital documents can help improve the user experience. For example, including a linked table of contents at the start of your PDF allows users to jump directly to the section they need without having to manually scroll. Similarly, adding hyperlinks to images or graphics can help users find out more about the content or open the image as an attachment.

Tend to be more user friendly.

Hyperlinks are a more user-friendly option than footnotes or endnotes. Rather than having to find the relevant URL at the end of the document, your users can easily access the source material by clicking on the anchor text. This makes for a more efficient way to direct users to relevant information.

They’re universally compatible.

Hyperlinks are also universally compatible, which means they’ll work in whatever format you choose. For instance, if you decide to convert your PDF to a Microsoft Word document or convert a PowerPoint file into a shareable PDF, your hyperlinks will still remain in an accessible format.

Adding hyperlinks to a PDF is easy with Adobe Acrobat. Just follow these steps:

  1. Go to Tools > Edit PDF.
  2. Select Link then Add or Edit. The pointer should now become a crosshair. Any existing links in the document should become visible.
  3. Draw a rectangle around where you want the link – for example on a text box, icon, or other graphic.
  4. A Create Link dialogue box should appear. From here, choose how you want the link to look. You could turn it into an invisible link, or change the look of the link, including the line type, thickness, style and colour.
  5. Enter the hyperlink URL to set the destination for where the link should take you.

Want to create a custom link? Select Next and choose your desired action in the Link Properties box. This could be reading an article or executing a menu command.

Looking to improve navigation within your PDF document? Simply add some internal links to specific sections of your PDF to help improve the user experience. This can be especially helpful in long or complex documents, as users can quickly jump directly to the chapter or section that’s most relevant to them.

Here’s how to add a hyperlink to a specific section of your PDF:

  1. Go to Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit.
  2. Drag a rectangle around the text or part of the document you want to add a link.
  3. Alter the appearance of the link using the Create Link box.
  4. Switch to a page view, then click Next to set the page number and view magnification for the current document. You could even select a page within a separate document, if sending as a file attachment.
  5. Click Set Link.
Example of the link editing tool in Adobe Acrobat Pro

Need to modify your links? No problem. You can easily delete or edit links after adding them. Just navigate back to Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit, and make the changes you require.

Here are some other tips you can try to make changes to your PDF hyperlinks.

To change the apperance of your link in a PDF just:

  1. Click Tools > Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit
  2. Select the link you want to tweak and navigate to Properties.
  3. Choose a colour from the appearance tab, along with your preferred line thickness and style.

Want to create an invisible link? Simply select the Link Type drop-down and choose Invisible Rectangle to hide the hyperlink.

Modify the properties of multiple links at once. Just select the Link tool and drag a rectangle to capture all of the links.

Need to move or resize the rectangle of a link? Head to Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit then you can either:

  • Hover the pointer over the link rectangle and drag it to your chosen location to change the positioning.

OR

  • Drag one of the corner points to change the size of the link area.

You can also change the action of a link, so it performs a different task when activated by a user. To do so:

  1. Navigate to Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit.
  2. Click on the link and choose Properties.
  3. Look for the Actions tab, then assign a new action to the link, before clicking ‘OK’.

If a link has expired or it’s no longer needed, you can delete a link in your PDF in three steps:

  1. Go to Edit PDF > Link > Add or Edit.
  2. Select the rectangle enclosing the link to be removed
  3. Hit Delete and you’re good to go.

Frequently asked questions

There are various types of hyperlinks you can link to in a PDF file. For example, you can add a hyperlink in your PDF to an online website, a different section within the same document, or link to a different PDF file altogether. The choice is yours.

The main difference between a link and hyperlink is how they appear on screen. For example, a hyperlink shows you the anchor text, while a link shows you the address of the linked page or resource.

It’s easy to hyperlink to a PDF file in Microsoft Word. Just highlight the text you want to link to the PDF file. Then right click the text and select ‘Link’. From here, choose the internal file path or URL hyperlink to the PDF you’d like to link to.

Alternatively, you can insert the PDF directly into your Word document.

Keep exploring.

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Add a hyperlink to a PDF.
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