You have made one of your first PowerPoint presentations and the result is not bad, but to finish the job you need to insert links within the slides. You have tried everything to do this, but you just can’t find the right option to do it. That’s just the way it is, isn’t it? Then I am happy to tell you that you have come to the right place at the right time!
As you continue reading this guide, I’ll show you how to insert a link in PowerPoint so that the hyperlink, in addition to being present, can also be clickable and link to the related page. In addition, if you’re interested, I’ll also explain how to insert links to videos on YouTube and other video platforms into your presentations.
Excuse me? Is this just what you wanted to know and you can’t wait to get to work? Well, then read carefully what I’m about to tell you and put into practice the advice I’m going to give you. In no time at all you’ll be able to insert links into your presentations, whether you’ve decided to use the classic PowerPoint for Windows or macOS, or whether you’re using PowerPoint Online or the app for smartphones and tablets. At this point, all that’s left to do is wish you happy reading and good work!
How to insert a clickable link on PowerPoint
Inserting a clickable link in PowerPoint is a rather simple operation that can be completed in a few steps and in a very short time. In this way, the hyperlink you want will be shown in your presentation and can be clicked on during the presentation to open the Internet page connected to it. However, in the following paragraphs, you will find all the procedures to follow explained in detail.
On PC
Do you want to know how to insert a link on PowerPoint using the desktop version of the application on your Windows PC or Mac? Well. First of all, if you have a Windows PC, open the PowerPoint application by double-clicking on its desktop icon or type “PowerPoint” in the search bar (next to the Start button, the one with the Windows flag) and then click on Open on the page that opens (on the right).
If you use a Mac, however, press on the Launchpad icon (the one represented by a rocket), and look for, in the new screen that opened, the icon of PowerPoint and then press on it. In case you don’t have PowerPoint on your computer yet, you can install it by following the directions in this tutorial.
Once PowerPoint is open, choose whether you want to use a new presentation or work on a presentation you’ve already made: once you’ve decided, double-click on the file, to open it. Next, to create a basic hyperlink, type the web address of an existing page (or paste it, after previously selecting and copying it) and press the Enter button on the keyboard. This will automatically create the link. Pretty easy, isn’t it?
If what you want to do, instead, is a bit more articulated and consists in inserting the link in an object, highlight the part of text (or select the image or the shape) in which you want to insert it, select the Insert tab (at the top), press the Link icon and, from the menu that opened, select the Insert link item.
Now, in the new window that opens, you can type the Text to be displayed (i.e. the text linked to the document) and the URL of the page by typing or pasting it in the space provided next to the Address item.
If, on the other hand, you wish to insert a link to a web page of which you do not know the address yet, press the Explore the Web icon (represented by the world icon with a magnifying glass next to it), wait for your default browser to open and, if required, configure it through the new window that opened by putting a check mark next to the Use recommended security and compatibility settings item, then press the OK button to confirm the decision.
Now, through your browser page, do an Internet search and go to the site you wish to link to in your PowerPoint presentation. Once found, copy the URL by right-clicking on it and choosing Copy from the menu that opened.
Once this is done, close the browser window, go to the Insert Hyperlink dialog box left open in your PowerPoint presentation and paste the URL into the space provided (next to the Address item) by right-clicking and selecting the appropriate item from the context menu.
As an optional change, you can also press the Description button and type the Description text in the newly opened window, which will be displayed when the mouse cursor passes over the link. After entering it, press the OK button twice in a row to finish the process.
When you start the presentation, in the selected word, phrase, image or form, the inserted link will be clickable and take you to the chosen page. To test it in advance, move the cursor over it, right-click and choose Open Link from the opened menu.
If you are using a Mac, on the other hand, once the presentation is open, select the object (text, image or shape) in which to insert the link, press the Insert tab and then the Link icon.
Now, in the newly opened dialog box, if necessary, type the Text to be displayed in the appropriate field, add a Description by clicking on the button with the same name (as I explained earlier) and enter the Web address in the Address box (by writing or pasting it). Once this is done, to finish, press the OK button.
To test the link, click on the Presentation tab, then click on the Play from current slide icon and, finally, press on the link in question.
To change the link color on both Windows PCs and macOS, select the link, click the PowerPoint Home tab (at the top), press the Font Color icon and, from the opened menu, select one of the available colors. Alternatively, press the More Colors option to add new colors via the appropriate window. Done. Easy, isn’t it?
About PowerPoint Online
Do you use PowerPoint Online, the web version of the Microsoft application, to create your presentations? Then, first of all, go to the main page of PowerPoint Online and, if necessary, log in by entering the credentials of your Microsoft account, then choose whether to create a new presentation or open an existing one saved on OneDrive.
Once you have chosen the presentation to use, within the slide, copy and paste the previously selected URL and press the Enter key on your keyboard. To insert the link on a word or in a sentence, on the other hand, select the text of your interest, select the Insert tab (top) and press the three horizontal dots icon (top right).
Now, from the opened menu, select the item Link. In the new window that appears, edit (if necessary) the displayed Text and type, in the field called Address, the URL of the Web page you want the link to refer to. Once this is done, to finish and confirm the operation, click the OK button.
Alternatively, to add a link even faster, you can select the text you want to insert it on, right-click and select Link from the menu that opens. This will bring up the same box I told you about earlier, where you can add the displayed Text and the address of the web page. Now, to test how the link works, right-click on it and select Open Link from the context menu.
Finally, if you want to change the color of the link (it will be displayed only during the presentation), select it, click the PowerPoint Online Home tab (top) and click the Font Color icon: from the opened menu, select one of the colors or click Other Colors to add a different one and you’re done.
On smartphones and tablets
Wondering how to insert a link into PowerPoint from a smartphone or tablet? If so, you can use the official Excel app, available for Android devices (on the Play Store and alternative stores) and iOS/iPadOS. The app is free for all devices with a size equal to or greater than 10.1″, otherwise it requires a subscription to the Microsoft 365 plan, starting from 7 euros/month.
To get started, launch the PowerPoint app on your device and choose whether you want to use a presentation from the ones you have already made or create a new one, in this case by pressing the + icon (or the preview of the new presentation, if you use an iPhone or tablet).
Next, within the slide (after pressing the pencil icon to make changes), copy and paste the web address you wish to link to and press the Enter key on the virtual keyboard.
Alternatively, to insert the link on a phrase or word, select the text to which to apply it (by pressing on it and moving the appropriate sliders), then, if you use your smartphone, tap on the Arrow icon (or the icon with the three horizontal dots, if you use an iPhone), press the Home menu and select, from the opened list, the item Insert.
Then tap on the Link option, click on Insert link on the new screen (or on one of the addresses in the Recent items list) and, after that, edit the Text to display (or View, on iPhone) and type, in the space provided below the Address heading, the URL of the website to be linked. To finish the operation, click on Apply (Finish, if you use an iPhone).
If you use a tablet, instead, after selecting the portion of text to which you want to link, tap on the Insert tab (top) and press the Link option. In the newly opened menu, click on the Insert link item or one of the addresses in the Recent items list and, in the newly opened screen, change (if necessary) the Text to be displayed by typing it into the appropriate field. Then enter the web address into the Address field, press the Insert button and you’re done.
To change the link color, once the link is selected, press the Home menu (or the Home tab if you’re using a tablet), select the Font Color item (or icon) and choose from Theme Colors, Standard Colors or press the Other Colors item to add more colors.
Finally, to test the link on a smartphone, tap on it, select it, and press Open link (if you’re using an Android device), or Edit link > Open if you’re using an iPhone. On tablets, on the other hand, tap on the Presentation tab at the top, start the presentation from the beginning or from the current slide, and tap on the link.
How to insert a video link on PowerPoint
What you want to know is how to put a YouTube link on PowerPoint via PC? Then, in this case, there are several ways to proceed: the first one is to insert the URL of the video in the slide, pasting it and pressing the Enter key on the keyboard, as I showed you earlier. Alternatively, you can insert it as a link to a word or phrase, again using the same methods I showed you earlier.
If what you want to do, instead, is to embed it within the slide, that is, to make it play directly from the slide, click on the slide in question, press the Insert tab (at the top) and click on the Video button.
Now, in the opened menu, select the Online video option and enter the video URL into the field below the heading Enter online video URL and press the Insert button to confirm.
Want to do the same thing, but using the mobile app? Unfortunately, for now, you can’t embed videos taken from online sources, but you can embed your personal videos saved on your device or on Google Photos and Google Drive (if you’re using an Android smartphone).
If, on the other hand, you are using a tablet, the operations to follow are the same as those indicated for embedding a video using a PC. For more information, however, I leave you to my guide on how to insert a link to a video on PowerPoint, where you can find the answers to all your questions.