01Copy the link first
On a computer, click the address bar, which selects the whole address, and copy it with Ctrl+C or Cmd+C. On a phone, tap Share and choose Copy, or press and hold the address bar. Copy from the page you want people to land on, not the home page, unless you mean the home page.
02In email and documents
Google's Docs help covers adding, editing and removing links, including links to headings within the same document. To remove a link, select it and choose the remove-link option or press Ctrl+K and delete the address.
| App | How |
|---|---|
| Gmail | Select text, press Ctrl+K or Cmd+K (or the link icon), paste the address, OK |
| Outlook | Select text, Ctrl+K, paste the address, OK |
| Microsoft Word | Select text, Ctrl+K (Insert, Link), paste the address, OK |
| Google Docs | Select text, Ctrl+K or Cmd+K (Insert, Link), paste, Apply |
| Messages and chat apps | Paste the full address; most turn it into a link automatically |
03In HTML
A link is the anchor element. MDN's reference covers every attribute; the essentials are below.
- Basic link: <a href="https://example.com">Example site</a>
- Link to a section on the same page: <a href="#pricing">See pricing</a>, with id="pricing" on the section.
- Email link: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">Email us</a>
- Phone link: <a href="tel:+15551234567">Call us</a>
- Open in a new tab: add target="_blank" rel="noopener", and use it sparingly.
04Writing links people click
Descriptive link text helps screen-reader users, who often jump between links, and helps search engines understand the destination. A Hacker News thread on why links are blue is a fun history of the convention and a reminder that links should look clickable. Alt text applies the same thinking to images used as links.
- Link the words that describe the destination: "see our [pricing]", not "[click here] for pricing".
- Keep links visibly different from text, usually underlined or in a distinct color.
- Do not link long sentences; a few words is enough.
- Check that every link works before sending or publishing.
05Links on your own website
Website builders add links through the text editor (select text, click the link icon) or button settings. Link related pages to each other: internal links help visitors and help Google discover pages. How to get backlinks for a new website covers links from other sites, which matter for search too.
07Checking your links
Broken links frustrate visitors and waste the search value of the pages that link to you. Why is my website not showing on Google? lists broken links among the common problems.
- Click every link before you send or publish.
- Look for links that go to a page that has moved or no longer exists.
- On your website, run a broken-link check every few months; many free tools do this.
- Make sure email and phone links open the right app on a phone.
What people who tried it say
A popular Hacker News thread on why hyperlinks are blue turned into a discussion of making links clearly distinguishable, including visited links, which still matters for usability today.
- Why are hyperlinks blue?Hacker News
Readers traced the convention to early browsers and argued about visited-link colors, a reminder that links should look clearly clickable and distinct from surrounding text.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “how to make a website link”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
"click here" is the most common link mistake on small business sites. Link what the reader gets, and you will get more clicks.
Where this falls short
Shortcuts and menu names vary slightly between app versions and operating systems.
Sources
- 1.<a>: the anchor element · MDN Web Docs
- 2.Work with links and bookmarks · Google Docs Help
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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