How to Make a Clickable Link: Complete Guide fo...

A clickable link (also called a hyperlink) lets people click text or an image to go to another webpage, document, or file. Here's how to create them in different applications.

What Is a Clickable Link?

A clickable link has two parts:

Link text - What people see and click
URL - Where the link goes

Example:

Link text: "Visit our website"
URL: https://www.linkyhost.com

When someone clicks "Visit our website," they go to the URL.

How to Make Links in Common Applications

Gmail (Email)

Method 1: Automatic

Type or paste a URL
Gmail automatically makes it clickable
Example: https://www.linkyhost.com becomes clickable

Method 2: Custom Link Text

Type the text you want to display
Select/highlight the text
Click the link icon (🔗) in the toolbar
Paste your URL
Click OK

Microsoft Word

Type your link text
Select the text
Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac)
Enter the URL in the "Address" field
Click OK

Or:

Right-click selected text
Choose Link or Hyperlink
Enter URL
Click OK

Google Docs

Type and select your text
Click Insert > Link
Paste your URL
Click Apply

Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+K / Cmd+K

PowerPoint

Select text or image
Right-click and choose Hyperlink
Enter the URL
Click OK

Excel

Select the cell
Press Ctrl+K
Enter display text and URL
Click OK

HTML (Websites)

Use the anchor tag:

<a href="https://www.linkyhost.com">Click here</a>

Parts explained:

<a> - Anchor tag (creates link)
href="" - Where the link goes
Text between tags - What users see

Markdown

[Click here](https://www.linkyhost.com)

Used in: GitHub, Reddit, Discord, Notion, and many other platforms.

Slack

Type your message
Select the text to link
Press Ctrl+Shift+U (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+U (Mac)
Paste URL
Click Save

Or use markdown format: [link text](URL)

Social Media

Twitter/X:

Just paste the URL, it becomes clickable
No custom link text available in posts

LinkedIn:

Paste URL directly in posts
Or use the "Add a link" option when sharing

Instagram:

Links only work in bio and stories (with Link sticker)
Consider using a Link in Bio page

Types of Links You Can Create

Web Links (URLs)

https://www.example.com

Opens a website.

Email Links

mailto:hello@example.com

Opens email client with new message.

Phone Links

tel:+1234567890

Opens phone dialer (on mobile).

File Links

https://linkyhost.com/view/yourfile

Opens or downloads a file.

To create file links, upload your document to LinkyHost and get a shareable URL.

Section Links (Anchors)

https://example.com/page#section

Goes to a specific part of a page.

Best Practices for Links

1. Use Descriptive Text

❌ Bad: "Click here" ✅ Good: "Download the pricing guide"

Why? Descriptive text:

Helps accessibility (screen readers)
Better for SEO
Users know where they're going

2. Make Links Obvious

Users should be able to identify links easily:

Use blue color (traditional)
Add underline
Use a button style for important links

3. Check That Links Work

Always test your links before sending or publishing. Broken links frustrate users and look unprofessional.

4. Use HTTPS

Always use https:// not http:// for security.

5. Consider Link Length

Long URLs look messy. Use a URL shortener or create custom links with LinkyHost.

Creating Shareable File Links

Want to share a PDF, document, or image as a clickable link?

Steps:

Go to LinkyHost
Upload your file
Copy the generated link
Use that link anywhere

Benefits:

Works in any application
Track when people click
No file size limits
Professional appearance

Troubleshooting

Link Isn't Clickable

Make sure URL starts with https://
Check for spaces in the URL
Try adding the link manually (Ctrl+K)

Link Goes to Wrong Place

Check for typos in the URL
Make sure you didn't accidentally include extra characters
Test the link by clicking it

Link Looks Ugly

Use custom link text instead of raw URL
Remove tracking parameters if not needed
Use a link shortener

Summary

Application	How to Link
Gmail	Highlight text, click link icon
Word/Docs	Ctrl+K / Cmd+K
PowerPoint	Right-click > Hyperlink
HTML	`<a href="URL">text</a>`
Markdown	`[text](URL)`
Slack	Ctrl+Shift+U

How to Make a Clickable Link: Complete Guide for Beginners