How to Add Links to a PDF

▶ 1. The two kinds of link

A PDF can hold links that lead outside the document and links that move around inside it. The tool is the same; what changes is the destination.

✓ External links — point to a web address: a site, a product page, an online form.
✓ Internal links — take the reader to another page of the same PDF: chapters, appendices, footnotes.

123 PDF Editor PRO handles both straight in the browser: it is a Chrome extension, so no desktop software is needed and the procedure is identical on Windows, Mac and Linux.

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Everything happens on your device: the document is never uploaded to any server and the editor works even without a connection.

🌐 2. Adding an external link

The link is applied to the text you select: a word, a heading or a whole line.

Selecting text in a PDF with the editing panel open — Once text is selected, the link controls appear in the side panel.

Install the extension from the download page and open the document with Choose a PDF.
Select the text you want to make clickable.
In the side panel find Link type and choose External Link.
Enter the full address, including https://.
Click Add / update link to apply it.
When you are done, click Download PDF and test the links in the downloaded file.

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Always write the address in full. Without https:// some readers do not recognise the link as a web address and clicking produces no effect.

⧈ 3. Adding an internal link

In a long document, internal cross-references save the reader an endless amount of scrolling.

Select the text that is to act as the cross-reference.
In Link type choose Internal Link.
Enter the destination page, that is the number of the page to take the reader to.
Click Add / update link: a message confirms that the internal link has been applied.

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The destination is a fixed page number, not a bookmark that moves with the content. So add internal links once the page order is final: if you add or move pages later, they need checking.

✎ 4. Editing and removing links

Addresses change and chapters move: correcting a link does not mean redoing the text.

Select the text that already carries a link, change the address or the destination page, and click Add / update link again.
To delete a single link use Remove link.
Remove all links clears the whole document: handy when reusing an old file, but use it carefully because it also removes the links you meant to keep.

🎨 5. Showing the reader that the text is clickable

Nothing in a PDF automatically signals the presence of a link: if you do not make it obvious, the reader will not even try.

Give linked text a colour different from the rest, as is done on the web: see the guide on how to change text colour.
Underlining is the most recognisable convention and does not require the document to be read in colour.
If the PDF will also be printed, write the full address or the page number next to the link: on paper there is no click.
Keep the same style for every link in the document.

▤ 6. From a single link to a full table of contents

When internal cross-references become numerous, it is worth gathering them on an opening page.

A clickable table of contents is simply a list of entries in which each one is an internal link to the page of its chapter. The procedure, from creating the page to linking every entry, is explained step by step in the guide on how to create a table of contents in a PDF.

? 7. Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often on this topic.

Do links work in every PDF reader?

Links are a standard feature of the PDF format and are recognised by the most widely used readers, including the viewers built into browsers. Some very restrictive environments may ask for confirmation before opening an external address.

Can I link an image instead of text?

The link applies to selected text. To get a similar effect on a picture, the practical route is to place a linked caption next to it.

Do links survive compression?

Yes, as long as the option Preserve selectable text, links and form fields stays switched on when you compress the document.

How do I remove all links from a document I received?

With Remove all links. Alternatively, the Privacy cleanup section lets you strip links along with other invisible content, which is useful before redistributing a file from an external source.