Add Hyperlinks to PowerPoint Presentations

Link to another slide, presentation file, website, or file on your computer

Create links to quickly access all kinds of things in your presentation. Link to a slide in the same PowerPoint presentation, another presentation file, a website, a file on your computer or network, or an email address. To help explain the purpose of the link, add a screen tip to the hyperlink.

Instructions in this article apply to PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2016, PowerPoint 2013, PowerPoint 2010, PowerPoint 2016 for Mac, and PowerPoint 2011 for Mac.

Insert a Hyperlink

To use text or a picture as a hyperlink:

  1. Open a file in Powerpoint that you want to add a link to.

  2. Select the text or graphic object that will contain the hyperlink.

  3. Select Insert.

    A screenshot of inserting a tab in PowerPoint.
  4. Select Hyperlink or Link. The Insert Hyperlink dialog box opens.

    Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  5. Decide what type of link you want to insert. Your options include Existing File or Web Page, Place in This Document, and Email Address.

Add a Hyperlink to a Slide in the Same Presentation

To add a link to a different slide in the same presentation:

  1. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select Place in This Document. The options include:

    • First Slide
    • Last Slide
    • Next Slide
    • Previous Slide
    • Slide Titles
    A screenshot of linking to another slide in PowerPoint.
  2. Choose the slide that you want to link to. A preview of the slide appears to help you make your choice.

    A screenshot of choosing a slide to link to.
  3. Select OK to close the dialog box and create the link.

If you want to edit the hyperlink, select the link text and select Insert > Link or Insert > Hyperlink to open the Edit Hyperlink dialog box.

Add a Hyperlink to Another File on Your Computer or Network

You are not limited to creating hyperlinks to other PowerPoint slides. Create a hyperlink to any file on your computer or network, no matter what program was used to create the other file.

There are two scenarios available during your slide show presentation:

  • If the hyperlink goes to another PowerPoint presentation, the linked presentation opens and is the active presentation on the screen.
  • If the hyperlink is to a file created in another program, the linked file opens in its corresponding program. It is then the active program on the screen.
  1. Choose Existing File or Web Page in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  2. Locate the file on your computer or network that you wish to link to and select it.

  3. Select OK.

If the linked file is located on your local computer, the hyperlink will be broken when showing the presentation on a different device. Keep all files that are needed for a presentation in the same folder as the presentation and copy these files to the other device.

Add a Hyperlink to a Website

To open a website from your PowerPoint presentation, enter the complete internet address (URL) of the website.

  1. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select Existing File or Web Page.

  2. In the Address text box, enter the URL of the website you want to link to.

  3. Select OK.

To prevent typing errors, copy the URL from the address bar of the web page and paste it into the Address text box.

Add a Screen Tip to a Hyperlink on Your PowerPoint Slide

Screen tips add additional information to hyperlinks on a PowerPoint slide. When the viewer hovers over the hyperlink during the slideshow, the screen tip appears.

  1. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select ScreenTip.

  2. In the Set Hyperlink ScreenTip dialog box, enter the ScreenTip text you want to appear.

    A screenshot of insert a ScreenTip in PowerPoint.
  3. Select OK to save the screen tip text and return to the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

  4. Select OK to exit the Insert Hyperlink dialog box and apply the screen tip.

  5. Start a screen show and hover over the link to test the hyperlink screen tip.

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