How to Add Hyperlinks to PDF (6 Quick and Easy Ways)

As you create digital documents, you can find that lengthy PDF content can be hard to deliver in a user-friendly way. If the file is too large, the content too obscure, or the user experience too frustrating, your readers can quickly lose interest.

This is where a simple hyperlink can improve things tenfold. When you add links to PDF files, you make it easier to navigate, instantly provide additional content, and enable users to access external resources.

Could your PDF use a few? We’ll cover six different ways to accomplish the task:

• Adding a link to external URL
• Adding a link to a page in PDF
• Editing existing link in PDF
• Adding a link to a PDF using MS Word
• Adding a link using Google Docs
• Adding a link on mobile

So if you’re ready to begin, let’s take a closer look at each method for creating hyperlinks in PDF documents.

How to add a hyperlink in PDF as an external URL

The most common goal when adding a link to a PDF is to ensure that readers can be directed to any external webpages related to your content.

You can use Xodo to insert a clickable link online without downloading any software like Adobe Acrobat Pro.

1. Go to Xodo’s online PDF Editor.

2. Open your PDF.

3. Activate the Select functionality from the toolbar by clicking on the dotted square icon or by pressing the Esc button. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink to.

4. In the context menu that appears, click on the link icon.

5. Under the URL section in the dialog, enter the link you wish to insert.

6. Click on Link.

7. Then click on the Download or Save to save a copy of your PDF with the newly added link inserted.

How to add a hyperlink to a specific page in PDF

When you add a link to your document, you redirect your readers to other sources on the internet. However, you can also use a hyperlink to redirect them to a page in your PDF instead of a webpage or external resource.

Here’s how:

1. Go to Xodo’s online PDF Editor.

2. Open your PDF.

3. Activate the Select functionality from the toolbar by clicking on the dotted square icon or by pressing the Esc button. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink to.

4. In the context menu that appears, click on the link icon.

5. Click on the Page tab in the dialog and enter the page number you wish to link to.

6. Click on the Download button to save a copy of your PDF.

The above methods work to add a link to PDF to webpages or to PDF pages in the file, but if there are already existing links in the PDF, you can also edit them.

How to edit existing hyperlinks in PDF

Being able to edit the links that are already in your PDF can be handy when you need to replace broken links, accommodate new page additions, or update linked resources.

1. With your PDF opened in Xodo’s PDF Editor, select the Edit Text tool from the drop-down menu in the toolbar.

2. Select and highlight the hyperlink to edit.

3. Then click on the link icon in the side panel.

4. In the window that appears, make any updates to the URL as needed.

5. Then download or save the PDF to your device or Xodo Drive or Google Drive.

How to add a hyperlink to PDF using MS Word

An easy alternative way to get a hyperlink in your PDF is to use Microsoft Word. Follow the below steps:

1. First, go to Xodo’s PDF to Word Converter and convert your PDF to .Docx format.

2. Download the converted .Docx file.

3. Open your .Docx file in MS Word and highlight the text you wish to use as your anchor text.

4. In the toolbar, go to Insert > Link. Enter the URL you wish to add. Note that you also have the option to insert links to formatted headings within the document. To do so, use the This Document tab in the dialog to select the heading to link to.

5. Once done, go to File> Save as > Download as PDF to save the file back to a PDF document.

How to add a hyperlink to PDF using Google Docs

If you’re a Google user, you can make links in your PDF from right within the Google Docs app.

1. Right-click on your PDF in Google Drive and select Open with > Google Docs.

2. Once your PDF content is opened as a Google Doc, select and highlight the text you wish to link.

3. Then click on the Insert link icon from the toolbar, or right-click on the highlighted text and select Insert link.

4. In the dialog that appears, you can paste in your URL or select a Google Doc or choose a heading in the document to link to.

5. Click on Apply.

6. Next, export your file back into the PDF format by clicking on File > Download > PDF Document (.pdf).

7. Save and download the PDF to your computer.

Inserting Hyperlinks in PDF on iOS and Android

One advantage of Xodo is that it is cross platform and has a mobile app version available. With both the iOS app or the Android app, you can edit and insert a clickable link into PDFs while on the go.

Below, we cover the steps for Android devices, but the process is similar for iOS and can easily be followed in the same manner.

1. Tap on the Xodo icon.

2. Browse for and open your PDF from the list of locations available.

3. In the drop-down menu in the toolbar, select Insert.

4. Tap on the link icon in the toolbar and at the bottom of the screen you’ll have options to choose the colour and line thickness of the linked area.

5. Once your customizations are set, select the text you wish to hyperlink to.

6. Then either enter a link to a website or the number of the page to link to. Tap on OK.

7. To save your PDF, tap on the back arrow in the upper lefthand corner and Xodo will automatically save the newly changed PDF to your Xodo Drive.

Do more with your PDF files

When you add links to your PDF, you're not just editing your PDF – you're crafting a user experience. And now you have six ways to do so. Use your device, MS Word, Google Docs, or Xodo. You'll never be short of options.

And with Xodo you can always keep your PDF work going. Xodo is a platform that offers complementary features where adding links is just the beginning. You can continue to edit, merge, resize, or annotate your PDF content.

Give Xodo's online platform a spin. Explore the possibilities and elevate your documents to a whole new level of engagement.