How to add a clickable link to a PDF

Clickable links in a PDF start in the layout. In Publish by Zaweba, select the text you want to link, choose Insert > Hyperlink or press Ctrl+K, and enter a web address or an e-mail address. When you export a PDF, that text is a working link the reader can click. Publish is free, offline software for Windows.

Links matter more than they used to. A newsletter sent by e-mail, a menu on a website or a leaflet shared in a chat group is often read on a screen, and a clickable booking link or e-mail address saves the reader copying it out.

Linking text step by step

Write the text first. Choose words that say where the link goes, such as "book a table" or "e-mail the secretary", rather than "click here". Select those words, press Ctrl+K (or use Insert > Hyperlink) and type the address.

Web links take a full web address. E-mail links take an e-mail address, and clicking one in the PDF opens the reader's mail program.

On the page in Publish, linked text shows as coloured text. Ctrl+click does not open the link inside Publish, so you won't jump to a browser by accident while you're editing.

Then export a PDF. The links are clickable in the exported file.

Checking the links

Open the exported PDF and click each link. Publish can open the export in PDF by Zaweba if it's installed, or in your default PDF reader if not. A wrong character in a web address is easy to miss, and the only reliable test is clicking.

If you've got several links to the same place, find and replace can help when an address changes. It searches every story, table cell and master page, keeps formatting and does the whole job as one undo step.

Which PDF to send

For e-mailing or putting online, the web PDF is usually best. It's cut to trim size and reduces pictures to 150 dpi JPEG, so the file is small enough to send easily, and the links still work.

The print-ready PDF has bleed and crop marks for a print shop. Links in it work too, but on paper nobody can click them, so print the address in full wherever it matters for printed copies.

Making links readable

Keep the linked words short and clear. A whole sentence underlined as a link is harder to read than a few well-chosen words.

Put important links somewhere obvious, such as the footer on a master page, so they appear on every page of a newsletter. A contact details block from Insert > Page parts is a good home for an e-mail link.

Check the link colour against the background. Coloured text on a coloured band can disappear; adjust the band or the text so the link stands out.

Where it fits

Hyperlinks pair naturally with the web PDF and with the picture exports for sharing. If you're turning a printed newsletter into an e-mailed one, adding links to the booking pages and contact addresses is often the single most useful change.

Add links to the next issue you send, and you'll likely see more replies than before.