how to use hyperlink in powerpoint presentation

• Insert WordArt Article
• Add a hyperlink to a slide Article
• Create a PowerPoint presentation from an outline Article
• Check spelling in your presentation Article
• Create and format a table Article
• Insert a linked Excel chart in PowerPoint Article
• Add slide numbers, page numbers, or the date and time Article
• Set text direction and position in a shape or text box Article

Add a hyperlink to a slide

The fastest way to create a basic web hyperlink on a PowerPoint slide is to press Enter after you type the address of an existing webpage (such as http://www.contoso.com ).

You can link to a webpage, or you can link to a new document or a place in a existing document, or you can begin a message to an email address.

Link to a website

Select the text, shape, or picture that you want to use as a hyperlink.

Select  Insert  >  Hyperlink .

Select  Existing File or Web Page , and add the:

Text to display : Type the text that you want to appear as hyperlink.

ScreenTip : Type the text that you want to appear when the user hovers over the hyperlink (optional).

Current Folder ,  Browsed Pages , or  Recent Files : Select where you want to link to.

Address : If you haven't already selected a location above, insert the URL for the web site you want to link to.

If you link to a file on your computer, and move your PowerPoint presentation to another computer, you'll also need to move any linked files.

4. Select  OK .

Link to a place in a document, new document, or email address

Select  Insert  >  Hyperlink  and select an option:

Place in This Document : Link to a specific slide in your presentation.

Create New Document : Link from your presentation to another presentation.

E-mail Address : Link a displayed email address to open up a user's email program.

Fill in the  Text to display ,  ScreenTip , and where you want to link to.

Select  OK .

Change the color of a hyperlink

You can change the color of a hyperlink if you like. If you want to change the display text of a link, right-click it and select Edit Link .

Select the hyperlink you want to re-color.

On the Home tab of the ribbon, select down arrow next to the Font Color button to open the menu of colors.

Select the color you want for the hyperlink.

Test the hyperlink

Once you've inserted the link, you can test it (in Normal view) by right-clicking the hyperlink and selecting Open Hyperlink . 

Show and return

The Show and return box is grayed out unless you are linking to a Custom Show in your presentation.

If you're a Microsoft 365 subscriber and want to use a feature like show and return , click here to read about linking to another slide by using Zoom for PowerPoint , and see the "Choose to return" feature discussed near the end of that article.

Remove the underline from hyperlink text

Change the color of hyperlink text throughout a presentation

Bookmark a slide and link to it from elsewhere in the presentation

You can link to a web page, link to a different place in your presentation, open a different presentation, or begin a message to an email address.

Select a heading below to open it and see the detailed instructions.

Link to a web page

In Normal view, select the text, shape, or picture that you want to use as a hyperlink.

On the Insert tab, click Hyperlink .

The Insert Hyperlink dialog appears.

1 - Text to Display : The linked text in the document.

2 - ScreenTip : Text shown when you point your mouse at the linked text on the slide.

Enter the web address in the Address box. (Example: https://www.contoso.com )

This new feature is available in PowerPoint 2016 for Mac version 16.14.18061000. Find your Office version

Link to a slide in the same presentation

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click This Document .

Under Select a place in this document , click the slide you want to link to.

Link to a different presentation

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click Web Page or File .

Click Select and then click the presentation or file you want to link to.

Note:  PowerPoint for macOS can't link to a specific slide on another presentation.

Link to an email address

In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, click Email Address .

In the Email address box, type the email address that you want to link to, or in the Recently used email addresses box, click an email address.

In the Subject box, type the subject of the email message.

Link to a Web page

Select the text or object that you want to make into a hyperlink.

On the Home tab, under Insert , click Text , and then click Hyperlink .

In the Link to box, enter the Web address.

Note:  To link to a specific location on a Web page, click the Web Page tab, and then under Anchor , follow the instructions.

Link to a document or an email address

You can add text or an object as a hyperlink that opens a specific slide in a PowerPoint presentation or a custom slide show. You can also link to a Word document, an Excel workbook, a file, or an email address.

Click the Document or E-mail Address tab for the kind of hyperlink that you want to insert.

Follow the instructions to create a link.

Note:  The hyperlink is active in slide show view.

Link to a specific place in the presentation

You can link to different places in a presentation, such as first slide, last slide, next slide, or slide titles.

Click the Document tab, and then under Anchor , click Locate .

Select the place in the document that you want to link to.

Link to a custom show

A hyperlinked custom show is a quick way to navigate to other custom shows from your primary presentation. You can also create a table of contents slide to link from. Designing your presentation this way allows you to navigate from the table of contents slide to different sections of your presentation, so that you can choose which sections to show to your audience at a particular time. The following instructions explain how to create one or more custom shows, and then add a hyperlink from the primary presentation to the custom shows.

Note:  If you want to create a hyperlink from one presentation to a completely different presentation, you can add a hyperlink to the other document. For more information, see Create, edit, or remove a hyperlink .

Open the presentation that you want to use to create a hyperlinked custom show.

On the Slide Show tab, under Play Slide Show , click Custom Shows , and then click Edit Custom Shows .

Click New .

Under Slides in presentation , click the slides that you want to include in the custom show, and then click Add .

Tip:  To select multiple sequential slides, click the first slide, and then hold down SHIFT while you click the last slide that you want to select. To select multiple nonsequential slides, hold down COMMAND while you click each slide that you want to select.

Type a name in the Slide show name box, and then click OK . To create additional custom shows from any slides in your presentation, repeat steps 2 through 6.

To create a hyperlink from the primary presentation to a supporting custom show, in your presentation, select the text or object that you want to represent the hyperlink. You can also create a table of contents and hyperlink from each text entry as a way to navigate through your custom show. To do so, insert a new slide into your presentation, type a table of contents, and then link from each entry.

On the Slide Show tab, under Set Up , click Action Settings .

In the Action Settings dialog box, select how to initiate the action by doing one of the following:

Edit a hyperlink

Select the hyperlink that you want to change.

On the Insert menu, click Hyperlink .

Make the changes that you want.

Remove a hyperlink

Select the text or object that represents the hyperlink that you want to remove.

On the Home tab, under Insert , click Text , click Hyperlink , and then click Remove Link .

Highlight the text that you want to be the hyperlink.

The Link dialog box opens.

In the Display text box, type the text you want to be visible on the slide for the hyperlink.

Select Insert .

To test the hyperlink, select the Slide Show tab on the ribbon, and then select Play from Beginning .

(If you've turned off the Simplified Ribbon, you don't have a Slide Show tab; instead use the View tab to start Slide Show.)

You can also create a hyperlink to an email address. Instead of entering the web address in the Address box (step 4 above), type mailto:// followed by the complete email address.

Insert a hyperlink

On the slide, tap where you want to add the link.

On the Insert tab of the ribbon, select Link .

Select Insert Link .

Or: You can make a link to a recent web address or recently open file by selecting the item from the Recent Items list that appears.

In the Text to display box, enter the text that will be the hyperlink.

In the Address box, enter the address you want to link to. (Example: https://www.contoso.com )

On the Home tab of the ribbon, tap the Font Color button to open the menu of colors.

Tap the color you want for the hyperlink.

On the Home tab of the ribbon, tap the arrow next to the Font Color button to open the menu of colors.

On the slide, enter the text you want to turn into a hyperlink.

Select the text.

Or: You can make a link to a recently open file by selecting it from the Recent Items list that appears.

In the dialog box that opens, in the Address box, enter the address you want to link to. (Example: https://www.contoso.com )

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Computers and Electronics
• Presentation Software
• PowerPoint Insertions

How to Put a Hyperlink in Microsoft PowerPoint

Last Updated: July 18, 2022

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 31 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 425,051 times. Learn more...

Do you want to add a link to a website or document to your PowerPoint presentation? Adding hyperlinks to PowerPoint slides is incredibly easy. This wikiHow will teach you how to insert hyperlinks into PowerPoint slides using Windows and macOS.

Select a slide.

Select the hyperlink text.

• You can also make an image a hyperlink—just click the desired image to select it.

Click the "Insert" tab.

Click the "Link" icon.

Add a location or address to link to.

• To link to a file or website, select Existing File or Web Page at the top-left. Then, enter the full URL of the website or select the document.
• To link to another location in your presentation, select Place in This Document , then select a slide title.
• To create an email hyperlink, select E-mail address , then enter an email address. Clicking the link will simply compose a new message to this address.

Click "OK" to create the link.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-hyperlink-to-a-slide-239c6c94-d52f-480c-99ae-8b0acf7df6d9

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Is this article up to date?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Keep up with tech in just 5 minutes a week!

Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!

• How to hyperlink in PowerPoint (best practices)
• PowerPoint Tutorials
• Shortcuts & Hacks
• February 14, 2024

In this post you’ll learn how to hyperlink in PowerPoint.

And the reason that hyperlinking in PowerPoint is important is that it allows you to jump around within your presentation or open documents outside of your presentation without leaving Slideshow Mode.

This allows you to create interactive and non-linear presentations. Common things you might use hyperlinks for in PowerPoint are:

• Hyperlinking to another slide in your presentation
• Opening a document or file on your computer Jumping to a page on the internet
• Open another PowerPoint presentation or slide show
• Create the mouseover text effect in PowerPoint (using ScreenTips)

The other great thing about hyperlinks in PowerPoint is that they automatically convert to the PDF file format. For details on how to convert PowerPoint into the PDF file format, read our guide here .

Table of Contents

What is a hyperlink in powerpoint.

A hyperlink is typically clickable text that jumps you to a location online, opens a file on your computer or performs some other action when you click it.

An online hyperlink can be written in two ways:

• As the full URL address you are jumping to: For example, visit our website www.nutsandboltsspeedtraining.com
• As shortened text with the hyperlink embedded inside the text (which is how it works in the Microsoft Office suite): For example: Visit our website here (with the entire URL address embedded in the text ‘ here ‘).

This is an important distinction to make, as most of the hyperlinks you add in PowerPoint, Word and Excel are clickable text or objects, with the hyperlink embedded within.

You can use hyperlinks in the Microsoft Office suite to do a variety of things like:

• Open a web page online
• Open files or documents on your computer
• Jump to a specific section in your document
• Create new documents (that you can begin editing)
• Start an email message

These hyperlinks can be embedded (as you’ll learn to do below) in text, shapes, pictures, charts, etc., allowing you to create interactive documents.

That is, people can click on things within your document to perform certain tasks, navigate to specific sections of your presentation or even open custom slide shows (if you have already set them up).

NOTE:  In PowerPoint, you can also use clickable objects to trigger animated effects, but these are NOT hyperlinks. To learn how to set up trigger objects to fire your animations (like making objects appear and disappear),  read our guide here .

Take your PPT skills to the next level

How to hyperlink to another slide in powerpoint.

To hyperlink to another slide in PowerPoint, the first thing you need is some text or an object to anchor your hyperlink in. Once you have the object, simply select the text or object and hit Ctrl+K on your keyboard to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

If you do not like keyboard shortcuts, you can alternatively open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box using your Ribbon.

To add a link to an object (or block of text) using the PowerPoint Ribbon, simply:

• Select your text or object that you want to use as the anchor for link
• Click the Insert tab
• Open the Link drop down
• Select Insert Link…

For this example, I have done the following in the Insert Hyperlink dialog box:

• Selected a Place in this Document
• Selected Slide 3 (the slide I want to jump to within this presentation)

You can choose for yourself where you want your hyperlink to link to. Just keep in mind that a hyperlink can only have a single destination. A hyperlink cannot link to multiple locations at the same time.

Instead of using hyperlinks to jump around your presentation, you can also use action buttons. To learn about action buttons, see GFC Global’s blog post here .

Note. To use the Show and Return feature at the bottom of the Slide preview window, you need to hyperlink to a Custom Slideshow.  That is, a smaller subset of your slides that you set up. 

How to trigger a hyperlink

Once you’ve inserted a hyperlink into PowerPoint, there are two ways to trigger it.

#1. Slideshow mode (Presentation View)

When in any of the Presentation Views (like Presenter View), simply hover your mouse over your hyperlink and click it like you would any online link. Triggering the hyperlink then jumps you to the destination you selected (see details above).

To expand your knowledge and learn the different ways to start a PowerPoint slideshow (including how to start Presenter View), read more about it here .

#2. Normal View

In the Normal View in PowerPoint (the standard editing view), you can trigger a hyperlink by holding the Control  key and clicking the hyperlink with your mouse. This creates the same effect as simply clicking a hyperlink in the Presentation View.

Hyperlinking text vso Objects

When given the choice of what to use as your hyperlink trigger, the best practice is to use the object itself, rather than text. That’s because you have little control over the default hyperlink text formatting as pictured below.

All the objects in the graphic above have the same exact hyperlink applied to them. Notice how the hyperlinked text displays formatting, while the hyperlinked objects do not show any formatting.

When you add a hyperlink to text, it not only gets that underlined hyperlink formatting, but it also changes color once you have clicked the hyperlink. In PowerPoint, this is known as the Followed Hyperlink color. On the other hand, when you anchor your hyperlink on an object, the text never displays the hyperlink formatting. This is why most presenters prefer to anchor their hyperlink on their object instead of anchoring it on their text.

If you do decide to use text hyperlinks in your slides, you can always change the used hyperlink formatting by resetting your hyperlinks (see the next section).

When would using text hyperlinks make sense? When you want to see what you’ve already clicked on inside your presentation.  That’s because the Followed Hyperlink color (I’ll show you how to change that in a second) shows you exactly what you have already clicked on.

How to reset a hyperlink's color

If you are using text hyperlinks, as you click them in your presentation, the hyperlink color changes to the Followed Hyperlink color. This is fine if you want them to change colors (demonstrating what you have already clicked on), but it’s annoying if you don’t.

If you are using text hyperlinks, this means that after you have tested them out, you will need to reset the hyperlinks, so they start with the unfollowed hyperlink color.

To reset the color of a text hyperlink in PowerPoint, simply:

• Select the hyperlinked text
• Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box (Ctrl+K)
• Immediately click OK

Clicking OK automatically resets the used hyperlink formatting back to the default unused text hyperlink formatting.

If you do go with text hyperlinks, the used formatting gives you a sense of what you’ve already clicked on. That means you won’t waste time navigating to something you’ve already covered. That said, you will need to reset the text formatting each time before you give your presentation.

How to change your hyperlink color in PowerPoint

To change the colors of your Hyperlinks and Followed Hyperlinks in PowerPoint, simply:

• Navigate to the Design tab
• Open the  More option (downward facing arrow)
• Open the Color drop down
• Select  Customize Colors
• Set a new  Hyperlink  and  Followed Hyperlink  color
• Select  Save

Selecting Save saves your new color combination as a PowerPoint Theme and apply it to your current presentation. When selecting your own colors for your hyperlinks, stark colors work best so they stand out from your presentation.

To learn all about creating your PowerPoint template (including selecting your own theme colors, etc.), read our guide here .

Next, you’ll see how to reset your Followed Hyperlink color back to the default color you set.

How to remove a PowerPoint hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink in PowerPoint:

• Select the hyperlinked text or hyperlinked PowerPoint object
• Right-click the object (or text)
• Select Remove Link

Regardless of what the link was pointing to, Remove Link removes the hyperlink formatting and the link. 

New Zoom Transition Hyperlink

If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, there is a new way to add hyperlinks to PowerPoint called the Zoom transition. To make it easier to refer to, I will simply call them Zoom slides below.

To create a Zoom transition, simply click and drag a slide from the Thumbnail view on the left of your presentation, onto the slide you are currently using as pictured below.

Once you have created a Zoom slide, selecting it on your slide opens the Zoom Tools Format tab. From this tab, you have a variety of different formatting and transition options to choose from.

For example, do you want your Zoom transition to return to the slide it started on?

If yes, then in the Zoom Tools Format tab Zoom Options, simply select Return to Zoom (see picture below).

Selecting  Return to Zoom  means that after jumping to your Zoom slide, when you advance your slideshow, you will automatically return to the jumping off point within your presentation.

That allows you to create a dashboard like effect within your presentation. For example, you could present your audience with options – have them vote – and then click the link to jump to that section of your presentation.

And while this might seem complicated, you are in fact just creating hyperlinks (with a cool zoom effect).

For a FULL walk through of how to create a Zoom link and everything you can do with it, see the Presentation Guild’s full training online seminar here .

How to troubleshoot hyperlinks that are not working

First off, hyperlinks are meant to work in Slideshow Mode or Presentation View of PowerPoint.

So before troubleshooting your hyperlinks, make sure you have tried them out in the proper view first.

If your hyperlinks are still not working, the probable cause is that your hyperlink is broken. That is, whatever you were hyperlinking to has been deleted or moved. If this is the case, you simply need to reset your hyperlink.

To reset (or fix) a hyperlink in PowerPoint, simply:

• Make sure you have access to the file, slide or location you want to hyperlink to
• Select your hyperlinked text or object
• Open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box ( Ctrl+K on your keyboard)
• Set up your hyperlink to the correct slide, document, or location on your computer

Clicking  OK , your hyperlink resets, and will properly take you the slide, document, or location that you set it to.

Hyperlink ScreenTip Trick (the Mouseover Text Effect)

Another way to user hyperlinks in PowerPoint is to leverage the ScreenTip functionality to create the mouse pop-up text effect in PowerPoint that you can see in the picture below.

In this case, you are not using the hyperlink to jump around your presentation. Instead, you are leveraging the ScreenTip functionality, to display text as you hover your mouse over an object in PowerPoint.

To expand your knowledge for creating this effect, see my guide on how to create this mouseover text effect in PowerPoint .

As you can see, there is more to hyperlinking in PowerPoint than just inserting the link. There are considerations on what you anchor your link to, how to change the color of your hyperlinks, and how to reset them as well.

I always hyperlink objects instead of text whenever possible as it creates fewer formatting issues as you click through the slides. That said, if you want a visual cue of which links you’ve already clicked in your presentation, you will want to hyperlink your text directly.

In short, hyperlinks are a great way to create choices within your presentation. That is, giving your audience a choice and then jumping to topics within your presentation that they are most interested in learning more about.

If you enjoyed this article, you can learn more about our PowerPoint training and free tutorials  here .

🔒 Unlock the PowerPoint Shortcuts Trusted by Industry Leaders KKR, American Express, HSBC, and More!

Join over 114,880 professionals from diverse fields including consulting, investment banking, advertising, marketing, sales, and business development who have supercharged their PowerPoint game with our proven methods.

✅ Customize compelling presentations effortlessly.

✅ Master time-saving techniques for faster deck creation.

✅ Boost your career prospects with top-notch PowerPoint skills.

Get FREE access to the Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts module of our premium training course by entering your name and email below.

DISCLAIMER: PC Users Only!

We respect your privacy and will keep your info safe and confidential.

Related Articles

• Set Up Slide Show: Customize how your PPT presentations run
• What is the Popup Toolbar in PowerPoint?
• Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• Top 25 Windows keyboard shortcuts that save time

About The Author

This Post Has One Comment

On a different machine with Powerpoint 2016 Home, my hyperlinks are clickable in Normal Edit View, but on another machine with Powerpoint 2016 Professional I have to view in Slideshow to click the hyperlinks. What gives?

Comments are closed.

Popular Tutorials

• How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
• How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
• How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
• Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved

PowerPoint Tutorial Categories

• Strategies & Opinions
• Presentation Design
• Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
• New Features
• Miscellaneous
• Charts & Data Viz

We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.

Work With Us

• Corporate Training
• Presentation & Template Design
• Courses & Downloads
• PowerPoint Articles
• Word Articles
• Productivity Resources

Find a Tutorial

• Free Training
• For Businesses

We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.

Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!

⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.

🔥 Create powerful presentations.

🚀 Propel your career to new heights.

We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.

Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!

Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods. 

Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!

We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.

How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint? [The Complete Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you wish to jump a few slides when delivering your PowerPoint presentation, you will need to make use of the “Hyperlink” feature in PowerPoint!

To insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint, first, select and highlight the text or object. Next, right-click and choose the “Link” option. Select the destination of the link. You can link to an existing file, web page, or a specific slide within the presentation. Once the destination is chosen, click “OK”.

In this article, you will get to understand the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint in great detail. I’ll share with you how to add a hyperlink (in further detail), how do you edit a hyperlink, and even how to link to files outside of PowerPoint! That and much more!

So, let’s get started!

1. How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

Let’s get straight to the key reason why you are here reading this article i.e. how do you insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint?

A hyperlink is a link added to a text or image that leads to a new document or a new section within the document when clicked on.

In Microsoft PowerPoint, even though you can add a hyperlink to texts or images, the process of doing so is quite similar for both.

Let’s take a look at the step-by-step process involved in adding a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

Step-1: Select the Text and Click on the “Link” option

The first step is to “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to add the hyperlink. In the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

You can also click on the “Insert” tab in PowerPoint , and click on the “Link” option from the ribbon. You can use any of the three methods, and you will be prompted with the “Insert Hyperlink” window.

Step-2: Choose the Destination of the Link

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, you can either link a file from your computer or an online source by clicking on the “Existing File or Web Page” button. Then, navigate to the folder containing the file, click on the file to select it, and click “ OK “.

Alternatively, you can also click on the “ Place in this document ” option to link to an existing slide. (I shall show the exact steps later in this article).

2. How to Edit Hyperlink Text in PowerPoint?

In PowerPoint, adding a hyperlink does not change the behavior of text or the text box. Thus, the process of editing a hyperlink text is similar to the way you would edit the text in PowerPoint normally.

All you have to do is click inside the text box and delete or add text. You can also change the appearance of the hyperlink text by using the tools in the “Font” section of the “Home” tab in PowerPoint .

3. How to Edit the Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

Once a hyperlink is added to a text or image in a PowerPoint slide, you can go back and edit it. To do so, “Right Click” on the hyperlinked text and select the “Edit Link” option from the dropdown menu.

This will open the familiar “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box that we saw in section 1 of this article. Simply select another file or slide from the presentation in order to edit the link.

4. How to Remove Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can remove the hyperlink from a text or an image with only one click. “Right Click” on the text or image to open the dropdown menu.

Now all you have to do is click on the “Remove Link” option to remove the hyperlink.

5. How to Hyperlink to Another Slide in PowerPoint

As mentioned earlier in the article, you can even link one slide to another within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature. This has great benefits especially when you want to specifically jump to a section in the presentation that you want to show in further detail.

Here’s what you need to do in order to link to another slide within the same presentation using the hyperlink feature in PowerPoint –

Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text or image

In the selected slide, “Right Click” on the text or image where you want to link another slide. Then click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu.

You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard. This will open a dialog box.

Step-2: Click on the “Place in This Document” option

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” option from the left sidebar. Then select the slide you want to link.

You can see the selected slide in the “Slide preview” section in the dialog box. Finally, you have to click on the “OK” button to finish the process.

5a. How to Return Back to the Main Slide?

During a presentation, it may be important to return to the main slide in one click after jumping to the linked slide. To do so, you can add a shape and hyperlink it back to the main slide.

Here’s how to create a hyperlink back to the main slide –

Step-1: Click on the “Shapes” option

The first step is to open the linked slide. Then click on the “Insert” tab from the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Shapes” option and select your preferred shape from the dropdown menu.

Step-2: Edit the shape

Now you can select the shape and click on the “Shape Format” tab from the menu ribbon. In the “Format Shape” sidebar located on the right side of the screen, edit the color and of the shape to visually match the rest of the slide.

I would highly recommend adding a text to the shape something to the effect of “Go back to slide X” (where “X” is the slide number of the main slide you want to return). This will help you and others take note of why a shape exists on the slide and prevent others from deleting it accidentally.

Step-3: “Right Click” on the shape

Now, all we need to do is simply create a hyperlink that links back to the original slide.

Select the shape and “Right Click” on the shape. Then, click on the “Link” option. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard to open the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box.

Step-4: Hyperlink the main slide

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, click on the “Place in This Document” button from the sidebar located on the left side. Then select the main slide and click on the “OK” button.

Now all you have to do is click on the shape to return to the main slide during the presentation.

Note that this link will only work when you are viewing the presentation in slideshow mode!

6. How to Hyperlink Without Underline?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot hyperlink text without the underline directly. However, there is a workaround.

To add a hyperlink without underlining a text in PowerPoint, you will need to use a transparent shape. Insert a shape over the text. Right-click and add a hyperlink to the shape. Then, select the “No Fill” options to remove the “Fill” and “Line” colors in the “Format Shape” settings.

Here’s a detailed step-by-step process that you will need to follow –

Step-1: Click on the “Remove Link” option

The first step is to remove the hyperlink from the text. “Right Click” on the hyperlink text and select the “Remove Link” option from the dropdown menu.

This will ensure that the underline from the text gets removed.

Step-2: Click on the “Shapes” option

Now click on the “Insert” tab from the menu bar and click on the “Shapes” button in the “Insert” menu. From the dropdown menu, select the “Rectangle” option.

Then insert the rectangle shape over the hyperlink text.

Step-3: Add a hyperlink to the shape

The next step is to add the hyperlink to the shape instead of the text.

“Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box, paste the link that was previously on the text (as we did before in the previous sections). Then click on the “OK” button.

Step-4: Click on the “Format Shape” option

Now all you have to do is “Right Click” on the shape and click on the “Format Shape” option at the bottom of the dropdown menu.

This will open a “Format Shape” sidebar located at the right side of the screen.

Step-5: Click on the “No fill” and “No line” options

In the “Format Shape” sidebar, click on the “No fill” option under the “Fill” section. Then click on the “No line” option under the “Line” section.

This will make the shape completely transparent and make the text visible while removing the underline from the text. You can now click on the text and access the hyperlink in the slideshow mode.

7. How to Add a YouTube Link in PowerPoint?

To add a Youtube link in a PowerPoint slide, you have to first open the Youtube video that you want to link and copy the link address. Then follow the 2 quick steps.

Step-1: Click on the “Link” option

First, you have to select the text to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text and click on the “Link” option. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Paste the Youtube link

Click on the “Existing File or Web Page” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. Then paste the Youtube link in the “Address” box at the bottom.

Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button to hyperlink the Youtube video.

8. How to Insert a Website Link in PowerPoint?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can hyperlink to any resource available on the web. To insert a website link, you have to first obtain the link from the website. Then follow the 3 easy steps.

Step-1: Click on “Link”

In the open slide, select the text or image which you want to hyperlink. Then “Right Click” on the selected text or image. Click on the “Link” option from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Paste the link to the website

The next step is to paste the website link in the “Address” box in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. “Right Click” on the “Address” box and click on the “Paste” option from the dropdown menu.

This will paste the copied website link. You can alternatively press the “Ctrl+V” keys on your keyboard.

Step-3: Click on the “OK” option

Now all you have to do is click on the “OK” button at the bottom of the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box to insert the link to the website (as shown in the image in step 2).

9. How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to an Excel File?

Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to add both links from the web as well as links to existing files in your computer as a hyperlink. To hyperlink to an Excel file in a slide, follow the 3 simple steps.

Step-1: “Right Click” on the selected text

The first step is to select the text or image where you want to insert the link. Then you have to “Right Click” on it. From the dropdown menu, click on the “Link” option.

Step-2: Click on the “Browse for File” option

The next step is to click on the “Browse for File” option in the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog box. It is the third icon at the right side of the “Look in” box and looks like a folder.

This will open another dialog box.

Step-3: Click on the “Search Documents” box

In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search Documents” box located at the top and right corner. Then type in the name of the Excel file you want to hyperlink.

Select the Excel file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box to insert the link to the Excel file.

10.  How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint to a PDF File?

In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can add a hyperlink to a PDF file. This can be an efficient way for you to link to references for your presentation content.

The process is similar to that of adding a link to an excel file. Here’s what you need to do –

You have to first select a text or image and then “Right Click” on it. Click on the “Link” option from the context menu. Alternatively, you can press the “Ctrl+K” keys on your keyboard.

Step-2: Click on “Browse for File”

In the “Insert Hyperlink” dialog, click on the “Browse for File” option which is the icon that looks like a folder. It will open the “Link to File” dialog.

Step-3: Click on “Search This PC”

In the “Link to File” dialog box, click on the “Search This PC” option and type in the name of the PDF file you want to link.

Then select the PDF file and click on the “Open” button at the bottom of the dialog box. This will hyperlink the PDF file to the presentation.

11. How to Open a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

To open a hyperlink, “Right Click” on the hyperlink text or image. From the dropdown menu click on the “Open Link” option. This will open the hyperlink in a new window.

Alternatively, you can press down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink text or image simultaneously to open the hyperlink.

Using the keyboard shortcut is more practical in the “Slide Show” screen during a presentation.

12. Hyperlink Not Working in PowerPoint

When inserting or accessing a hyperlink in Microsoft PowerPoint, sometimes, you might run into some issues. For instance, the option to hyperlink a text or image may be greyed out and you may not be able to insert a hyperlink.

These and other issues can be solved quite easily.

12a. Hyperlink is Greyed Out

In the “Insert” menu, you may find that the “Link” option is greyed out. But, this problem can be easily fixed! Here’s what you need to do –

Step-1: Click on the “Insert” tab

In the open PowerPoint presentation, click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. In the “Links” section of the “Insert” menu, you will notice that the “Link” option is greyed out.

Step-2: Click on an object

The “Link” option is usually greyed out because there are no objects selected yet. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you cannot insert a hyperlink to a slide. You can only insert hyperlinks to an object.

To be able to insert a hyperlink, all you have to do is click on any object in the open slide. You will now see that the “Link” option is no longer grayed out, and you can click on it.

12b. Hyperlink in PowerPoint is Not Clickable

After inserting a hyperlink in a PowerPoint presentation, you will notice that the hyperlink is not clickable. This is because you cannot click on the hyperlink in “Normal View” .

In Microsoft PowerPoint, “Normal View” is the default view where you can edit the slides. You can fix this problem in 3 easy methods.

Method-1: Click on “Ctrl+Save”

In the “Normal View” , you cannot open a hyperlink with a click. Instead, you have to press the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and click on the hyperlink simultaneously. This will allow you to access the link.

Method-2: Click on the “Slide Show” tab

In the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen, click on the “Slide Show” tab. Then click on the “From Current Slide” option in the “Slide Show” menu.

Alternatively, you can press the “Shift+F5” keys on your keyboard. This will start the slideshow where the hyperlink is clickable.

Method-3: Click on the “Reading View” option

In the menu ribbon, click on the “View” tab. Then click on the “Reading View” option from the “Presentation Views” section (as shown in the image in method 2 above).

For the shortcut, all you have to do is click on the “Reading View” option which is the icon that looks like an open book in the status bar located at the bottom of the screen.

This will open the reading view screen where the hyperlinks are clickable.

Credit to cookie_studio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited)

• Slidesgo School
• PowerPoint Tutorials

How to Insert a Hyperlink in PowerPoint

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add links to other documents, websites, multimedia resources, email addresses or even other slides in the same presentation . Any of the resources included in the presentation, such as texts, images or shapes, can be linked. 

Adding a Link to a Website

Adding a link to another slide in the same presentation, to another document, to an email address or to a new document.

• Select the resource you want to use as a link.
• On the Insert tab, click Hyperlink. You can also right-click and choose Hyperlink.
• In the “Address” field, enter the URL of the website you want to link to. If you click ScreenTip, you can define the text that will appear on the popup when hovering over the link.
• When you’re done, click OK.
• Select the desired option under “Link to”:

• By clicking the ScreenTip button, you can enter the text that will appear on the popup when hovering over the link.

Do you find this article useful?

Related tutorials.

How to Make a Jeopardy Game in PowerPoint

Thinking about new ways of reviewing concepts for your students? Do you simply want to have fun with your friends? Or are you a medical student and need a helping hand with the names of the different parts of the inner ear? We can help you! Gamification is always a good idea when trying to learn new things, don’t you think? We have created an educational Jeopardy using interactive slides. You can pick different subjects and questions clicking on different buttons! Does it sound like rocket science? In this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to create a funny Jeopardy from scratch....

How to Create a Jeopardy Game in Google Slides

Jeopardy is an American television game show in which contestants have some clues or answers, and they need to give their responses in the form of questions—and, of course, they can get some money! We’re sure you have watched this show several times. Jeopardy games are pretty useful! They are great to have fun with your friends or to play with your students to review some concepts related to different subjects, such as Medicine, English, Maths or sciences. In this tutorial, we are going to teach you how to create a Jeopardy board from scratch. Let’s get the party started! 

How to Make a Quiz for Your Online Classes Using PowerPoint

Sometimes it is not easy to get your students involved when giving a presentation. One of the best ways to capture their attention is creating interactive quizzes and questions, so they will interact with the slides. This way, the learning process will turn into something fun and amazing for children. If you want to learn how to make some interactive quizzes for your pupils using PowerPoint presentations, read this tutorial. It’s an easy task, and it will only take you a few minutes! 

How to Create a Quiz for Your Online Classes Using Google Slides

Quizzes are great tools to get your audience involved, as they need to participate and give their own answers. In fact, they are particularly useful when teaching children, as their attention gets diverted quite easily. This way, they will learn in an interactive and entertaining way. Creating a quiz is not a complex thing to do, but it requires some time. In this tutorial, we are going to teach you how to create some question slides for your students using Google Slides. Let’s get started! 

How to Hyperlink in PowerPoint (Insert, Remove or Edit Links)

Insert and Manage Links or Hyperlinks to Create Interactive PowerPoint Presentations

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated October 14, 2022

Applies to: Microsoft ® PowerPoint ® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can easily add links or hyperlinks in PowerPoint presentations to add interactivity and make it easy for users to click a button or link to jump to another slide in your deck, to another presentation, to an Excel file or to a web site. You can edit hyperlinks at any time and remove hyperlinks if necessary. In PowerPoint, hyperlinks become active when you run a slide show (normally by clicking the Slide Show button on the bottom right of the screen). In newer versions of PowerPoint, the term link is used as an alternative to hyperlink (although the dialog box displays Hyperlink).

Hyperlinks can be displayed as full source URLs or internet addresses such as http://abccompany.ca, as descriptive text, as an image or as a shape.

In this article, we'll be using the Link or Hyperlink command to insert hyperlinks, not Action Settings (an alternative method for adding hyperlinks).

Recommended article: How to Crop a Picture in PowerPoint (4 Ways)

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person classroom PowerPoint courses >

Insert a text hyperlink

If you select text and use it as a hyperlink on a PowerPoint slide, it appears underlined and in a color (normally blue) and coordinates with the color theme in your document. The text color changes automatically after you click hyperlink text in a slide show (again based on color theme settings). Shapes or images with hyperlinks do not change color.

Insert a hyperlink to a slide in the current presentation

To insert a link or hyperlink to a slide in the current presentation:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, select the text, shape or image you want to use as a hyperlink. If you are using a shape that contains text, click its edge.
• Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
• In the Links group, click Link or Hyperlink. You can also press Ctrl + K. The Edit Hyperlink dialog appears.
• Under Link to, select Place in This Document.
• Under Select a place in this document, select the slide you'd like to link to.
• If you are using a text hyperlink, enter the descriptive text that will become the link text in the Text to display box (if necessary).
• Click Slide Show on the bottom right of the screen to run your slide show. You can also press Shift + F5.
• Click the link to test it.
• Press ESC to exit the slide show.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to another slide in the current presentation:

Insert a hyperlink to another PowerPoint presentation

To insert a link or hyperlink to another PowerPoint presentation:

• Under Link to, select Existing File or Web Page.
• Click Browse (yellow file folder icon).
• Navigate to the other presentation and double-click it.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to another presentation:

Insert a hyperlink to an Excel workbook

To insert a link or hyperlink to an Excel workbook:

• Navigate to the Excel workbook and double-click it.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to an Excel workbook:

Use relative or absolute addresses to external files

If you are creating hyperlinks to external files such as another PowerPoint presentation or an Excel workbook, it's important to understand the difference between a relative and absolute address. A relative hyperlink uses the address relative to the address of the containing document whereas an absolute hyperlink uses the full address of the destination document including the drive location.

The following example uses an absolute hyperlink address (full path address):

C:\Documents\January\Budget.docx

The following relative hyperlink contains only the relative address or path to a Budget document in the same folder as the presentation.

January\Budget.docx

You may want to use a relative hyperlink address or path if you want to move or to copy your files to another location such as another server.

Insert a hyperlink to a web site

To insert a link or hyperlink to a web site:

• In the Address box, enter the web address or url. You can also copy the web address from a browser or select from the drop-down menu of recent web sites.

Below is the Edit Hyperlink dialog box with a link to a web site:

Create a hyperlink using the context menu

Another method of creating or editing hyperlinks is to right-click and use the context menu (you can also press Shift + F10 to display the context menu).

To insert a hyperlink using the context menu:

• Right-click and choose Link or Hyperlink from the dropd-down menu and then select Insert Hyperlink or Insert Link. The hyperlink dialog appears.
• Select the appropriate option under Link to. If you are creating an external link to a webpage or another document, select Existing File or Web Page. If you are creating an internal link within the document, select Place in This Document.
• In the address field, enter or choose the address or location where the link should lead. For external references, enter or copy the URL in the Address field. For place in the same document, select the appropriate item.

Jump to a hyperlink location

Hyperlinks become active when you run a slide show or save your presentation as a PDF (portable document format). Simply click the hyperlink to jump to the hyperlink location.

Edit a hyperlink

To edit a hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink and select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link from the drop-down menu. The Hyperlink dialog box appears.
• Select the desired options.

You can also select a hyperlink and press Ctrl + K to edit it.

Create a screen tip

You can also create a screen tip that will pop up when you hover over a hyperlink during a slide show.

To create a screen tip for an existing hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink.and select Edit Hyperlink or Edit Link from the drop-down menu. The Edit Hyperlink dialog box appears.
• Click ScreenTip (on the top right). A dialog box appears.
• Enter a screen tip.
• Click OK twice.

Remove a hyperlink

To remove a hyperlink:

• In Normal View or Slide Master View, right-click the hyperlink you want to remove.
• In the context menu, select Remove Hyperlink or Remove Link.

Hyperlinks can add a new dimension of interactivity to your decks and when a PowerPoint file is saved as a PDF, they become active hyperlinks.

Subscribe to get more articles like this one

Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, JOIN our email list.

More resources

How to Insert Slide Numbers in PowerPoint

How to Use the Built-in Laser Pointer in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)

How to Cut a Shape Out of an Image in PowerPoint (Mask a Picture)

How to Remove the Background of an Image  in PowerPoint (2 Ways)

How to Break, Update or Change Links to Excel Charts or Worksheets in PowerPoint

Related courses

Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers

Microsoft PowerPoint: Animations Bootcamp

Microsoft PowerPoint: Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

VIEW MORE COURSES >

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at [email protected] if you'd like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that's convenient for you.

Copyright 2024 Avantix ® Learning

You may also like

How to Replace Zeros (0) with Blanks in Excel

There are several strategies to replace zero values (0) with blanks in Excel. If you want to replace zero values in cells with blanks, you can use the Replace command or write a formula to return blanks. However, if you simply want to display blanks instead of zeros, you have two formatting options – create a custom number format or a conditional format.

What is Power Query in Excel?

Power Query in Excel is a powerful data transformation tool that allows you to import data from many different sources and then extract, clean, and transform the data. You will then be able to load the data into Excel or Power BI and perform further data analysis. With Power Query (also known as Get & Transform), you can set up a query once and then refresh it when new data is added. Power Query can import and clean millions of rows of data.

How to Freeze Rows in Excel (One or Multiple Rows)

You can freeze one or more rows in an Excel worksheet using the Freeze Panes command. If you freeze rows containing headings, the headings will appear when you scroll down. You can freeze columns as well so when you scroll to the right columns will be frozen.

Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.

Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at [email protected]

Our Courses

Avantix Learning courses are offered online in virtual classroom format or as in-person classroom training. Our hands-on, instructor-led courses are available both as public scheduled courses or on demand as a custom training solution.

All Avantix Learning courses include a comprehensive course manual including tips, tricks and shortcuts as well as sample and exercise files.

VIEW COURSES  >

Contact us at  [email protected]  for more information about any of our courses or to arrange custom training.

Privacy Overview

Pin it on pinterest.

• Print Friendly

How to Add a Hyperlink to a Powerpoint Presentation

Want to link to a website, a document, or an email address in your presentation? Here's how to create hyperlinks in Microsoft PowerPoint.

PowerPoint is a great tool used for presentations and collaborative projects. But sometimes, you might need a bit more than bare slides in your presentation. If you want to make your PowerPoint presentations more effective and informative, adding a hyperlink is a great way to do that.

When your presentations have a hyperlink, you're able to connect your information to a separate resource such as a web page, or a separate document. In this article, we’ll show you various ways to add a hyperlink to your PowerPoint presentation.

How to Add a Hyperlink to a PowerPoint Presentation

If you’re looking for a time-saving hack for Microsoft PowerPoint , this is it. Hyperlinking in PowerPoint allows you to quickly refer to a separate resource as part of your presentation. You’re spoiled for choice when hyperlinking in PowerPoint because there’s more than one method. To hyperlink text, follow these instructions:

• Open your presentation in PowerPoint
• Right-click on the text and select Link .
• If you’re linking the text to a file on your PC, use the Look in box to locate your file.

How to Remove the Underline from Hyperlink Text

The intention behind inserting a hyperlink on a platform like Microsoft PowerPoint is a bit different from inserting a hyperlink in Google Docs , where you’d want your readers to know the text leads to a link. When you’re having a presentation, being unpredictable can work to your advantage, and having an underlined hyperlink in your presentation kills the fun in spontaneity.

PowerPoint doesn’t have a designated setting for removing the underline from a hyperlink text. Luckily, there’s a way around it. You can do this by adding a hyperlinked shape on top of your text instead. To do this, follow these steps:

• Go to the hyperlink text.
• Drag the shape, so it covers the text.
• Insert your link into the address bar and click on OK .
• Under Fill , select No fill , and under Line , select No line .

How to Change the Color of Hyperlink Text Throughout Your Presentation

If you're not a fan of the default color added to hyperlink text, you can change the color of all hyperlink text to fit the mood of your presentation. Here’s how:

• In the Variants section, click on the down arrow.
• Select Save .

How to Use Action Buttons

An action button is something you can create in PowerPoint to link an object or text to a website, another slide within your presentation, a separate presentation, and other resources. To hyperlink an action button, here’s what you need to do:

• In the top menu bar, click on Insert .
• In the Links section, select Action .
• Select OK once you’ve entered the details of the hyperlink.

How to Create a Hyperlinked Custom Show

If you'd like to present a mini slide show as part of your bigger presentation, you are able to hyperlink a custom slide show, but first, you must create one. Here’s how:

• Click on Custom Slide Show , then select Custom Shows .
• Check the boxes of the slides you’d like to appear in your custom show, then click on Add .
• You’ll see the pop-up Custom Shows window again; click on Show to see what your custom slide show looks like.

Now that you’ve created a custom show, you can hyperlink it to a text or object in your presentation.

• Right-click the text and select Link .
• Scroll down and click on Custom Shows .
• Select the custom show you want to present, then check the Show and return box on the right.

Elevate Your PowerPoint Presentation Skills

If you want to add value to your PowerPoint presentation, adding hyperlinks is an easy way to connect your slides to other resources. It’s also a great way to show off your presentation skills and engage your audience.

Whether you want to link text to a web page, or give your audience a subset of slides by linking a custom show, all of that is possible in Microsoft PowerPoint.

How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint: 3 Quick Steps

In the realm of presentations, PowerPoint has always reigned supreme. Its versatility and ease of use make it the go-to choice for professionals and students alike.

But as we navigate this digital-centric age, the ability to embed clickable links directly into PowerPoint slides can transform a static presentation into an interactive masterpiece. Whether it’s to reference a website, jump to a specific slide, or even initiate an email, hyperlinks can add depth to your content.

Let’s dive deep into the process of adding hyperlinks in PowerPoint and explore some crucial best practices.

How Does Unlimited PowerPoint Templates Sound?

Download thousands of PowerPoint templates, and many other design elements, with a monthly Envato Elements membership. It starts at $16 per month, and gives you unlimited access to a growing library of over 2,000,000 presentation templates, fonts, photos, graphics, and more.

BeMind Minimal Template

Mystify Presentation

Explore PowerPoint Templates

Step 1: Selecting Your Text or Object

Decide on the text, image, shape, or even chart that you want to turn into a clickable hyperlink. Highlight the text or click once on the object, ensuring it’s selected. A bounding box or highlighted area should appear, indicating your selection.

Once selected, right-click to open a context-sensitive menu. This menu provides various options based on what you’ve selected.

Step 2: Navigating the ‘Hyperlink’ Option

In the right-click menu, locate and select the ‘Hyperlink’ option. The ‘Insert Hyperlink’ dialog box will pop up, presenting several hyperlinking opportunities.

Understanding Link Types:

• Existing File or Web Page: This is perhaps the most commonly used option. Here, you can link to a webpage, a file on your computer, or even a file on a network.
• Place in This Document: A great feature for creating non-linear presentations, this option lets you jump to specific slides within your deck.
• Create New Document: Want your hyperlink to create and open a new document? This option is for you, though it’s less commonly used in presentations.
• Email Address: Initiating an email is as simple as inputting an address here. Once clicked during a presentation, it will open the viewer’s default email client with the chosen address pre-populated.

Step 3: Entering Your Desired Link

Linking to a Website: Under ‘Existing File or Web Page’, input the URL of the website you wish to link to.

Jumping Between Slides: Under ‘Place in This Document’, a list of all your slides will appear. Simply select the desired destination slide.

For New Documents: If you chose ‘Create New Document’, you’d have to name the document and decide whether it should be edited now or later.

Email Links: Under ‘Email Address’, input the email and subject. The subject is optional but can pre-populate the email’s subject line for the viewer.After inputting your link, click ‘OK’. Your selected text or object will now bear the hallmark of a hyperlink, typically underscored and in a contrasting color.

7 Tips and Best Practices for Using Links in PowerPoint

1. visibility is key.

Ensure your hyperlink stands out. Differentiate it with a unique color or underline. But remember, it should still fit aesthetically with your slide’s design.

2. Always Test

Just added a link? Test it! Before presenting, ensure every link directs to the correct location or performs the intended action.

3. Maintain Balance

Hyperlinks can make slides interactive, but don’t overdo it. An overload of links can turn a presentation chaotic and confusing.

4. Descriptive Link Text

Rather than “Click Here”, use text like “Read More About Our Research”. It’s informative and aids in comprehension.

5. Shortcut Know-How

When navigating a presentation, remember that holding the Ctrl key and clicking will activate a hyperlink. This knowledge can come in handy for presenters.

6. Consider Your Audience

Remember, not all viewers may be familiar with hyperlinks in presentations. Provide subtle guidance, either verbally or with on-screen cues.

7. Keep Accessibility in Mind

For those using screen readers, hyperlink text should be descriptive. Avoid raw URLs as the link text and opt for a brief, concise description.

By embedding hyperlinks thoughtfully, you can enrich your PowerPoint presentations, offering an interactive experience and delivering additional value. With this detailed guide and the accompanying best practices, you’re well on your way to mastering the art of hyperlinking in PowerPoint.

How to Insert a Hyperlink in Powerpoint 2019: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adding a hyperlink to your Powerpoint presentation can truly elevate your game. It’s a simple way to direct your audience to additional resources, websites, or email addresses directly from your slides. Want to know how? Just follow along with these quick and easy steps and you’ll be linking away in no time.

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Insert a Hyperlink in Powerpoint 2019

Before we dive into the steps, let’s understand what we are aiming for. Inserting a hyperlink in Powerpoint 2019 allows you to link to another slide, a web page, an email address, or even a file on your computer. This can make your presentation more interactive and accessible.

Step 1: Open Your Powerpoint Presentation

Open the Powerpoint presentation where you want to insert the hyperlink.

This first step is pretty straightforward, right? Just make sure you’re on the slide where you want the hyperlink to be.

Step 2: Select the Text or Object

Click on the text or object that you want to turn into a hyperlink.

Remember, hyperlinks aren’t limited to text only. You can make images or shapes clickable too!

Step 3: Access the Hyperlink Function

Right-click on the selected text or object and choose ‘Hyperlink,’ or go to the ‘Insert’ tab and click on ‘Hyperlink.’

You’ll find the ‘Hyperlink’ option easily on the right-click menu. Alternatively, the ‘Insert’ tab on the ribbon has it all laid out for you.

Step 4: Insert the Link

In the ‘Insert Hyperlink’ dialog box, paste or type in the URL, link to a file, place in the document, or an email address.

Make sure to check that your link works by clicking on the ‘Test this link’ button in the dialog box. It’ll save you from any embarrassment during the presentation.

Step 5: Customize Your Display Text

Customize the text to display if you do not want the URL to show on the slide.

You can get creative here. Instead of showing a long, ugly link, use relevant and catchy phrases like ‘Click Here’ or ‘Learn More.’

After you’ve completed these steps, voila! Your hyperlink is now inserted into your Powerpoint slide. When you’re presenting, all you’ll need to do is click on the hyperlink, and it’ll take you (or your audience) straight to the linked content.

Tips for Inserting a Hyperlink in Powerpoint 2019

• Double-check your URLs to ensure they are correct before adding them to your presentation.
• Use descriptive text for your display link to give your audience a clear idea of where the link will take them.
• If you’re linking to another slide in the same presentation, remember to update the hyperlink if you move the slides around.
• For a more streamlined look, match the hyperlink text color to your presentation’s theme.
• Consider using hyperlinking as a way to create non-linear presentations, allowing you to jump to different sections based on audience interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i link to a specific part of a webpage.

Yes, if the webpage has anchor links set up, you can link directly to a specific section by including the ‘#’ followed by the anchor name in the URL.

Can I remove a hyperlink?

Absolutely, just right-click on the hyperlink, and select ‘Remove Hyperlink’ to delete it.

What if my hyperlink isn’t working?

Check the link for any typos, and ensure that all web addresses begin with ‘http://’ or ‘https://’. Testing the link beforehand always helps.

Can I change the color of the hyperlink text?

Yes, after inserting the hyperlink, you can change the text color through the regular text formatting options.

Can I add a hyperlink to a video?

Indeed, you can hyperlink a video just like text or images. Just make sure the video file is accessible to your audience if you’re sharing the presentation.

• Open your Powerpoint presentation.
• Select the text or object to hyperlink.
• Access the Hyperlink function via right-click or the Insert tab.
• Insert the desired link into the dialog box.
• Customize your display text for the hyperlink.

Mastering the art of hyperlinking in Powerpoint can truly transform your presentations from static slides to dynamic, interactive experiences. Whether it’s guiding your audience to a helpful webpage, cross-referencing to another slide, or providing a quick email contact, the power of a hyperlink is immense. It’s also a fantastic way to keep your presentations clean and organized, ensuring that additional resources are just a click away without cluttering your slides. And remember, practice makes perfect. Don’t hesitate to play around with different types of hyperlinks and their formatting to see what works best for your narrative style. Now that you know how to insert a hyperlink in Powerpoint 2019, the only limit is your creativity. So, go ahead, give it a try, and watch your presentations come to life!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

• How to Create a Hyperlink in Powerpoint 2010: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Add a Hyperlink on Google Slides
• How to Rotate a Powerpoint Slide Presentation
• How to Download a Google Slides Presentation as a Powerpoint File
• How to Do a Powerpoint Google Slides Presentation Conversion
• How to Make Google Slides Vertical (5 Quick Steps)
• How to Delete a Slide in Powerpoint 2010: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Remove a Hyperlink in Word 2010: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Add Hyperlink in Outlook Signature – 2010 Guide
• How to Remove Slide Numbers in Powerpoint 2019: Easy Steps
• How to Convert Powerpoint to Google Slides: A Tech Solution
• How to Hide a Slide in Powerpoint 2010: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Can You Save a Powerpoint as a Video in Powerpoint 2013? Find Out Here!
• How to Make a Powerpoint Slide Vertical in Powerpoint 2013: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Add a New Slide in Google Slides: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to End Powerpoint on Last Slide in Powerpoint 2010: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Delete Multiple Slides in Google Slides: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Insert a Google Slides Page Number: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Change Slide Size in Powerpoint 2016
• How to Save Powerpoint as PDF with Notes: A Step-by-Step Guide

Get Our Free Newsletter

How-to guides and tech deals

You may opt out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

How to Use Hyperlinks and Action Buttons in PowerPoint

If you would like to link to an outside source within your PowerPoint presentation, you have the option of using a hyperlink or action button. These instructions are for Office 2016, 2013, 2010, and 2007.

In PowerPoint, you can create a hyperlink using any text within your presentation. When clicked on, a hyperlink can directly link to a specific slide within your presentation, a saved file, a web page, another PowerPoint presentation, or a custom email. To insert a hyperlink into your presentation:

• Open the PowerPoint presentation.
• Highlight the text or object you would like to hyperlink.
• Right-click the highlighted text and select "Hyperlink..."
• For Existing File or Web Page , browse your computer to locate the file you wish to link to.
• For Place in This Document , choose the slide you wish to link to.
• For Create a New Document , type the name of your new PowerPoint presentation and choose when to edit the document.
• For E-mail Addresses , enter the recipient(s) email address and the subject line of the email.
• Click [OK].
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text with the action button.

A PowerPoint hyperlink can link to a file on one of your drives (with the exception of your C: drive, which will not work in any circumstance) only if you are presenting the PowerPoint on campus. If you are off campus, you can use a path to any portable medium you have on hand (e.g. thumb drive, CD, etc.).

Action Button

In PowerPoint, you can create an action button using shapes, images, and text within your presentation. When activated, an action button can link to either a specific slide within your presentation, a web page, or another PowerPoint presentation. In addition, PowerPoint offers action buttons that play sounds when activated. To insert an action button into your presentation:

• Click the [Insert] tab > From the "Links" group, click [Action].
• Select the "Hyperlink to:" radio button > From the drop-down menu, choose where you would like the action button to link to when activated.
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text or image with the action button.

To insert an action button that plays a sound into your presentation:

• Highlight the text or object you would like to play a sound when clicked on.
• If you would like the text or object to link to a slide, web page, or file and play a sound, select the "Hyperlink to:" radio button and choose a destination. If not, select the "None" radio button.
• Check the "Play sound:" box > From the drop-down menu, choose what sound you would like the action button to play when activated > Click [OK].
• To test the action button, start your PowerPoint slideshow (Click F5 on your keyboard) and click the text or object with the action button.

You can also create an action button that activates when you hover your mouse over the text or object (as opposed to clicking the action button). In the "Action Settings" dialog box, click the [Mouse Over] tab and choose where you would like the action button to link to.

Keywords: ppt, powerpoint, powerpoint buttons, link from powerpoint, web page, insert slideshow hyperlinks, office 2010

Share This Post

You’re using an older browser version. Update to the latest version of Google Chrome , Safari , Mozilla Firefox , or  Microsoft Edge for the best site experience.

• eLearning Blog
• eLearning Basics
• Instructional Design
• Corporate Training
• Course Selling
• Manufacturing
• Products iSpring Suite iSpring Learn
• Use Cases Onboarding Compliance Training Induction Training Product Training Channel Partner Training Sales Training Microlearning Mobile Learning
• Company About Us Case Studies Customers Partnership Course Development Contact Us Academy Blog Webinars Guides
• Community Academy Blog Webinars Guides Experts on iSpring
• Language EN English Français Deutsch Español Italiano Nederlands Português Polski 中文 日本語 العربية Indonesia
• Shopping Cart

How to Add a Hyperlink to a PowerPoint Presentation (PPT)

Hyperlinks make a presentation non-linear by connecting it with other slides, documents and web pages. This guide demonstrates how to add hyperlinks to a PowerPoint presentation, so that they work both on a local computer and online. You’ll also learn other PowerPoint tricks, such as linking to a YouTube video, changing hyperlink color, configuring navigation and others that diversify the use of hyperlinks in education. 

How to add a hyperlink to :

Particular slides 

Existing documents

New documents

Email addresses 

What PowerPoint objects can be assigned with a hyperlink?

The options aren’t limited to texts and pictures; below you will find a list of all options available when it comes to manipulating a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

Other PowerPoint objects such as video and graphs can’t be assigned with hyperlinks. If you use SmartArt objects or stylized text and plan to publish your presentation online, we recommend you read about  advanced hyperlink techniques .

How to add a hyperlink to another slide

2. In the dialog box, click  Place in this Document  under  Link to . Choose the slide in your presentation that you wish to use as a destination, then click  OK . 

If you  have created a custom slideshow  (a certain sequence of slides) and you want to connect your object with it, click  Custom Shows . Then tick the  Show and return  checkbox.  

How to add a hyperlink to an existing document

You may connect your presentation to a document on your computer, for example another presentation, or even a particular slide in it. However, if you then move your project to another PC, you’ll need to copy the connected document to the same folder. The link won’t work in cases where you don’t copy the presentation, or you rename, move or delete it.

Also note that if you plan to  publish your presentation online , you’ll need to convert all the connected presentations to online format and use the resulting web pages rather than the source .pptx files. You can learn how to do it  here .

2. Click  Existing File or W eb Pag e  under  Link to .

3. Locate and select the document that you want to use as a destination, then click OK .

4. If you wish to link a slide in another presentation, locate and select that presentation on your computer. Then click Bookmark , and in the open window choose the relevant slide.

How to add a hyperlink to a web page

2. Click Existing File or Web Page under Link to .

3. In the address field, type in the address of the web page you wish to add, then click OK .

4. If you want to add a hyperlink to a certain place on the webpage, you can either use the anchor in the website address OR the Bookmark option.

You can follow the steps above to add a hyperlink to a video from a video hosting website, such as YouTube or Vimeo. However, there’s a way to insert an online video right in your presentation, so that it can be played back without having to interrupt the playback and open a browser. To learn how to do that, read these articles on how to insert a YouTube video into an online presentation and how to add a Vimeo video to a presentation .

How to add a hyperlink to a new document

Note that this type of hyperlink can only be used in PowerPoint; it won’t work in a web browser when sharing a presentation online.

2. Click Create New Document under Link to .

3. By default, a new document is created in the same folder with the presentation’s source file. If you want to change the location, click Change under Full path , select the desired location, and then click OK .

4. Enter the name of a new file in the Name of new document field, then click OK .

5. Under When to edit , choose if you want to Edit the new document later or Edit the new document now .

How to add a hyperlink to an email address

2. Click E-mail Address under Link to .

3. Type in the appropriate e-mail address in the E-mail address box.

4. Optionally, you may indicate the subject of your e-mail message in the Subject box.

Advanced hyperlink techniques

How to create a transparent hyperlink area.

In fact, there’s a way to assign a hyperlink to a SmartArt object or stylized text for an online presentation, and even videos. To do that, you should create a transparent hyperlink area over an object. This solution may also be useful for designers of those touchscreen apps, which elements are often so small that it’s hard to tap them.

2. Select a rectangle or any other form that matches the relevant object.

3. Draw the shape over the desired area (e.g., video).

4. Right-click on the drawn shape and click Link .

5. Add the desired destination and click OK .

6. Now right-click on the shape again, and choose No Fill under Fill and No Outline under Outline .

Note:  when a transparent area overlaps PowerPoint objects, their controls are not available anymore. Therefore, if you’re using this technique for a video, you should either set the video to play automatically or draw the shape only over a part of it.

How to change hyperlink color

By default, PowerPoint applies different colors to new and followed hyperlinks based on the chosen presentation theme. To learn how to change the predefined color, read the following guidelines.

2. Go to Colors , and under the schemes choose Customize Colors .

3. In the open window, change the colors of new and followed hyperlinks, then click Save .

Note : if you apply another theme to your presentation, hyperlink colors will be modified too. In order to prevent yourself from having to customize them again, choose the final design for your presentation first.

How to create a screentip

Follow these guidelines to create helpful tooltips that will appear every time a mouse is pointed over a relevant object on the slide.

2. In the open window, type in the text for a screentip, then click OK .

 Here’s what a screentip will look like on the slide.

How to set up navigation

Non-linear navigation is a big plus for complex presentations, as it enables viewers to jump to other slides at any time based on what information is most relevant in a certain situation.With non-linear navigation, they don’t have to search for a particular slide frantically.  

One way to set up non-linear navigation is to create a table of contents with internal links leading to different chapters within your presentation. To do that, you’ll need to create a table of contents first, and then insert a hyperlink into other slides for each topic manually.

You can also set up non-linear navigation by inserting two buttons on each slide and hyperlink them to the Next Slide or Previous Slide accordingly. On the last slide you can create a button called “View Again” and hyperlink it to the First Slide , so that the presentation can be easily launched from the beginning. You can learn more about navigating your PowerPoint with Action Buttons in this article .

Tips to enhance your presentation

Here are a few tricks that helped us go beyond PowerPoint and enhance the original presentation in a number of ways. 

Insert web pages instead of hyperlinks

Inserting hyperlinks to web page makes sense when they’re optional for viewing. A good way to incorporate important web pages into your presentation is to insert them right onto slides. Here’s how you can do it:

• Download iSpring Converter Pro for free →

3. In the open window, paste in the URL of the web page you wish to add, then click Preview .

4. Under Size , choose whether you want the web page to be displayed in Custom size or Full Slide . We’ll use the first to combine a web page with other information within one slide.

5. With iSpring Converter Pro, you can display web objects even without an Internet connection. To do that, first download web objects to your computer. In the Insert Web Object window, open the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner and choose Local Path .

6. Click Browse and locate the relevant file on your computer. Then press Open → OK .

Publish a presentation online

Note that if the presentation you plan to publish online contains hyperlinked SmartArt object(s) or stylized text, you should create a transparent hyperlink area. To learn more, read this article on troubleshooting hyperlinks .

These guidelines will help you convert a PowerPoint presentation to online mobile-ready format.

1.  Download iSpring Converter Pro for free →

2.  Open your presentation and choose iSpring Converter Pro on the PowerPoint ribbon, then click Publish .

3. In the Publish Presentation window, specify the Project name and a Folder . As you can see, there are two Output Options available, including HTML5 and video. We recommend using HTML5 format for web presentations.

4. With iSpring Converter Pro, you can configure the presentation player before publishing. To do that, click Universal (Full)  as demonstrated in the picture below.

5. As you can see from the open window, the Universal Player is fully customizable. You can configure its Layout , Bars , Text Labels , select one of the built-in Templates and Color Schemes , or apply custom Colors .

6. Once, you’ve customized the player and set up other publishing options , click Publish . After the process is complete, the Preview window will open, allowing you to see how your presentation will be displayed on different devices.

A few more details on adding a hyperlink in PowerPoint for the curious. 

How to Automatically Insert a Hyperlink in PowerPoint?

To add a hyperlink quickly, type or paste a  needed URL or email address into a text-containing object and press either “Spacebar” or “Enter”. To get the hyperlink removed,  immediately press “Backspace”.

How to Add a Link to an Online Microsoft 365 File in PowerPoint?

If you need to point to an online Microsoft 365 (Miscrosoft Office 365) document, you can also add a hyperlink. Select the required slide object or text within a text-containing slide. Click on the “Insert” tab of the Ribbon, select ‘Link’ from the drop-down list. Click on the name of the online Office 365 document to share from the list of “Recent items” below. 

When adding links to PowerPoint, it’s important to be aware of some pitfalls that may affect the final playback. We hope this detailed guide will meet your challenges and help you make the most of hyperlinks. The demo presentation in this article was  created and published online with the help of iSpring Converter Pro , an advanced PowerPoint add-in. 

Useful Resources on PowerPoint

Are you a PowerPoint lover? If so, here are some other helpful articles for you:

• How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation Online
• How to Protect PowerPoint Presentations
• How to Add Narration to a PowerPoint Presentation
• How to Insert Youtube Video Into PowerPoint Presentation
• How to Structure a PowerPoint Presentation
• How to Convert PowerPoint Presentation to an eLearning Module
• How to Remove the Background From a Picture in PowerPoint
• How to Convert PowerPoint to MP4 Video on Windows & macOS

Fast PowerPoint to HTML5 Converter

Convert presentations to HTML5 with all effects and transitions preserved

Content creator:

Paulina Fox

Passionate about design and tech, Paulina crafts content that helps customers delve deeper into iSpring products.

Subscribe to our blog

Stay tuned to get our latest eLearning tips and tricks!

By clicking “Subscribe”, you agree to our Privacy Policy . All emails include an unsubscribe link, so that you can opt-out at any time.

We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website and also for analytics and marketing purposes. You can enable or disable optional cookies as desired. See our Cookie Policy for more details.

Manage your cookies

Essential cookies are always on. You can turn off other cookies if you wish.

Essential cookies

Analytics cookies

Social media cookies

This website uses cookies. Learn more

How to add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation

 · Create Courses

List of things you can hyperlink in a PowerPoint presentation

Things to keep in mind while you add a hyperlink to a powerpoint presentation, pros and cons of adding hyperlinks to powerpoint presentations, steps to add a hyperlink to a powerpoint presentation, how to add another slide as a hyperlink, how to add another slide as a hyperlink  , how to add a hyperlink to an email address, graphy, the online course creation, and selling platform.

In this blog, you will learn different ways and steps to easily add hyperlinks into PowerPoint slides.

A hyperlink is a powerful tool in PowerPoint. You can add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation to swiftly and seamlessly direct viewers to related information on the web. 

You can quickly redirect the viewers to an alternate slide or immediately set about composing an email letter. However, most people are not exactly sure how to use hyperlinks in PowerPoint presentations. 

I want to teach a skill GOT YOUR CONTENT READY? GRAPHY IS ALL YOU NEED TO GET STARTED!

You need to take extra steps to make your presentation one that people will want to watch. 

You must ensure that you communicate the information clearly through the visuals on the screen. You also have to make this information easily discoverable by including hyperlinks now and then. 

This blog will discuss the different aspects of hyperlinking and how you can add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation.

Table of Contents

There are many options besides text and images that you can use to add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation .  

• When you click on the frame of a text box to hyperlink, you can select everything around it. The link text will appear in an underlined blue color and be clickable.
• You can hyperlink any shape or group of shapes. To do that, click and hold on the frame of a shape. If you select any text within the shape to hyperlink, it’ll not appear underlined or colored.
• If you select the text within a shape, then the shape won’t be clickable. You’ll see the text underlined and colored. 
• You can use any smart object or a group of smart objects to hyperlink. Select the smart object to hyperlinking it.
• You can use the text within any smart object as a hyperlink. If you want to do that, you need to click the area outside the smart object. There, you’ll see the text underlined and colored. 
• You can hyperlink any picture used in a PowerPoint presentation. You can use the images to illustrate textual ideas. You can also use them to create custom buttons using PowerPoint templates. 

Also read: How to create a video presentation in PowerPoint?

To help you get the most out of PowerPoint, here are some things to remember when you add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation .

• Choose an appropriate topic or point. It would help if you chose something relevant to the audience. Otherwise, it will be difficult for them to understand what you’re talking about.
• Make sure that your text is easy to read. If it’s hard to read, it will be just as hard for people to follow your links.
• Use bulleted lists whenever possible. They’re easier to follow than other types of lists, such as numbered lists or ordered lists.
• Keep your text short and sweet. Rather than writing long paragraphs of text, try breaking up big ideas into smaller chunks that readers can easily understand.
• Another thing you need to remember about the content you put into your slides is that you can’t hyperlink all the items. You can’t hyperlink PowerPoint objects such as videos and graphs.

Also read: How to write a price increase letter: 8 tips and examples

• It is a great way to add information to your slides.
• It helps with branding and linking back to your website, blog, or social media profiles.
• A hyperlink will increase your website’s traffic. Suppose a particular topic takes center stage in your research paper. Then, hyperlinks can help attract more people interested in that topic.
• It makes the presentation more interactive and engaging for your audience.
• There is no doubt that hyperlinks can give your presentation a professional appearance. However, they can also add clutter and distract from the presentation’s content.
• Some people may think that it is too technical for them and they don’t want to learn about how it works, so they just skip over it. 
• Adding hyperlinks may clutter your slides with extra text boxes not used for informational purposes.
• It can be inconvenient for your audience if they do not have access to a computer or other device with a linkable browser.

Also read: How to conduct research before preparing a Course in 2022

You can connect your presentation to a document on your computer. For example, it may be a particular slide in another presentation or even another presentation itself. 

Also, when saving your presentation that you plan to publish online, make sure you convert all connected files to the online format. This will help you have a web page rather than a source file. 

Here are the steps to understand how to use normal text to add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation .

Step 1 : Select the text you want to hyperlink in the PowerPoint presentation.

Step 2 : Go to Insert > Link. A new window will appear that you’ll use to add the link. 

Step 3 : Copy the link you want to add as a hyperlink. Paste it in the address bar present at the bottom of the Link window. Then, press “OK.” 

Firstly, follow the above-mentioned steps and open the “Link” tab to add a hyperlink to another slide. Now, follow the steps given below. 

Step 1 : In the “Link” window, click on “Place in This Document.” Choose the slide that you want to show as the destination when you click on the text. 

Step 2 : Click “OK” to continue. 

Follow the steps above to add a hyperlink to an online video hosted on a video hosting website such as YouTube or Vimeo. However, there’s also an easy way to insert an online video directly into your Keynote presentation. It’ll let you play back the presentation without having to open and play it inside of the browser.

If you are creating a custom slideshow (a certain sequence of slides), and you want to connect your object with it. You can click on Custom Shows in the left-hand menu. Here, tick the “Show and Return” check box.

When you use a new document to add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation, you can present it in a web browser online. Here’s how you can add a new document as a hyperlink. 

Step 1 : Click on “Insert” and open the “Link” tab. Then, select “Create a new document.” 

Step 2: Enter the name of the document. Also, the PowerPoint presentation creates a new document in the same folder as the source file. But, you can change the location of the new document. Click on “Change” under “Full Path”, select the desired folder and click OK.

Step 3: Under “When to edit,” you can either select “Edit the new document later” or “Edit the new document now”. After choosing the option, click OK. 

PowerPoint recognizes the email addresses and links as you type them. Here’s how you can attach an email using hyperlinks in PowerPoint. 

Step 1 : Open the “Link tab” and select the “E-mail” address option. 

Step 2 : Type the desired email address in the email address box. Though it is optional, you can choose an appropriate subject line for your email message. Then, click OK to complete the process. 

That’s it. See how simple it was to add a hyperlink to a PowerPoint presentation. Just follow these steps and you will be good to go. 

If you are looking to create your online course and sell it with minimum effort and easy-to-use features, then Graphy is the best place for you. Graphy has thousands of active content creators who have created their own online courses and monetized their skills. You can also do the same, and the best thing is that you can start for free.

Graphy offers a load of features that will definitely add stars to your success, features like:

• Branded website and mobile app
• Advanced-level marketing and sales tools and features
• Multi-layer content security
• Rich multimedia
• 24*7 customer support
• Customizable landing/sales pages
• Personalized course completion certificates for your learners
• Integrated payment gateways and country-specific pricing

Isn’t it amazing?

So join Graphy , just like 40,000+ creators.

Course platform

Online course platform

create your online course

online course platform india

Add a Hyperlink to a PowerPoint Presentation

Top creators use Graphy to sell courses and memberships

Join 100K+ creators who have launched their online knowledge business using Graphy

You may also want to read

Top 7 Christmas Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales

9 Telegram Bots Every Telegram Channel Owner Must Have (2024 Updated)

How To Create a Paid Telegram Channel In 2024 (Updated)?

How to Add Hyperlinks to PowerPoint Presentations

Adding hyperlinks to your PowerPoint presentations can transform them from static slides to an interactive experience for your audience. Hyperlinks allow viewers to seamlessly access more information with a simple click, keeping them engaged.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of hyperlinks in PowerPoint and provide step-by-step instructions on adding various types of links. We’ll also share tips on using hyperlinks effectively to boost audience engagement.

What are Hyperlinks in PowerPoint?

Hyperlinks in PowerPoint presentations work just like links you click on websites. When viewers click on a hyperlinked item, they are taken to another slide, a file, a website URL, or an email program.

Hyperlinks can be added to various items like:

• Charts/graphs
• SmartArt graphics

You can link to:

• Another slide in the same presentation
• A separate PowerPoint presentation
• An Excel sheet or Word document
• A PDF document
• A video file
• A website URL
• An email program to create a new email

The possibilities are endless for creating an interactive experience!

How to Add a Hyperlink in PowerPoint

Adding a hyperlink in PowerPoint is easy:

• Select the text, image, shape or other item you want to hyperlink.
• Right-click and choose Hyperlink .
• In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, choose the type of link.
• Enter the destination of the link.

Here are specifics for different types of hyperlinks:

Link to Another Slide:

Choose “Place in This Document” and select the slide you want to link to.

Link to the Web:

Choose “Existing File or Web Page” and enter the URL of the website.

Link to a File:

Choose “Existing File or Web Page” and browse your computer to select the file.

That’s the basics! Now let’s go over some pro tips for using hyperlinks effectively.

Tips for Using Hyperlinks to Boost Engagement

Here are some best practices for adding hyperlinks:

Make Sure Links are Relevant

Only hyperlink text or items that are highly relevant to your presentation. Random links can confuse your audience.

Descriptive Link Text

Avoid raw URLs for link text. Use brief but descriptive text so users know where they will end up when clicking.

Test All Links

Check that all hyperlinks go to the correct destination before presenting. Broken links frustrate audiences.

Provide Context

Explain why you are providing a link and what information the audience will find there.

Use Visual Cues

Format linked items differently through color, bolding, underlining so they stand out on the slide.

Strategic Placement

Carefully choose where to add links on slides so they catch viewers’ attention.

By keeping these tips in mind as you add hyperlinks, you can boost engagement as your audience interacts with your presentation.

Creative Uses of Hyperlinks

Beyond basic linking, there are creative ways to use hyperlinks to make your presentation stand out:

Link Images to Hidden Slides

Add descriptive images linked to slides with more details to expand on topics without crowding slides.

Link to Videos

Hyperlink an image to open a related video file for more multimedia interaction.

Link Text to Emails

Enable viewers to easily contact you by linking your name or a “Contact” link to open an email.

Link to PDF Handouts

Allow instant access to accompanying documents like white papers by adding hyperlinks.

With some thoughtful planning, hyperlinks can greatly improve your viewer’s experience.

Presenting with Hyperlinks

When presenting slides with hyperlinks:

• Give viewers a moment to click links as you present
• Verbally indicate when links are available
• Use a mouse pointer or laser to point out links

Remember hyperlinks allow your viewers to take control! Let them explore linked items at their own pace.

Tools to Create Interactive Presentations

To take interactivity to the next level, consider these PowerPoint tools:

• Microsoft Sway: Interactive presentations with animation and multimedia
• Vyond: Animated video presentations
• Prezi: Zoomable canvases for creative slide layouts
• PowerPointLabs: Free plugin with unique transitions and effects

Integrating hyperlinks into your PowerPoint presentations helps engage your audience by giving them control. Follow the tips in this article to add effective links that can make any presentation more dynamic.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

About The Author

Vegaslide staff, related posts.

5 Ways to Highlight Text in a Microsoft PowerPoint Animation

How to Edit the Master Slide in PowerPoint

How to Flip Images in PowerPoint

How to Save a PowerPoint Presentation As a PDF

Why and How to Use Hyperlinks in PowerPoint

Hyperlinks are to online content what a doorway is to a room: they give you a visual prompt that says “there’s more to see here, come on in!” For online content, those visual prompts can take the form of underlined text (usually a different color than the rest of the surrounding text), images, buttons, or other features. When a user mouses over or clicks on these hyperlinks, they’re shown related content. To revisit my doorway metaphor, hyperlinks beckon your audience to take a self-guided tour, instead of making them wait for you to act as their guide.

It’s that nudge to interact with content that makes hyperlinks such an important part of e-learning. With hyperlinks, you can easily make your content more engaging and inviting to learners. Instead of squishing all the relevant text onto a single screen, you can use hyperlinks to add important content to new slides. That means folks can click on a button, a picture, or text, for instance, to be taken directly to the additional information they need.

If you’re building your course in PowerPoint, you can use hyperlinks to jump to:

• Other slides in your presentation file
• A web page or another file
• A new presentation
• A new email message

Linking to other slides in your presentation means you can use PowerPoint to create simple branched scenarios, like this Workplace Scenario , and other interactive experiences, like this tabs interaction . With the ability to link to other files or web pages, you can also use hyperlinks to enrich a user’s experience by referencing source material or jobs aids and other supporting documentation. There are oodles of creative possibilities!

Best of all, hyperlinks are quick and easy to set up in PowerPoint. Let’s take a closer look at what’s involved in creating a hyperlink, as well as some pro tips and considerations for using hyperlinks in your PowerPoint projects.

Creating a Hyperlink

Step 1: Start by opening up your PowerPoint presentation and navigating to the slide where you want to add a link.

You can add hyperlinks to almost any object on your slide, including a text box (or text placeholder), a shape, a SmartArt object, or an image. You can’t add hyperlinks to things like video or embedded charts and graphs, but you can place a shape with a 100% transparency fill color over the tops of such objects and assign the hyperlink to that shape instead. For more details on this trick, check out this article from Tom Kuhlmann .

Step 2: With the object selected, you can either hit CTRL+K or right-click your mouse and navigate to Link...

Or, if you prefer to navigate using menus, you can click on the Insert menu and select Link .

Step 3: From the Insert Hyperlink dialog, choose from one of the following options.

• Existing File or Web Page: links to a file, like an Excel spreadsheet, or to a web page.
• Place in This Document: links to another slide in your presentation.
• Create New Document: triggers the creation of a new document in the folder as the current presentation file.
• E-mail Address: triggers a new email.

Step 4: Now it’s time to add the link using one of the following options:

• If you’d like to link to another slide in your presentation —say, to create a simple branched scenario—you’ll select the target slide from the list of slides on the left of the Insert Hyperlink pop-up. PowerPoint also gives you a slide preview to the right of the selection pane so you can clearly see which slide you’re choosing.

• If you’re linking to another file , you’ll want to navigate to the file’s location on your computer.

• If you’d like to link to a web page , enter the URL for the website in the address box.

• If you’re trying to create a link that triggers the opening of a new email, select E-mail Address from the “Link to” options and enter an email address. You can also enter a subject line for the email if you’d like, but it’s optional.

Step 5: Click OK to apply the hyperlink to the selected object.

And that’s all there is to it! You’ve just added a hyperlink to your PowerPoint project.

As you can see, hyperlinking is pretty easy and quite powerful, but there are a few things to keep in mind when adding them to your PowerPoint projects. Let’s walk through a few of them.

Hyperlinks will only work in Slide Show view in PowerPoint.

Done adding hyperlinks to your presentation? Not so fast! Take a moment to click Slide Show under the View menu and give your hyperlinks a quick click to make sure they’re pointing to the correct destination.

Also, if you’re importing a PowerPoint presentation with hyperlinks into an e-learning authoring tool like Articulate Studio 360 or Articulate Storyline 360, keep in mind that your hyperlinks won’t necessarily work in Preview and may not work at all, depending on how your LMS functions. It’s always a good idea to publish your finished project and upload it to your web server or LMS for testing. Testing your project in the environment your audience will ultimately access it from is the best way to know what works and what doesn't.

The target of your hyperlink must be accessible.

Hyperlinking to a web page or to another presentation? Placing linked documents into a network directory (i.e., not saved locally on your hard drive in the same folder as your presentation)—or linking to a web page—will require a solid internet connection to work properly.

Also, make sure you don’t rename, move, or delete any linked files in your presentation. Doing so will cause any links in your presentation to break.

You can control the color of hyperlinks.

If you’ve selected the text inside a text box and applied a hyperlink to it, you may have noticed that this resulted in the text being underlined and a different color. If you don’t like that color you can easily change it in PowerPoint.

Hyperlink color is located in your project’s color scheme. You can access and change the color scheme by clicking on the Design menu, selecting Colors , and then Customize Colors . Here’s a quick GIF to show you exactly where to find this option.

You can easily add hyperlinks to master slides.

When you’re working with the same slide layout throughout your presentation, it makes more sense to add any hyperlinked objects to the master slide, rather than copying and pasting that link to every slide in your project. Not only does this save you a lot of work, it makes it easier to maintain in the event that you need to update the link later.

For more on working with master slides in PowerPoint, don’t miss Slide Master View: A Big E-Learning Time Saver.

More Reading

Interested in building more PowerPoint skills or adding more interactivity to your e-learning presentations? Check out all the great how-to resources and help in the E-Learning Heroes community. Here’s a small sampling of the many helpful articles available on this topic:

• Affordance: What Does It Mean for E-Learning? by Nicole Legault
• Building Interactive Scenarios in PowerPoint by Tom Kuhlmann
• Presenter 360: Adding Interactivity with Hyperlinks and Branching
• Presenter 360: Adding Videos & Web Objects
• 5 Essential Rapid E-Learning Tips by Tom Kuhlmann

For additional valuable pointers on using PowerPoint for e-learning, check out Dr. Jane Bozarth’s book, Better Than Bullet Points: Creating Engaging E-Learning with PowerPoint.

Ready to move beyond PowerPoint for your online training? See what all the buzz is about and sign up for a free trial of Rise.com , the all-in-one system that makes online training easy to create, enjoyable to take, and simple to manage. Have questions? Please leave them in the comments. 

Related Content

Storyline 3: working with hyperlinks.

Quizmaker 360: Adding Hyperlinks

Storyline 360: Working with Hyperlinks

• Jeffrey Riley

Buy Me a Coffee

• Share this article

• Posted in in How To PowerPoint

How to Insert Hyperlink in PowerPoint

You may want to insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint slides so that during the presentation you can easily access any specific web page or URL. Besides, it is possible to navigate to or open other files on the computer by inserting file directory links. Instead of browsing manually, it will allow you to show any web pages or files directly from your PowerPoint presentation slide, save time, and give you access.

Types of Links to Insert in PowerPoint

You can insert any external links such as web page URLs, or links to any existing file from your internal storage such as PDF, DOC, PPT, JPG, MP4, etc. Additionally, you have the option to link to other slides within your PowerPoint presentations, link to create another new document, or insert mail addresses as well.

Insert External Web Page Link:

Step 01: find the link option.

Select the object such as the text box, shape, or picture where you want to insert the link. Then, go to the Insert tab and click on the ‘Link’ option. Alternatively, after selecting the object, right-click on it and select ‘Hyperlink’ or you can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+K or ⌘ + K as well.

Step 02: Paste the web URL

As you can see, the ‘Insert Hyperlinks’ pop-up box appears. In the address section, paste the web address or URL. Then, click on OK to finish. Now you can see the linked URL on the selected object.

Link to an Internal File or Folder:

You can also link to a specific file or folder that you wish to open or showcase during the presentation. To do so, just browse to that file or folder and click on OK to complete the process.

Link to Another Slide:

One of the most useful features of using hyperlinks in PowerPoint is the ability to link between slides during a presentation. For instance, suppose you are discussing a topic on slide 1 and you want to directly showcase slide 3 without revealing slide 2. In such cases, linking slide 3 to slide 1 allows you to achieve this. It can help to make your presentation more interactive and engaging.

Step 01: Select ‘Place in this document’

When creating a hyperlink between PowerPoint slides, select ‘Place in This Document’ from the ‘Insert Hyperlinks’ menu.

Step 02: Select the slide number

Afterward, select the corresponding slide number that you wish to link and click on OK to complete the process.

Link to Mail and Others:

You can link an email address to easily open your default mail application, allowing you to compose and send emails with just one click. Moreover, you can even create new documents by adding links as well.

How to Open the Inserted Links

During a slideshow in PowerPoint, any link that you have inserted into an object becomes clickable. However, outside of slideshow mode, you can activate the link by holding down CTRL and clicking on it.

Remove the Links in PowerPoint

You can easily remove the links that you have inserted before by clicking on the ‘Remove Link’ option. There are two different methods to remove the links, and you can choose the one you prefer.

Method 01: From the edit hyperlink menu

Select the linked object, go to Insert > Link, or use CTRL+K (Windows) or ⌘ + K (Mac), and then select the ‘Remove Link’ option from the pop-up box.

Method 02: Right-click on the object

Simply, right-click on the object and select ‘ Remove Link ‘ and the links will be removed from that object.

Adding links to a PowerPoint slide can save time and automate the manual process, while also increasing engagement throughout the presentation. For instance, you are no longer required to open the browser and search for the URL in the middle of your presentation. Whereas, you can just insert the hyperlink and it will activate whenever you click on that particular object during the slideshow.

Get a Printable PDF of this Article

Similar to our other PowerPoint how-to articles, you have the option to download a printable PDF of this easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on how to insert a hyperlink in PowerPoint.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we have tried to answer some of your questions about inserting hyperlinks or adding links between PowerPoint slides.

Can I insert a link on a text box in PowerPoint?

Yes! You can insert links on any object such as text boxes, shapes, pictures, charts, icons, etc. Simply select the object, right-click on it, and select the ‘Hyperlink’ option to add a link to it.

Is it possible to link a PDF or Picture in PowerPoint?

Certainly! You can add a link to any file on your computer, regardless of its format – whether it’s a PDF, JPG, DOC, PPT, or any other type. Simply create a hyperlink using the relevant object on your slide. This will make the link clickable and enable it to be opened during the slideshow mode.

Become a Sponsor and Support Our Creative Journey.

Hey there! This is Team PowerPoint School. You can support our work by sending us a cup of coffee and get access to all our premium templates.

More Reading

Post navigation.

• Posted in in Minimal PowerPoint

Premium Minimal 3D Arrow PowerPoint Infographic Slide Template with Animations

How to Insert Picture in PowerPoint

Leave a comment, leave a reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You might also like

Stay a while and check more templates like this

• Neumorphic PowerPoint

Premium Animated Business KPI Chart for PowerPoint Presentation Slide Template

• Posted by by PowerPoint School

• PowerPoint Animation Templates

PowerPoint Animation Kinetic Typography Template

• PowerPoint Presentation Templates

Free PowerPoint Presentation Slide

Subscribe to our newsletter.

How-To Geek

How to link from one powerpoint presentation to another.

Don't waste time creating slides for a presentation when they already exist in another. Just link to them!

Linking two presentations together allows you to save time by using already-existing slides. The transition is almost seamless, giving it the illusion of one single presentation. Here's how to link PowerPoint presentations together.

Before we get started, note that both presentations need to be in the same folder to link them together. Moving or renaming the second file after the link has been created will cause the slide to break.

Linking two presentations together isn't magic, but it’s as simple as inserting and clicking a hyperlink. What this trick does is allows you to insert a link within an object or text from presentation A that brings you to a specific slide of presentation B while still in presentation mode.

Once you’ve opened the first presentation and have navigated to the slide in which you will be linking from, select the text or object where you want to place the hyperlink.

If you haven't already inserted an object, you can do so by selecting any of the options in the "Images" or "Illustrations" group of the "Insert" tab, and then selecting the object you'd like to insert.

Related: How to Insert a Picture or Other Object in Microsoft Office

Once selected, head over to the “Links” group of the “Insert” tab and select “Action."

Now you’ll be at the “Action Settings” menu. Here, select the “Hyperlink To” option. Once selected, you’ll be able to open the drop-down menu underneath it. Do so, and then select “Other PowerPoint Presentation."

Once you select that option, File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) will open. Here, select the presentation you would like to link to. Click the "OK" button.

Next, you'll be greeted with a list of the slides from the presentation you're linking to. Select the slide that you'd like to go to and click "OK."

You’ll now notice the file path of the second presentation appears under the “Hyperlink To” box. Once you’re ready, select the "OK" button.

Your hyperlink will now be inserted in the selected text or object. To ensure it inserted correctly, you can hover your mouse over the text or object and the file path will appear.

If you want to double-check that you pointed to the correct presentation, you can press the Ctrl key while clicking the link to follow it.

Now, when you play the PowerPoint in presentation mode, simply clicking the hyperlinked text or object to give you a seamless transition from the first presentation to the second.

How to embed a video in PowerPoint from YouTube, PC, or Mac

Table of Contents

Videos can transform a plain PowerPoint presentation into a dynamic and memorable experience. They help you explain complex concepts visually, add a touch of emotion, and cater to different learning styles. Whether you choose online videos, YouTube videos, or files from your computer, this guide will show you how to embed a video in PowerPoint in a few easy steps.

How to embed a video in PowerPoint

For this guide, we’ll use screenshots from the free web-based version of Microsoft PowerPoint. Similar steps can be taken for other versions of PowerPoint, so long as they support the mentioned methods and web video links.

💡 Read more about embedding videos in the various versions of PowerPoint on Microsoft’s website.

Option 1: Embed a video from your device

This option works across all Microsoft PowerPoint versions — for Windows, PC, or Mac. Insert videos directly from your device for guaranteed playback and complete control over your presentation delivery.

• Click ‘Insert’ on the main tab/panel.
• Select ‘Video’ → ‘ This Device ’.
• Find the folder and double-click the file to insert the video.

💡Pro tip: Not all Vimeo videos are downloadable, but look for the download button—it means you can embed the video directly.

Option 2: Embed a YouTube video (or from online)

You can embed videos directly from YouTube, SlideShare, Vimeo, Stream, and Flip.

• Find the video you want, and copy the URL from the browser’s address bar. Alternatively, copy the video embed code (if available).
• Go back to PowerPoint and navigate to the slide you want to insert the video.
• From the ‘Insert’ tab, select ‘Video’ → ‘Online Video.’
• Paste the video link or embed code. (from Step 1)
• Click the Insert button.

Finding the YouTube video link for embedding (3 ways)

#1: Copy the URL from the browser address bar:

#2: Under the YouTube video’s ‘Share’ options, then copy the video link.

#3: If you wish to use the embed code, go to ‘Share’ → ‘Embed’ . Click the ‘Copy’ button to copy the entire code.

[Video] How to embed a YouTube video in PowerPoint

Note about using YouTube videos

Unlike videos embedded directly into your presentation file, online videos are hosted externally. You control them through the website’s video player, not PowerPoint’s built-in features (the video format tab will not be available).

Remember, a reliable internet connection is essential for smooth playback of online videos.

💡 Read more: Insert a video from YouTube or another site [Microsoft]

Option 3: Insert a video from Microsoft’s creative content library

For users of PowerPoint for the Web: Microsoft 365 offers a selection of royalty-free stock videos (and images). You can find and insert videos from the online library.

• Select ‘Video’ → ‘Stock Videos’ .
• Find the video you want and click ‘Insert.’

💡 You’ll need a Premium Microsoft Office membership to unlock the entire stock library.

How to play embedded videos in PowerPoint

Ready to rehearse your PowerPoint presentation? Embedded videos won’t start automatically, so you have time to check that the audio settings are correct. When ready, click the ‘Play’ button on the video embed frame.

▶️ Play an uploaded video (from PC, Mac)

Uploaded videos have more playback options than linked web videos. This option also does not require the internet or a stable connection during the presentation. Click on the ‘Play’ icon to start the video.

You’ll see this video playback tab with controls appear:

▶️ Play an embedded online video (from YouTube, Vimeo, etc)

You will need a stable internet connection during your PowerPoint presentation as the embedded video is directly streamed from the video platform. Click on the ‘Play’ icon to start the linked video.

💡 Note: When embedding online or YouTube videos, you’ll primarily use the streaming site’s controls (play, pause, volume). PowerPoint’s advanced editing features won’t work on these web videos.

Tips for embedding videos in PowerPoint

While videos add a powerful element to your presentations, there are some downsides worth considering, such as the risk of technical glitches and a larger PowerPoint file size.

Use these tips to keep your PowerPoint presentation smooth:

• Purpose: Ensure each video serves a clear purpose and enhances your message rather than being a distraction. 
• Length: Keep videos short and focused to maintain your audience’s attention.
• Audio: Ensure the video’s audio is clear and at the right volume for your presentation.
• Manage video size: Large video files can make your presentation slow and challenging to share. Use online tools to compress media files without sacrificing significant quality.
• Prioritize reliability: If a smooth presentation is crucial, embed videos directly from your device to avoid internet dependency. Inserting a video from your device guarantees playback even without an internet connection.
• Test and rehearse: Review your presentation beforehand to ensure your videos play seamlessly.

Related article: Don’t Present Without These 16 PowerPoint Dos and Don’ts

Videos are a fantastic addition to your presentation toolbox. Embedding videos into your PowerPoint slideshow makes them more engaging and memorable. Videos grab attention, explain complex ideas, and make your presentation more impactful. They offer a powerful way to complement your core message and keep things interesting.

This short tutorial covers three options: directly from your device or computer, using Microsoft’s stock video library, or pasting a video file link from online platforms like YouTube.

Keep your audience captivated with a variety of content: videos, images, well-crafted text, and engaging delivery. Remember to rehearse beforehand for a smooth, successful presentation!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the supported video formats.

Recommended: .mp4 (offers the best balance of compatibility, quality, and file size).

For older PowerPoint versions (2010 and earlier): Consider using .wmv for wider compatibility.

Other PowerPoint-supported video formats:

• .avi (may require additional codecs)
• .mpeg or .mpg
• .mov (for Mac users)

Why can’t I add a video to PowerPoint?

Common reasons and solutions:

• Unsupported file format: Make sure your video file is in a PowerPoint-compatible format (.mp4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the safest bet).
• Outdated PowerPoint: Check and install available updates for your PowerPoint version.
• Incorrect embed code: Double-check you’ve copied and pasted the embed code correctly (beginning from <iframe> and ending with </iframe>). If the issue persists, the video platform may not support embedding.
• Older PowerPoint limitations (Windows only): If you’re using an older PowerPoint version on Windows, you might be restricted to embedding YouTube videos only. Consider updating PowerPoint or embedding the video file directly.
• Internet Explorer issues (Windows only): While not strictly necessary, some older video functionality might rely on Internet Explorer components. Ensure you’re using a supported IE version.
• Broken or removed video link: Verify that the linked video hasn’t been taken down or made private.

💡 Pro tip: Try Option 1 (Embed a video from your device) if the other methods don’t work.

For more info, read Why can’t I embed a video in PowerPoint? [Microsoft]

Can I use an older version of PowerPoint?

Yes, you can use earlier versions of PowerPoint or PowerPoint for the Web (free) . However, remember that limited support is available, potential compatibility issues with newer file formats or online features exist, and new features are missing.

Consider upgrading to Microsoft 365 if you prioritize security and support, need the newest features, or work with collaborators using newer versions.

Related article: Step-by-Step: How To Convert PowerPoint to Google Slides

Save Time and Effortlessly Create Presentations with SlidesAI

Mar 11, 2024

A new way to animate your content in PowerPoint for the web

Lakshay Gupta

• Add our blog to your RSS feed reader" href="/rss/blog.xml" data-bi-name="RSS Subscription" data-bi-id="rss_feed" data-bi-bhvr="120" data-bi-socchn="RSSSubscription" title="Microsoft 365 Insider Blog RSS" target="blank" class="d-inline-block">

Hey, Microsoft365 Insiders! We are Amya Rai, a Product Designer, and Lakshay Gupta, a Product Manager, on the PowerPoint team. We’re happy to share improvements that will help you make your slides more visually appealing and more understandable using animations.  

A new way to animate your content in PowerPoint for the web 

Through research, we have learned that the current animation creation workflow can be quite daunting and that many of you expect it to be less time consuming and easier to follow. Based on that feedback, we’ve updated the workflow to meet these 3 basic goals: 

How it works

• Open an existing presentation and select an object you want to animate. 

      2. Select Animations > Animation Pane . 

      3. In the Animation pane, click the Add Animation button. 

      4. In the animation card for the selected object, edit the animation properties as needed.  

      5. To add more than one animation to the selected object, click the Add button at the top of the task pane and notice that corresponding cards are added to the Animations pane.

       6. To delete an applied animation, click the Delete icon in the top right corner of the corresponding card.

      7. To reorder animations, select the six-dots (reordering dots) icon in the top-left of the card and drag the card to place the selected animation in a new position.

Tips and tricks

• You can also animate an object by right-clicking it and selecting Add Animation from the shortcut menu.

• The various categories of animations are divided into three categories – Entrance, Exit, and Emphasis – which can be accessed by selecting View more animations in the card. 

• You can add a default animation to multiple objects at once by selecting them and then clicking the Add button. Alternatively, you can right-click all of the selected objects and select Add Animation in the shortcut menu.

Coming Soon

We will be soon enable you to get a sneak-peek at your applied animation using a Preview button. After selecting the button, you will be able to navigate through the animation by clicking anywhere on the slide or pressing the Enter and arrow keys as well as the spacebar.

Availability

These features are available to all PowerPoint for the web users except Preview, which should be available soon.

Feedback 

We’d love to hear from you! To submit feedback, please select Help  >   Feedback  and let us know what you think! 

Sorry, JavaScript must be enabled to use this app.