How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook (2024)

> MS Office

Share links to websites and web pages in an email message

Heinz Tschabitscher

Writer

University of Vienna

A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on September 18, 2022

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

Reviewed byRyan Perian

Western Governors University

Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

In This Article

View All

In This Article

Microsoft 365 or Outlook Online
Windows PC Desktop App
Mac Desktop App
Frequently Asked Questions

What to Know

Microsoft 365 or Outlook online: Select the text you want to link. From the formatting bar, select Insert Link.
Outlook desktop app on a Windows PC: Select the text you want to link and go to Insert > Link.
Outlook desktop app on a Mac: Select the text you want to link and go to Format > Hyperlink.

This article explains how to embed a link in an Outlook email. Instructions apply to the Outlook desktop app for Windows PCs, Outlook for Mac on a desktop, Outlook for Microsoft 365, and Outlook Online.

Insert a Link in Outlook: Microsoft 365 or Outlook Online

You can link any word or image in your message to any page on the web. When the recipient selects the link, the website opens automatically. Here's how it works if you're using Outlook as part of Microsoft 365 or you're using a free Outlook Online email account. (Functionality is the same for both versions.)

Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
Select the text (or image) you want to use for the link.
From the formatting toolbar, select Insert Link (link icon).
In the Insert Link dialog box, enter the web address and select OK.
Your selected text is now a live hyperlink. When the email recipient selects the link, they'll be taken to the URL.

Insert a Link in Outlook: Windows PC Desktop App

It's easy to insert a link into an Outlook email using the Outlook Windows desktop app.

Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
See Also
Paste Text Without Formatting - Assist
Select the text or image you want to use for the link.
Go to the Insert tab.
Select Link.

You can also right-click and select Link to add the link.
Enter or paste the URL to which you want to link.
To insert a link to an email address, select Email Address and fill in the fields. In Outlook Online, in the Address text box, enter mailto: followed by the email address.
Select OK to insert the link. When the recipient of the email selects the linktext in your email, the linked URL opens in a browser.

Insert a Link in Outlook: Mac Desktop App

Inserting a link using Outlook on a Mac desktop is also straightforward.

Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
Select the text or image you want to use for the link.
Go to Format > Hyperlink.

Or, use the keyboard shortcut Command + K to insert a link.
In the Insert Hyperlink box, enter or paste the URL to which you want to link and select OK.
Your selected text is now a live hyperlink. When the email recipient selects the link, they'll be taken to the URL.

FAQ

How do I insert a link in an Instagram story?

To add a link to an Instagram story, create your story, then go to the top of the page and select the link icon > URL. Type or paste the URL into the field provided and then selectDone. When users swipe up, they can access the clickable link.
How do I insert a link in Excel?

Select the cell where you want to create a link, and then go to Insert > Hyperlink. Type or enter the URL and select OK. You can also link to an object or image in Excel.
How do I insert a link in Word?

To insert a link in a Word document, highlight the text or image that you want to link. Right-click the text and chooseLinkorHyperlink, depending on your word version. Enter or paste the URL and select OK.

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for letting us know!

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

Tell us why!

FAQs

How to Insert a Link Into an Email With Outlook? ›

In your message, select the text you want to change into a hyperlink. On the Message tab on the Ribbon, select Insert Link, or under the Format menu, select Hyperlink. In the Insert Link box, type the address for the link and select OK.

Read On ›

How to embed a link in Outlook email? ›

From the menu at the top, click on Insert and then select Link from the submenu. In the Insert Link box that appears, you should see the content you selected and a space for you to enter the web address this hyperlink should point to when it's clicked on. Enter the target web address and click OK.

Discover More Details ›

How do I make a clickable link in an email? ›

You can also use the Ctrl + K on Windows or ⌘ + K on Mac to insert link. Paste your link in the box to the right of Web address and click OK.

What is the shortcut to insert a link in Outlook? ›

Edit text

To do this	Press
Insert a hyperlink.	Ctrl+K
Paste content from the clipboard into the current location.	Ctrl+V
Repeat the most recent action.	Ctrl+Y
Reverse the most recent action.	Ctrl+Z

4 more rows

See Details ›

How do I enable links in emails Outlook? ›

Check to see if the email message you're composing or viewing is in plain text. Check to see if an InfoBar at the top of the message informs you that links are disabled. If so, click the button in the InfoBar to enable external content.

Find Out More ›

Why can't I hyperlink in Outlook? ›

The main reason of hyperlinks not working in Outlook is the default Internet browser not registered (properly) in your operating system. Typically, this issue comes up after uninstalling Google Chrome or changing the default browser from Internet Explorer to either Chrome or Firefox.

Tell Me More ›

How do you copy a link and make it clickable in Outlook? ›

Here's how:

Open your web browser and navigate to the site you want to link to.
Tap the address in the address bar to highlight it.
If you don't see a horizontal menu bar with the option to Copy, tap the highlighted text to bring it up.
Tap Copy.
Return to Outlook and tap the "Link" field.
Select Paste.

Oct 18, 2021

Show Me More ›

What is the shortcut key to insert a link in an email? ›

Link to a new email message

Place the cursor where you want the link in your document. To insert a link, press Command+K.

Explore More ›

How do I create a short link in Outlook? ›

Select the text that you want to turn into a hyperlink, and right-click it. On the shortcut menu, click Hyperlink. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog, paste the link in the Address box and click OK.

How do you get a link to a message in Outlook? ›

---- Hover over the message you want to link to and click on the "More options" icon (three dots). ---- Click on "Copy link to message" from the drop-down menu. ---- The link to the message will be copied to your clipboard, and you can share it with others.

Show Me More ›

Why is the link not showing in email? ›

Check your internet connection: Make sure that your internet connection is stable and working properly. If your internet connection is weak or unstable, hyperlinks may not work. Check your browser settings: Check your browser settings to make sure that you have not disabled hyperlinks.

Read The Full Story ›

How do I direct email links in Outlook? ›

Use "mailto:email" in the href (destination URL). It will open the configured mail client. If it is Outlook, it will open it.

See Details ›

How to embed files in Outlook email? ›

Attach a file or picture from your computer in Outlook on the web or Outlook.com

Reply, Forward or create a new email message or calendar event.
Select. Attach then Browse this computer.
Choose the file you want to attach and select Open.

Get More Info Here ›

How do I send a link instead of an attachment in Outlook? ›

To get started, in your Outlook desktop app, go into File, then Options, and look within the General section for Attachment Options. Select Always share them as links and click Ok. That's all you need to do to change your default; you're now ready to send attachments as links!

How do I add a hyperlink email address in my Outlook signature? ›

Select the Email field in the signature template. In the Properties pane, expand the Text section and select EDIT HYPERLINK. This opens the Hyperlink window. In the Destination URL field, enter the mailing address in place of {Email}.