Links are a fundamental part of the internet, allowing you to navigate across pages and websites. For example, this link brings you back to the homepage: Return to clickwp.com
As website owners, it’s important to create links within your content to direct visitors to related pages or even external websites. This article will explain several different ways to create links in WordPress.
With the Block Editor
How to Add Text Links in WordPress Posts and Pages
Links are made up of 2 components:
The anchor text which the clickable part of the link, and the URL which looks like this: https://clickwp.com. URLs must always begin with http.
In the WordPress editor, select the anchor text with your mouse. This will cause it to be highlighted.
Next, click the Link button to reveal the link popover. Now you can either:
- Paste the URL, or
- Search for content on your site to link to.
Click the arrow or press Return to accept the link.
Optionally, toggle the option to open in a new tab. When visitors click the link, the link will load in a new browser tab or window. While this helps visitors keep their place on your site, it is not recommended to avoid disorienting visually-impaired visitors.
Shortcut: You can also select the text and press Ctrl+V / Cmd+V to paste the link directly onto the selected text to create a link
Removing links
Click on the link. The formatting toolbar appears. Click the remove link button, which replaces the original link button.
Post embeds
If you paste a URL into the block editor without selecting any anchor text, WordPress will attempt to convert it into a post embed. Here’s how a post embed looks:
If you don’t want a post embed, you can convert it into a regular link like this:
How to Add Image Links in WordPress
In the post editor, add an image block.
Next, select the image and click the link button.
The link popover appears. Paste your link or search for the content on your site to link to. With images, you can also link to the image file directly by selecting the option in the link popover.
Creating Links with the Classic Editor
The Classic Editor is still in use in many areas in WordPress, like for WooCommerce product pages. Here’s how to create links with it.
Start by selecting the text you want to link. This will cause it to be highlighted.
Next, click the Link button in the toolbar to reveal the link popover. Now you can either:
- Paste the URL, or
- Search for content on your site to link to.
Click the arrow or press Return to accept the link.
Clicking the Link Options button (cog icon) the link settings window will appear, where you can set the link to open in a new tab.
When visitors click the link, the link will load in a new browser tab or window. While this helps visitors keep their place on your site, it is not recommended to avoid disorienting visually-impaired visitors.
To add an image link, first add the image to the content. Now select the image and then click the Link button.
Repeat the steps above to link your image.
