Inserting hyperlinks in PowerPoint presentations can make them more engaging and interactive. Hyperlinks allow you to connect your slides to other slides within the presentation, link to external documents or websites, open emails, and more. With just a few clicks, you can add clickable links to take your audience exactly where you want them to go.
The basics of adding hyperlinks in PowerPoint are quite straightforward. However, there are some tips and tricks that can help you get more out of hyperlinks and avoid common pitfalls. In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the fundamentals of inserting hyperlinks in PowerPoint as well as more advanced techniques.
How to Insert Basic Hyperlinks in Microsoft PowerPoint
To insert a basic hyperlink in PowerPoint, first select the text, image, picture, shape, or other object that you want to make clickable. Then go to the Insert tab and click the Hyperlink button. This will open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box. 
From here, you have several options:
- Link to Existing File or Web Page: This allows you to link to a web address URL or another file on your computer, like a Word doc or another PowerPoint presentation. Just type or paste the address into the address field and click OK.
- Place in This Document: Choose this option to link to another slide within the same PowerPoint presentation slide show. Select the specific slide and click OK.
- Create New Document: You can add a hyperlink to another presentation and open a new file when clicked. PowerPoint will create the blank file in the same folder as the presentation.
- Email Address: Insert an email address to create a mailto link that will open the default email app when clicked.
- ScreenTip: This displays hover text when you mouse over the link, helpful for additional info.
Customizing Hyperlink Appearance
By default, PowerPoint applies a blue color and underline to hyperlinks. But you can customize this to better fit your presentation design:
- Go to the Design tab, open the Color Scheme, choose Hyperlink and Followed Hyperlink, and pick custom colors.
- You can remove the underline from hyperlinked text by right-clicking the text box object (not just the text) and selecting ‘Remove Hyperlink’.
- To remove the color on a text hyperlink, right-click just the text and choose ‘Remove Hyperlink’. This removes the formatting while keeping the link.
Advanced Techniques
- Add invisible hotspots over objects like images or videos to make any object clickable without visible links. Just add a transparent rectangle shape and hyperlink it.
- Insert web pages directly onto PowerPoint slides as embedded web objects. Go to Insert > Web Object, add the URL, and choose to insert as an object.
- Link to a specific part of a website page, like an anchor link, by adding #anchor-name to the URL.
- Link to bookmarks in other Office documents to jump to certain slides, sheets, or headings.
- Use hyperlinks and navigation buttons to connect slides and create a non-linear presentation that viewers can click through.
- Include ScreenTips with a text popup to provide extra context and instructions for your links.
Tips for Better Presentations
- Be consistent with link formats and locations. For example, put external website links in footers but internal document links in headers.
- Avoid overwhelming your audience with too many links per slide. Stick to key relevant resources.
- Use linking strategically to connect your main points or guide viewers through information.
- Ensure hyperlinked materials are accessible for presentation viewers if linking to external content.
- Test all hyperlinks thoroughly prior to finalizing your presentation. Review again before each delivery.
- For presentations to be viewed online, check that hyperlinks and embedded documents work as expected and consider alternatives like screenshot images if needed.
Preparing Links for Online Presentations
If you plan to publish your PowerPoint presentation online for remote viewing, keep these tips in mind:
- Verify that all hyperlinks work correctly on the live online presentation, not just your local PowerPoint file. Relative file path links may break.
- For links to other Office documents, convert the files to PDFs and link to them instead of original .pptx or .docx files.
- Use absolute URL paths starting with “http://” instead of relative paths to local files.
- Upload any externally linked files used in your presentation to the same cloud storage like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive to ensure accessibility.
- For linking within the presentation, use slide names or slide numbers instead of hyperlinks which can fail in online view.
- Screenshots can be used as visual hotspots instead of linking to external sites if needed.
Troubleshooting Tips
Some common hyperlinking issues and solutions include:
- Broken links – Verify the original URL or file location is still valid. Update incorrect or changed addresses.
- Inaccurate anchors – Double check anchor / bookmark spelling within linked pages.
- Security warnings – If linking to external sites like PDFs, subscribe for SSL certificates or use more trusted file sharing platforms.
- Online documents not working – Try converting Office docs and slides to PDFs for linking to ensure they display properly in browsers.
- Stylized text links failing – Use transparent shapes over stylized text to create clickable hotspots for online viewing.
- Links not working as expected – Test extensively in both desktop and mobile browsers to catch device-specific issues.
By following these tips and techniques, you can add hyperlinks to your PowerPoint presentations with confidence. Well-placed links will create a more engaging, interactive, and useful experience for your audience. Mastering hyperlinks opens up new possibilities for connecting information and improving the flow of your slides.