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In Illustrator, add a URL to a web graphic by selecting the object, opening Window > Attributes, choosing a shape in Image Map, and entering the destination URL. This is a web-linking workflow; Adobe’s reviewed Illustrator help does not document using that method to create a clickable link annotation in a PDF.
If your goal is a clickable Interactive PDF, Adobe documents a hyperlink workflow in InDesign instead. Choose the method based on the output you need, and test the result in its intended environment.
Add a URL hotspot to a web graphic in Illustrator
- Select the object that should be clickable.
- Open the Attributes panel: choose Window > Attributes.
- Choose an image-map shape from the Image Map menu to match the intended hotspot.
- Enter the destination URL in the URL field. Adobe’s image-map documentation says you can use the Browser button to check the URL location.
- Export for the intended web use and test the result in the destination environment. Do not assume that a link behaves identically across output formats.
Adobe describes an image map as a way to keep artwork as one image while assigning clickable hotspots, which can be rectangular or polygonal. See Adobe’s Illustrator image-map documentation.
Image maps and slices: what is the difference?
Both can link artwork to URLs for web-page output, but they handle the artwork and clickable areas differently.
#1 Best Overall
| Method | How it handles artwork | Clickable area | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image map | Keeps the artwork as one image | Rectangular or polygonal hotspots | Linking areas within one web graphic |
| Slice | Splits artwork into separate files | Rectangular link regions | Web-page output divided into separate image regions |
Adobe warns that overlapping image-map hotspots and URL-linked slices can cause either link to be ignored in some browsers. Avoid overlapping linked regions and test the exported result.
Can an Illustrator image map create a clickable PDF link?
Do not rely on Illustrator’s image-map setting alone to create a PDF link. Illustrator’s PDF help describes saving or exporting a PDF and notes that its Rich Content preset includes hyperlinks and other interactive elements, but the reviewed help does not show how to assign a URL to an ordinary Illustrator object as a PDF link annotation. Web image-map linking and PDF hyperlink authoring are separate workflows.
Rank #2
Adobe explains how to create PDF files using File > Save As or File > Export > Export As in its Illustrator PDF documentation. That PDF-export guidance is not an object-to-URL procedure.
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If the required output is an Interactive PDF with a hyperlink, Adobe documents creating the link in InDesign and exporting the document to Interactive PDF.
Rank #3
- Select the text, text frame, or graphic frame that should carry the link.
- Choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > New Hyperlink.
- Select the link type, such as URL, File, or Email, and enter the destination.
- Export the document as an Interactive PDF.
- Open and test the exported PDF in the environment your audience will use.
For the current steps, see Adobe’s InDesign hyperlink instructions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.FAQ
Where is the hyperlink option in Illustrator?
For a web graphic, open Window > Attributes, choose a shape from Image Map, and enter the URL. This documented method is for web linking, not a guaranteed way to create a clickable PDF link.
Rank #4
Can I make a polygon-shaped hotspot in Illustrator?
Yes. Adobe’s Illustrator image-map documentation describes rectangular and polygonal hotspots. Choose the image-map shape that fits the intended clickable area, then test the web output.
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Should I use slices or an image map?
Use an image map when the artwork should remain one image with hotspots. Use slices when the artwork needs to be split into separate files with rectangular link regions. Avoid overlapping linked regions because some browsers may ignore one of the links.
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How do I add a hyperlink to an Interactive PDF?
Adobe documents creating hyperlinks in InDesign: select text or a frame, create a new hyperlink, enter its destination, then export as Interactive PDF. Illustrator’s documented image-map steps do not establish an equivalent PDF-link workflow.
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