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Select the text, frame, graphic, or object you want readers to click, then choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > New Hyperlink. Choose a destination, enter or select it, and confirm. To deliver a usable link, export to a format that supports interactivity—usually Adobe PDF (Interactive) for a digital PDF—and test the exported file.

Make a web link from text

  1. With the Type tool, select the words that should be clickable.
  2. Choose Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > New Hyperlink.
  3. In Link To, choose URL.
  4. Enter the complete web address, including https:// when appropriate. A full address is safer than a bare domain or partial path.
  5. If you will reuse the same destination, select the shared-destination option; otherwise enter the URL directly.
  6. Choose an appearance or character style if needed, then select OK.

Adobe documents this workflow in its InDesign hyperlink creation guide. The link is defined in the InDesign document, but it is not ready for readers until you export and test it.

Link an image, shape, or frame

Select the graphic frame, text frame, or other object with the Selection tool before creating the hyperlink. Use the same New Hyperlink command and choose the destination. This makes the object clickable even if it has no visible border in the final document.

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For a non-text source, set its appearance to Visible Rectangle if readers should see a border, or Invisible Rectangle if the object should remain visually unchanged. The editing outline shown in InDesign is not necessarily part of the exported file. A simple image that opens a URL generally needs only a hyperlink; consider a button when the design requires additional interactive behavior. See Adobe’s hyperlink appearance options.

Choose the right destination

In the Link To menu, select the destination that matches what the reader needs:

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  • URL: A website or other web resource. Enter the complete address.
  • Email: An email address, with an optional subject. The link relies on the reader’s device and configured mail handler; it may open a desktop app, webmail, or nothing.
  • File: A local or packaged file. The linked file must be delivered in an accessible location too; a path on your computer is not automatically portable.
  • Page: A page in the current or another InDesign document. Select the target document and page, then choose the zoom behavior, such as Fit View or Inherit Zoom. Page links suit fixed-layout navigation such as a contents page or catalog.
  • Text Anchor: A named location in the document. Create an anchor at the target using the Hyperlinks panel or destination controls, then link to it. An anchor is often a better target than a page number when a document may be edited or reflowed.
  • Shared Destination: A saved destination that can be reused by multiple links, making common targets easier to maintain.

For email links, select the source, choose Email, enter the address and optional subject, and select OK. For page or anchor links, select the source first and choose the corresponding destination type in the same dialog. Adobe lists these destination types and controls in its creation instructions.

Convert existing URLs into hyperlinks

If the document already contains typed web addresses, Adobe’s documented conversion command is Type > Hyperlinks & Cross-References > Convert URLs To Hyperlinks. Choose whether to scan the document, story, or selection; choose a character style if desired; select Find, then convert one result or all. The command is described in Adobe’s hyperlinks help page; menu availability can vary with the installed InDesign version.

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Change the look and add accessible link information

Text hyperlinks commonly use the Hyperlink character style, often blue and underlined by default. Change that style through Window > Styles > Character Styles, or choose another character style in the hyperlink’s Appearance settings. Because the character style is part of the document’s appearance, its formatting can export and print; it is different from an editing indicator visible only in InDesign.

For non-text sources, appearance settings control the rectangle and its highlight behavior. Depending on the selected options, the exported link can use a visible or invisible boundary and a highlight such as Invert, Outline, Inset, or None. These settings are separate from the dotted or colored indicator you may see while editing. Adobe explains the distinction in its appearance-options documentation.

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Use descriptive link text that makes sense out of context, rather than relying on “click here” or color alone. For a graphic link, add alternate text in the hyperlink dialog’s Accessibility section where appropriate. A useful description does not by itself guarantee an accessible PDF or EPUB: reading order, document structure, export settings, and the reading application also matter. Adobe describes the dialog’s accessibility controls in its hyperlink guide.

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Export links in a reader-friendly format

Digital PDF

  1. Choose File > Export.
  2. Select Adobe PDF (Interactive) as the format and save the file.
  3. Set the export options and select Export.

Interactive PDF is Adobe’s digital-PDF workflow for interactive features such as hyperlinks. Adobe PDF (Print) is intended for print-oriented output, so do not choose it as the default when the deliverable needs clickable navigation. See Adobe’s interactive PDF export instructions and its supported format information.

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EPUB

InDesign exports fixed-layout and reflowable EPUBs, but hyperlink support is not identical to PDF support. Adobe documents text hyperlinks and cross-references to URLs, anchors, and pages, and notes object-based and page-link support for fixed-layout EPUB. Export for the layout that fits the book, then test it in the EPUB readers your audience is likely to use. See Adobe’s EPUB support and limitations and EPUB export options.

HTML

Adobe’s hyperlink-creation guidance identifies HTML as an output that can preserve hyperlinks, but the exact workflow and feature support depend on the export method and InDesign version. Check the options for your installed version and test the resulting HTML rather than assuming it behaves like an interactive PDF.

Check, edit, and troubleshoot links

Open Window > Interactive > Hyperlinks to inspect and manage links. Adobe’s Hyperlinks panel guide covers editing, renaming, deleting, navigating to, resetting, and updating hyperlinks. Deleting a hyperlink removes its behavior, not its source text or graphic.

  • A link works in InDesign but not the PDF: Check the destination in the Hyperlinks panel and export again as Adobe PDF (Interactive). Test the result in a desktop PDF reader and a browser viewer; behavior can depend on the viewer.
  • A web link does not open the right page: Check for a complete, correctly spelled URL, including the intended path.
  • A file link works only on your computer: It may point to a local path. Put the file in the delivery package at the expected location, or use a web-hosted destination.
  • A link is unexpectedly blue or underlined: Inspect the applied Hyperlink character style or select a different style in Appearance settings.
  • The clickable area seems too small: Check that the hyperlink source is the intended frame or object, not just a small portion of it. Confirm the active area in the exported file.
  • A link disappears after text edits: Inspect the source and destination in the Hyperlinks panel. Hyperlink markers are associated with locations in text, so deleting or moving linked text can affect the link; Adobe explains marker behavior in its marker guide.
  • An EPUB link behaves differently than expected: Check whether the export is fixed-layout or reflowable and test in the target reading app; consult Adobe’s EPUB limitations.

Before delivering a final export, click external URLs, check internal destinations after page reordering or substantial edits, try email links on a device with a mail handler, and test file links from a clean copy of the delivery folder. Recheck the exported file—not just the InDesign source.

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