How to insert a link into an e-mail

Updated: 04/09/2024 by Computer Hope
Hyperlink on a screen.

E-mail clients have many features beyond writing a message to another user. Among these features is the ability to insert a link in a message so the recipient can view a specific website, video, or picture. To proceed, select your e-mail client from the list below and follow the instructions.

Google Gmail logo.

Google Gmail

  1. Log in to your Gmail account.
  2. In the upper-left corner of the window, click the Compose button in Gmail. button to create a new e-mail message. You may also reply to a message you have received previously.
  3. When you're ready to insert a hyperlink in the body of your message, click the Icon which inserts a hyperlink in gmail. icon at the bottom of the message window.

Bottom menu in a Gmail e-mail message.

  1. In the new window, choose which type of link you want to insert (A).
  2. Choose the text you want the link to display (B) and fill out the URL (uniform resource locator) for the link or e-mail address (C).

Link information prompt.

  1. When you're finished, click the Okay button on a Gmail message. button. You should see the link added to the body of your message.
Microsoft Outlook Logo

Microsoft Outlook online (formerly Hotmail)

  1. Log in to your Microsoft Outlook.com e-mail account.
  2. Near the top of the window on the left side, click the down arrow next to New and select Email message. You may also reply to a message you received previously.

Button to click to create a new e-mail.

  1. When you're ready to insert a hyperlink in the body of your message, click the Icon which inserts a hyperlink in Outlook.com. icon at the bottom of the message window.

Bottom menu in Outlook.com.

  1. In the new window, type the URL of the web page you want to link (A), and click the OK button (B).

Prompt where you type a link to insert in Outlook.com Mail.

  1. You should see a link with an image added to the body of your message.
Tip

In the body of your message, you may delete the URL text and still keep the image link below it.

Shows the user where to erase the printed link URL in the body of the message.

Yahoo! mail logo.

Yahoo! mail

  1. Log in to your Yahoo! e-mail account.
  2. In the upper-left corner of the screen, click the Compose button in Yahoo! mail. button. You may also reply to a message you received previously.
  3. In the bottom of the message body message, click the Yahoo! mail link icon. icon.

Yahoo! mail bottom icon tray.

  1. In the new window, type the text you want to see in the link (A), enter the URL (B), and click Save (C).

Information form for a link in Yahoo! mail.

Tip

In the body of your message, you may delete the URL text and still keep the image link below it.

Words above a link in a Yahoo! mail message.

Tip

Moving your mouse cursor to the top-right corner of the link image opens a menu allowing you to change the image's size and location, or remove it.

More options menu on a link in Yahoo! mail.

Microsoft Outlook Logo

Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express

Insert a hyperlink

  1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
  2. Reply to an existing e-mail, or compose a new e-mail by clicking the Message tab in the top-left portion of the window.
  3. Click the Insert tab at the top of the window.
  4. In the Link box, type the URL and the text for the link.

Turn message text into a hyperlink

  1. Highlight the text you want to turn into a hyperlink.
  1. At the top of the window, click the Insert tab, and then Hyperlink.
  2. Type the URL you want to link.
Apple Mail logo.

Apple Mail

This section contains instructions for those using macOS on a desktop or laptop computer. If you're on an iMac or MacBook, follow the steps below.

  1. Open Apple Mail.
Tip

If you've opened the Apple Mail app recently, its shortcut icon may appear in the Dock.

  1. On the top-right side of the screen, click the Compose new message button.

Compose message icon in Apple Mail.

  1. Enter a recipient, subject, and message. When you're ready to insert a link, highlight a word or section of text.

Highlighting text to create a link in Apple Mail.

  1. Right-click the highlighted text. In the drop-down menu, hover your mouse cursor over the Link entry and select Add Link from the pop-out menu.

Adding a link to a message in Apple Mail.

  1. Enter the URL for the destination site or file, and click the OK button.

Entering the URL for a link in an Apple Mail message.

  1. You should see the highlighted text in your message turn blue and be underlined.

Finalized link in the body of an Apple Mail message.