Revolutionize Your Email Game: Learn How to Insert Links Like a Pro with Outlook!

It’s a fact: email is still one of the most popular ways to communicate in business. Whether you’re sending a message to your boss, colleagues, or clients, it’s essential to make your emails professional and easy to read. One way to achieve this is by inserting links efficiently. Here’s how to do it like a pro using Microsoft Outlook.

Before we get to the tutorial, let’s quickly review why links are essential in emails. First, links can save space. Instead of cluttering your email with long URLs, shorten them with a hyperlink. Second, links can make your message more engaging. If you’re promoting a product or service, a link can provide a sneak peek or additional information. Lastly, links can make your message more actionable. By providing a clickable call-to-action, you’re making it easy for the recipient to take action and respond to your email.

Now that we’ve established the importance of links let’s learn how to insert them efficiently in Outlook.

Step 1: Highlight the text you want to hyperlink. It could be a word, sentence, or phrase.

Step 2: Right-click the highlighted text and select “Hyperlink” from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: In the “Insert Hyperlink” window, enter the URL you want to add. Make sure to include the http:// or https:// protocol.

Step 4: Customize the display text. Instead of using the full URL as the link text, you can edit it to be more natural and informative. For example, change “https://www.example.com/" to “Click here for our latest deals on shoes.”

Step 5: Choose where to open the hyperlink. By default, Outlook opens links in the same window or tab. However, you can change this by selecting “Target Frame” and selecting if you want to open the link in a new window, new tab, or the parent frame.

Step 6: Click “OK” to add the hyperlink.

Now that you know how to insert a hyperlink in Outlook, here are some bonus tips to make sure your links are compelling and functional.

  1. Use descriptive link text. Avoid using generic text like “click here” or “visit.” Instead, try to create curiosity or provide value to the reader. For example, “Find out how we can save you money on your next purchase” or “Discover the one hack that will change your productivity forever.”

  2. Test the link before sending the email. Make sure that the URL is accurate and goes to the intended destination. There’s nothing more frustrating than a broken link.

  3. Use URL shorteners. If you’re dealing with long URLs, consider using services like bitly.com or tinyurl.com to shorten them.

  4. Avoid using too many links. While links can enhance your email, overdoing it can also be overwhelming. Limit your hyperlinks to one or two per email.

Conclusion

Inserting links like a pro in Outlook can revolutionize your email game. By providing short, descriptive, and actionable links, your messages will be more engaging, professional, and effective. So don’t be afraid to experiment with hyperlinks in your next email - your recipients will thank you for it!

This article explains how to embed a link in an Outlook email. Instructions apply to the Outlook desktop app for Windows PCs, Outlook for Mac on a desktop, Outlook for Microsoft 365, and Outlook Online.

What to Know

  • Microsoft 365 or Outlook online: Select the text you want to link. From the formatting bar, select Insert Link.Outlook desktop app on a Windows PC: Select the text you want to link and go to Insert > Link. Outlook desktop app on a Mac: Select the text you want to link and go to Format > Hyperlink.

You can link any word or image in your message to any page on the web. When the recipient selects the link, the website opens automatically. Here’s how it works if you’re using Outlook as part of Microsoft 365 or you’re using a free Outlook Online email account. (Functionality is the same for both versions.)

  • Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
  • Select the text (or image) you want to use for the link.
  • From the formatting toolbar, select Insert Link (link icon).
  • In the Insert Link dialog box, enter the web address and select OK.
  • Your selected text is now a live hyperlink. When the email recipient selects the link, they’ll be taken to the URL.

It’s easy to insert a link into an Outlook email using the Outlook Windows desktop app.

Compose a new message or reply to a current message.

Select the text (or image) you want to use for the link.

From the formatting toolbar, select Insert Link (link icon).

In the Insert Link dialog box, enter the web address and select OK.

Your selected text is now a live hyperlink. When the email recipient selects the link, they’ll be taken to the URL.

  • Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
  • Select the text or image you want to use for the link.
  • Go to the Insert tab.
  • Select Link.
  • You can also right-click and select Link to add the link.
  • Enter or paste the URL to which you want to link.
  • To insert a link to an email address, select Email Address and fill in the fields. In Outlook Online, in the Address text box, enter mailto: followed by the email address.
  • Select OK to insert the link. When the recipient of the email selects the link text in your email, the linked URL opens in a browser.

Inserting a link using Outlook on a Mac desktop is also straightforward.

Select the text or image you want to use for the link.

Go to the Insert tab.

Select Link.

You can also right-click and select Link to add the link.

Enter or paste the URL to which you want to link.

To insert a link to an email address, select Email Address and fill in the fields. In Outlook Online, in the Address text box, enter mailto: followed by the email address.

Select OK to insert the link. When the recipient of the email selects the link text in your email, the linked URL opens in a browser.

  • Compose a new message or reply to a current message.
  • Select the text or image you want to use for the link.
  • Go to Format > Hyperlink.
  • Or, use the keyboard shortcut Command + K to insert a link.
  • In the Insert Hyperlink box, enter or paste the URL to which you want to link and select OK.
  • Your selected text is now a live hyperlink. When the email recipient selects the link, they’ll be taken to the URL.

Go to Format > Hyperlink.

Or, use the keyboard shortcut Command + K to insert a link.

In the Insert Hyperlink box, enter or paste the URL to which you want to link and select OK.

  • How do I insert a link in an Instagram story?
  • To add a link to an Instagram story, create your story, then go to the top of the page and select the link icon > URL. Type or paste the URL into the field provided and then select Done. When users swipe up, they can access the clickable link.
  • How do I insert a link in Excel?
  • Select the cell where you want to create a link, and then go to Insert > Hyperlink. Type or enter the URL and select OK. You can also link to an object or image in Excel.
  • How do I insert a link in Word?
  • To insert a link in a Word document, highlight the text or image that you want to link. Right-click the text and choose Link or Hyperlink, depending on your word version. Enter or paste the URL and select OK.

To add a link to an Instagram story, create your story, then go to the top of the page and select the link icon > URL. Type or paste the URL into the field provided and then select Done. When users swipe up, they can access the clickable link.

Select the cell where you want to create a link, and then go to Insert > Hyperlink. Type or enter the URL and select OK. You can also link to an object or image in Excel.

To insert a link in a Word document, highlight the text or image that you want to link. Right-click the text and choose Link or Hyperlink, depending on your word version. Enter or paste the URL and select OK.

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