How to Add a Hyperlink to a PDF (Web, Email, Phone or Page)

To add a hyperlink to a PDF, open the file in a free Add Links to PDF tool, drag a box over the text or image that should be clickable, type the web address, and save. The link becomes a real PDF link annotation, so it works in Chrome, Edge, Acrobat Reader, Mac Preview and phone readers.

This guide shows the full method, the four kinds of links you can add, how to make every URL in a document clickable in one click, and why links you created in Word or Google Docs sometimes stop working after you export.

How to add a hyperlink to a PDF, step by step

You can add a hyperlink to any PDF in about a minute without installing anything. WoowPDF edits the file inside your browser, so the document is not uploaded to a server.

1. Open the tool. Go to Add Links to PDF and drop your PDF on the page, or click Choose file. Every page appears in a scrollable viewer.
2. Draw the clickable area. With Draw link selected, drag a box over the words, button, logo or picture that should be clickable.
3. Choose the target. In the side panel pick Web address, Email, Phone or Page, then type the address or the page number. If you type example.com, https:// is added for you.
4. Pick how links look. Choose Invisible (the page looks unchanged), Underline or Box, and a color for the underline or box.
5. Save. Click Save links. The tool checks every link, then downloads a copy of your file ending in -links.pdf.

A link with a missing or broken target is shown with an amber border, so you can fix it before saving.

The four kinds of PDF links

A PDF link can do more than open a website. Pick the type that fits what the reader should do next.

Link type	What it does	Good for
Web address	Opens a website in the browser	Product pages, sources, sign up forms
Email	Opens a new message to that address	Contact details in a CV, quote or flyer
Phone	Starts a call on phones and tablets	Brochures, menus, business cards
Page	Jumps to another page of the same PDF	Table of contents, "see page 12" references

Email and phone links are checked before saving: an email needs a valid address, and a phone number needs 3 to 17 digits (a leading + is fine).

How to make every URL in a PDF clickable at once

If your PDF already shows web addresses as plain text, you do not have to draw each link. Click Find links in text and the tool reads the text on every page, finds addresses that start with http://, https:// or www. and email addresses, and places a link over each one.

You can then review the list, change a target or delete the ones you do not want. Addresses that already have a link in the file are left alone, and existing links are shown with a dashed outline so you can see what is already there.

This only works when the PDF has real text. A scanned page is a picture of text, so run it through OCR to make the PDF searchable first, then find the links.

How to link to another page in the same PDF

To link to another page, draw the clickable area, choose Page as the target and type the page number. When the reader clicks it, the viewer jumps to that page and fits it on screen.

This is the fastest way to build a clickable table of contents:

• Put the contents list on page 1 or 2.
• Draw one link over each chapter title.
• Set each link to the page where that chapter starts.

For long reports, add bookmarks too, so readers can jump from the sidebar as well. The PDF bookmark generator builds them from your headings.

Adding hyperlinks in Word or Google Docs before you make the PDF

If you still have the source file, you can add the link there and export again. It works, but links often get lost on the way.

• Microsoft Word: select the text, press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on a Mac), paste the address, then use File, Save As, PDF. Printing to PDF with a "print to PDF" printer usually drops every link, because printing only keeps what is on paper.
• Google Docs: select the text, choose Insert, Link, then File, Download, PDF Document. Links survive this export.
• Canva and design apps: add the link to the element, then download as "PDF Standard" or "PDF Print". Flattened or image exports lose the links.

If your PDF came out with dead links, you do not need the source file. Open the finished PDF in the add links tool, click Find links in text, and the printed addresses become clickable again.

Why a hyperlink in a PDF is not clickable

When a link does not open, the cause is almost always one of these:

1. It was never a link. The address is only text, often from a print to PDF export. Add a link over it.
2. The PDF was flattened or converted to images. Flattening and image based PDFs remove link annotations. Add links after the last flatten step.
3. The viewer blocks links. Some readers ask before opening a website, and some email previews do not follow links at all. Open the file in a full PDF reader to test.
4. The address is incomplete. A link to www.example with no domain ending will not open. Check the target in the side panel.
5. The file is protected. A password protected PDF cannot be edited until it is unlocked with the password. If you own the file, remove the PDF password first, then add the links.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Clickable area too small. On phones a link over a single short word is hard to tap. Make the box at least as tall as the line of text and a little wider than the word.
• Invisible links nobody finds. If the page gives no hint, readers will not try to click. Use Underline or Box, or write the text so it reads like a link ("Book a call", "See the price list").
• Links that overlap. Two boxes on top of each other make it unclear which one opens. Keep a small gap.
• Forgetting the order of edits. Merge, crop and reorder pages first, then add links. Page links point to page numbers, so moving pages later can send readers to the wrong page.

Add your first link now

Open your PDF in Add Links to PDF, click Find links in text to catch every printed address, draw any extra links you need, and save. It is free, needs no account, and your file stays on your device.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add a hyperlink to a PDF for free?

Open the PDF in a free browser tool such as WoowPDF's Add Links to PDF, drag a box over the text that should be clickable, type the web address and click Save links. No account or install is needed, and the file is edited on your device.

Can I add a hyperlink to a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?

Yes. A browser based link tool adds the same kind of link annotation Acrobat does, and the links work in every PDF reader. If you have the source file, Word and Google Docs can also add links before you export to PDF.

How do I make a link to another page in the same PDF?

Draw the clickable area, choose Page as the link type and type the page number. When the reader clicks it, the PDF viewer jumps to that page. This is how clickable tables of contents are made.

Why did my links stop working after I saved as PDF?

Print to PDF keeps only what would appear on paper, so links are dropped. Export with Save As PDF or Download as PDF instead, or open the finished PDF in a link tool and use Find links in text to make the printed addresses clickable again.

Can I add an email or phone link to a PDF?

Yes. Choose Email to open a new message to that address, or Phone to start a call on phones and tablets. Both are checked for a valid address or number before the PDF is saved.