Hyperlinks and Actions in PowerPoint

A hyperlink is a clickable link that takes the user to another location, such as a website, a file, an email address, or another slide in the presentation.

Examples:

• Click a website link to open a website.
• Click a menu item to open another slide.
• Click an email link to start an email message.

Hyperlinks are useful for creating interactive presentations and navigation menus.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the text, picture, or object.
2. Click the Insert tab.
3. Choose Link or Hyperlink.
4. Select the type of destination.
5. Enter the address or choose the destination.
6. Click OK.

In many desktop versions of PowerPoint, you can also select an object and press Ctrl + K to open the hyperlink dialog.

You can create a hyperlink that opens a website in a browser.

1. Select the text or object.
2. Open the hyperlink dialog.
3. Choose the existing file or web page option.
4. Enter the website address.
5. Click OK.

Example URL:

During the slide show, click the linked text or object to open the website. The exact behavior depends on your system and presentation settings.

A hyperlink can take the audience directly to another slide in the same presentation.

1. Select the text or object.
2. Open Insert > Link.
3. Choose Place in This Document or the equivalent option.
4. Select the target slide.
5. Click OK.

This is useful for table-of-contents slides, interactive lessons, and presentation menus.

A hyperlink can point to another document or file, such as a PDF, Word document, or another presentation.

1. Select the text or object.
2. Open the hyperlink dialog.
3. Choose the file or existing file option.
4. Browse to the required file.
5. Select the file and confirm.

An email hyperlink can open the user's default email application with a recipient address filled in.

1. Select the text or object.
2. Open the hyperlink dialog.
3. Choose the email address option.
4. Enter the recipient's email address.
5. Click OK.

Example:

An email application must be configured on the user's device for this action to work as expected.

Action buttons are built-in shapes that can perform navigation or other actions during a slide show.

Examples include:

• Home button.
• Back or Previous button.
• Next button.
• Beginning button.
• End button.
• Information button.

Action buttons are useful for creating self-running menus, interactive lessons, and navigation controls.

1. Open the slide where you want the button.
2. Click the Insert tab.
3. Choose Shapes.
4. Find the Action Buttons section.
5. Select a button shape.
6. Draw the button on the slide.
7. Configure the action in the dialog that appears.
8. Click OK.

Available options depend on the selected button and PowerPoint version.

A mouse click action runs when the user clicks an object during a slide show.

1. Select the action button or object.
2. Open the Insert tab and choose Action, if available.
3. Open the Mouse Click settings.
4. Choose an action, such as Hyperlink to.
5. Select the required destination.
6. Confirm the settings.

For example, a Home button can link to the first slide of a presentation.

A mouse-over action runs when the pointer moves over an object during a slide show, where supported.

1. Select the object or action button.
2. Open the Action settings.
3. Choose the Mouse Over tab.
4. Select the required action.
5. Confirm the settings.

Mouse-over actions can be used in interactive presentations, although they may not work the same way on touchscreens.

You can create buttons that take the audience to the beginning or end of a presentation.

Example: Home Button

1. Insert an action button.
2. Open its Action settings.
3. Choose Hyperlink to.
4. Select First Slide.
5. Click OK.

You can use a similar process to create a button that links to the last slide.

To edit a hyperlink:

1. Right-click the linked text or object.
2. Choose Edit Link or Edit Hyperlink, if available.
3. Change the destination.
4. Click OK.

To remove a hyperlink:

1. Right-click the linked text or object.
2. Choose Remove Link or Remove Hyperlink.

Removing a hyperlink normally leaves the original text or object on the slide.

Always test hyperlinks and action buttons before delivering a presentation.

1. Start Slide Show mode.
2. Navigate to the slide containing the link.
3. Click the linked text or object.
4. Check whether the expected destination opens.
5. Test each action button.
6. Return to the presentation and correct any problems.

Some links behave differently in editing mode compared with Slide Show mode.

• Use clear labels such as Home, Next, Back, and Website.
• Keep navigation buttons in consistent positions.
• Use colors that contrast with the slide background.
• Make clickable objects large enough to select easily.
• Check every hyperlink before presenting.
• Ensure linked files are available to the audience.
• Avoid adding too many links to a single slide.

A well-designed interactive presentation helps users find information without navigating every slide in order.

Task: Create an interactive computer course presentation.

1. Create a presentation with five slides.
2. Use the first slide as the Home or Menu slide.
3. Create separate slides for Computer, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
4. Add a hyperlink on the Home slide to each topic slide.
5. Insert a Home action button on each topic slide.
6. Configure each Home button to link to the first slide.
7. Test all links in Slide Show mode.
8. Save the file as Hyperlinks_Actions_Practice.pptx.