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To create a hyperlink in Gmail on a computer, select the words you want readers to click, choose Insert link (or press Ctrl + K on Windows/ChromeOS or ⌘ + K on Mac), enter the destination, and click Apply. This attaches a URL to descriptive text instead of displaying the full web address.

Create a hyperlink in Gmail on a computer

  1. Open Gmail in a desktop browser and click Compose.
  2. Write your message, including the words you want to make clickable—for example, View the schedule.
  3. Highlight those words. Select only the text that should act as the link.
  4. If the formatting toolbar is not visible at the bottom of the compose window, click Formatting options.
  5. Click the chain-link Insert link button, or use the keyboard shortcut for your computer.
  6. Enter or paste the complete destination address in the link field. For a web page, use the full address, such as https://www.example.com/page.
  7. Click Apply. The selected words should now appear styled as a link.

Gmail’s desktop formatting instructions use this select-text, insert-link, enter-URL, apply workflow. Before sending, check the destination and make sure the linked words are the ones you intended.

Use the keyboard shortcut

  • Windows or ChromeOS: Ctrl + K
  • Mac: ⌘ + K

Select the text first, then use the shortcut to open the link dialog. Gmail’s help page lists Ctrl + K; on Mac, use the corresponding Command-key shortcut.

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Choose useful link text and check the URL

Use short, specific wording that tells readers what they will open, such as Download the report, Complete the registration form, or Read the instructions. A vague link such as click here gives little context, while linking a whole sentence can make it harder to scan.

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Before applying the link, check that the address is complete, points to the intended page, and contains no accidental spaces or punctuation. Descriptive text improves readability, but it does not make a destination trustworthy or safe. If the destination is unfamiliar, verify it rather than relying on the words displayed in the message.

For a Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, or Forms link, hyperlink creation and access permission are separate. Check that the intended recipients are allowed to open the file; a link that works for you may still lead them to an access request.

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Paste a URL instead of using custom text

You can paste a complete URL directly into the message when showing the address is useful or when the link-formatting control is unavailable. Gmail and other email clients may recognize web addresses as clickable, but a pasted address is not the same as attaching a URL to custom display text. Long links can wrap awkwardly and make a message harder to read.

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A URL shortener may make an address look shorter, but it adds another service and can hide the final destination. For an ordinary email, descriptive text linked to the full, trusted destination is usually the clearer choice.

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Can you create a hyperlink in the Gmail mobile app?

The detailed official procedure is for Gmail on desktop web; Google’s formatting guidance does not document the same custom-link steps for the standard Android or iPhone/iPad app. Mobile formatting controls can vary by device, app version, and interface. Google has announced expanded formatting controls on some Android devices, including tablets and foldables, but that does not establish that every phone has an Insert link option.

If selecting text in your app does not reveal an Insert link control, paste the full URL as a practical fallback. For reliable custom linked text, use Gmail in a desktop browser. Avoid assuming a workaround will behave the same across mobile app versions.

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Link an email address

To make text open a new email, you can try entering a destination in the form mailto:[email protected] in Gmail’s link dialog, with display text such as Email our support team. Whether it opens a compose window depends on the recipient’s device and default mail application.

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Gmail may also automatically make recognized email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses interactive when a message is viewed. Those detected links are different from a custom-text link you create yourself, and recognition or behavior can vary by device and mail client. Google describes these behaviors in its announcement about detected addresses and numbers.

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Fix a missing or nonworking link button

  • The toolbar is hidden: Click Formatting options at the bottom of the compose window. If the window is narrow, expand it so the controls are easier to see.
  • Plain text mode is on: Open the compose window’s More options menu and turn off Plain text mode. Plain-text messages do not support rich-text formatting such as custom linked text.
  • No text was selected: Close the link dialog, highlight the intended words in the message, and open Insert link again.
  • You are using the mobile app: Its controls may differ from desktop. Paste the URL or switch to Gmail in a desktop browser for the documented custom-text workflow.

These desktop controls are covered in Google’s Gmail formatting help.

If the link looks wrong in the draft, check that you entered the destination in the URL field and clicked Apply. If the wrong words are linked, select or click the linked text and reopen the link editor if available; replace the destination, or remove the linked text and recreate it. Gmail’s exact editing pop-up can vary as the interface changes.

A link that appears correctly in your draft may display differently in the recipient’s mail app. If the recipient cannot open it, check the actual URL, whether the message was sent as plain text, and any sign-in or sharing permissions required by the destination.

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Final check before sending

  • The link text clearly describes what it opens.
  • The destination is complete and correct, with no stray punctuation or spaces.
  • The recipient has access if the destination is a private file or page.
  • You have checked the real destination rather than judging it only by the displayed text.

For a permanent link in every message, edit your Gmail signature separately; a link added while composing affects that message, not the signature template.

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