Content

• Steps

Links to articles or websites have improved online text richness and search engine optimization. You can reference any website by copying and pasting its link into email, message or document. Implementation will be slightly different depending on the computer model, device or program you use. If the address is too long, you can use a link shortener service.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Windows and Mac

1. 

   Find the link you want to copy. You can copy links from websites, emails, Word documents, and many other programs.
   • Text links on web pages or emails are often underlined and in a different color from the surrounding text. Many links take the form of buttons and images.

2. 

   
   
   Right click on the link. If the link is an image, right-click on the image and you'll see a Copy option.
   • If using a Mac can only click the left mouse button, hold down the key Ctrl and click to open right click menu.

3. 

   
   
   Select "Copy link". When the link is copied, it is copied to the clipboard so that it can be pasted anywhere. The clipboard can only store one link at a time. The name of this option will be slightly different depending on the program you are using. Here are some common examples:
   • Chrome - "Copy link address"
   • Firefox - "Copy Link Location"
   • Internet Explorer - "Copy shortcut"
   • Safari - "Copy Link"
   • Word - "Copy Hyperlink"

4. 

   
   
   Mouse over where you want to paste the link. After you copy the link, you can paste it anywhere. Click where you want to paste the link.
   • You can paste the link in any place where you can enter text, including emails, Word documents, the address bar of a web browser, Facebook chat, and more.

5. 

   Paste the link. There are several ways to paste the copied link:
   • Right-click where your cursor is and select "Paste".
   • Press the key Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+V (Mac).
   • Click the Edit menu (if applicable) and select "Paste". Not all programs are available on the Edit menu.

6. 

   Paste the link as a hyperlink with other text. Some programs, such as blogs, email, and word processing programs let you change the text displayed instead of the entire link address. As such, you can create links with a sentence or display word:
   • Place your mouse cursor in the position where you want to create the hyperlink.
   • Click the "Insert Hyperlink" button. This option can be located under a text template, or in the Insert menu (a word-processing program). This button usually has a link chain icon.
   • Enter what you want to display in the "Text to display" field. This is the portion of text that will appear as a clickable link.
   • Paste the link in the "Address", "URL" or "Link to" fields. Click on the field and press the key Ctrl+V (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+V (Mac) to paste the copied link.

7. 

   Copy and paste the address from the address bar. If you want to share or save a web page you are visiting, you can copy the web address from the address bar of your web browser:
   • Click on an address in a web browser. You will see the full address if part of the address is hidden while browsing.
   • Select the entire web address. Normally, the address will be selected automatically when you click. If not, press the key Ctrl/⌘ Cmd+A to select all.
   • Copy the selected address by right clicking and choosing "Copy" or pressing the key Ctrl/⌘ Cmd+C.
   • Place the cursor where you want to paste the link and press the key Ctrl/⌘ Cmd+V.
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Method 2 of 3: Mobile devices

1. 

   Find the link you want to copy. You can copy the link in web browser, email, and many other applications. Links can be displayed as traditional text or image links.
   • This depends on the mobile device you use (Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, etc.).

2. 

   Press and hold the link you want to copy. After you find a link, press and hold until a new menu appears. You may have to wait a while for the menu to appear.

3. 

   Click on the "Copy" option. Option names may vary depending on the application you use. Look for words similar to the following example:
   • Copy
   • Copy link address
   • Copy link URL
   • Copy address

4. 

   Place your cursor where you want to paste the link. After you copy the link, you can paste it anywhere text is entered. Click in the text field so that the cursor appears

5. 

   Press and hold your finger on the cursor. Wait a while, then release. A new menu will appear.
   • If using an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), release your hand after the magnifying glass icon appears.
   • If using an Android device, release your hand after the instructions below the cursor appear.

6. 

   Select "Paste" to paste the copied link. You will see the "Paste" option in the menu. Select "Paste" to paste the copied address into the text field.

7. 

   Copy and paste the link from message (Android). If you receive a message containing a link on your Android device, you will need to do a few extra steps to be able to copy the link, especially if there is other text mixed in. Not all Android messaging apps have the same functionality:
   • Tap and hold the message containing the link.
   • Click the "Copy" button that appears. Many applications will appear icons of two stacked pages instead of the word "Copy".
   • Paste the copied text where you want to paste the link, removing excess text in the original message.
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Method 3 of 3: Use a link shortener

1. 

   Use the link shortener service when you need to text or tweet links. The website address is quite long, especially when accessing many sub-pages. The link shorten service allows you to create shortened versions of long addresses for easier texting, tweeting or sharing.

2. 

   Copy the link you want to share. Use the method outlined above to copy the link you want to shorten and share.

3. 

   Visit the website shorten the link. There are many link shorteners out there, and most of them do the same thing:
   • bit.ly
   • goo.gl
   • ow.ly
   • tinyurl.com

4. 

   Paste the long link in the corresponding field on the shortened page. Click on the field and press the key Ctrl/⌘ Cmd+V, or hold down and select "Paste" to paste the long link in the corresponding field on the shortened page.

5. 

   Click or click the "Shorten" or "Shrink" button to create a new link. You'll see a shortened version of the link in the service's format instead of the site's original address.

6. 

   Copy shortened link. You can copy the link using the method above, or click / click the "Copy" button on some of the displayed pages.

7. 

   Paste the shortened link. Now that you've copied the shortened link, you can paste it anywhere just like a regular link. You can add an explanation because people will not understand what this is a link when looking at the shortened address. advertisement