How to add a clickable link to a PDF on a Mac
Preview cannot add links to a PDF. How to make links that work by adding them in the original document, and how to keep them when exporting.
The problem
You typed a web address into a PDF and it is just text, not a link anyone can click, and Preview has no button to fix it.
Can Preview add hyperlinks to a PDF?
No. Preview follows links in a PDF but cannot add them; its menus on current macOS have no link command. Add links in the document the PDF was made from, then export it again.
How do I add a link and keep it in the PDF?
- Pages: select the text, choose Format > Add Link > Webpage, type the address, then File > Export To > PDF.
- Word: select the text, choose Insert > Link, then File > Save As and choose PDF.
- TextEdit: select the text, choose Edit > Add Link, then File > Export as PDF.
Why do my links not work in the PDF?
The PDF was probably made with print to PDF, which can drop links. Use the app's own Export or Save As PDF. See save anything as PDF.
How do I check a link works?
Open the PDF in Preview and hold the pointer over the link. The pointer turns into a hand over a working link.
Our take
Write the address out as well as linking it. A PDF gets printed, forwarded and opened in apps that ignore links; a visible address still gets the reader there when the link does not.
In Simply PDF
Simply PDF's document mode, with a key, has an Add a link button: select text, type a web address or email, and the link is part of the PDF when you save.
Questions
Can Preview add hyperlinks to a PDF?
No. Add the links in the original document and export to PDF, or use an editor that can add links.
Why do my links not work in the PDF?
It was probably made with print to PDF, which can drop links. Export to PDF from the original app instead.