How to insert a link
Problem: You want to turn a certain bit of text into a link to another web page.
Solution: Many blogging and email programs have a button that helps you do this. The button usually has a picture of a globe (world wide web) with a section of chain superimposed on it (chain . . . links–get it?). To use such a button, first open the website you want to link to in another tab of your browser. Then select and copy the web address you want to link to. Next, go to the text you want to turn into a link, and select it. Then click on the make-a-link button. A window will open. It usually already has the http:// part in the form box. Select that and then paste your web address over it. Then click the OK button. Your text should now be a link.
What if I don’t have that button?
This is often the case when you want to include a link in a comment. You will just have to type out this bit of code very carefully by hand:
<a href="http://www.example.com" title="Link to example website">text that turns into the link</a>
Href holds the web address inside of quotes. Title holds the text that shows up when the cursor is hovered over the link without clicking on it. It explains the link. The text that turns into the link (becomes clickable) will always have single arrows (or less than and greater than signs) pointing at it.
However, I’d like to point out that some blogs, such as this one, do help you create links in the comments. Some actually have buttons, and some have fine print with the structure of the link code provided, like this: <a href="" title=""></a> Copy this code into your comment. Then put the web address in between the first set of quotes. Put the explanation for the link inside the second set of quotes. And put the text that you want to become clickable between the ><.
Update: This web document labels all the parts of a link and color codes them for easy reference.
Thanks to K. Johnson for asking this question.
Craig Cramer responds:
Posted: October 18th, 2007 at 9:00 pm →
Give some thought to the text that you highlight when you create your link. It’s a rule of thumb that visitors to a page look first at where they can go from that page almost before looking at the real content of the page. Eyes are drawn quickly to hyperlinked text. It should be descriptive of what folks will find at the other end of the click. Avoid hyperlinking ‘click here’ like the plague.
Kathy Purdy responds:
Posted: October 19th, 2007 at 6:39 am →
Craig, that is an excellent point, one that I heartily agree with.
TC Conner responds:
Posted: October 23rd, 2007 at 8:18 pm →
Hi Kathy,
I just discovered your very useful and easy to understand Web site about the “Art and Practice” of blogging. Actually, I’ve been blogging for years on Xanga but that site doesn’t teach you “how.”
I’m a freelance garden writer who also has a facsimile of a garden blog that I’ve been messing around with. I’m bookmarking this site so I’ll be sure to have it close at hand for referencing. Thanks!
P. MITCHELL responds:
Posted: May 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 pm →
Hi Kathy,
I have set up a blog on wordpress but the button to insert a link is disabled. Is this something that wordpress may have done or can I enable it so I can insert links?
Thanks in advance for your help.
rhodri responds:
Posted: September 14th, 2008 at 9:40 am →
Thanks I have been searching the internet for hours to gain this info, thanks
testing