How to Create Links
To create a link, follow these steps:
- Select the text you wish to become the link.
- Click Insert/edit link.
The Insert/Edit Link window will appear.
- If you are linking to an internal page (i.e., a page within your web site), select the Internal tab and then click the Browse icon to navigate to the page you wish to link.
- If you are linking to an external page (i.e., a page outside of your web site), click the External tab and type the full URL in the Link box (e.g., http://www.cmu.edu).
- Click Insert to add the link.
To edit a link, select the existing hyperlink and click Insert/edit link. Make your changes and click Update.
Linking to an Email Address
- To create a link to an email address, type mailto:email address (e.g., mailto:juser@cmu.edu) in the link box.
Note: As a rule, when linking to a page outside of Carnegie Mellon, choose New Window from the Target menu. - Click Insert to add the link.
Best Practices Regarding Links
Use relevant text, and not words like "click here" or "this page".
Good example: For more audio and video, see the multimedia archive.
Bad example: See the multimedia archive here.
New window vs. same window.
Links taking users away from your website should always open up in a new window.
Links to pages within your website should open in the same window, except links to documents (.pdf, .doc, etc.). Documents should always open up in a new window.
Links that open documents such as pdf's or launch new applications such as Quicktime should be labeled [.pdf] or [.mov].
Warn users of links that require a login
Good example: Staff Information [login required].
Bad example: Members' Meeting Minutes.
Underlined text should be reserved for links.
Avoid anchored links.