• Home

  • Productivity

  • App tips

App tips

2 min read

How to hyperlink in Slack

It's not as hard as you think.

By Deb Tennen · March 26, 2024
Logo icon for Slack.

Everyone seems to find themselves fumbling with hyperlinks in Slack, but it's almost magic how easy it is. There are two main ways to do it.

How to hyperlink in Slack with a keyboard shortcut

  1. Copy the URL you want to link to.

  2. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.

  3. Type command + shift + U on Mac or Ctrl + Shift + U on Windows. (You can also just click the link icon right above the message field, but why do that when you can use a shortcut?)

  4. The hyperlink box will pop up: paste the link in the Link field, and click Save.

Hyperlink pop-up box in Slack

How to add a Slack hyperlink with an even shorter keyboard shortcut

  1. Copy the URL you want to link to.

  2. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.

  3. Type Command + V on Mac or Ctrl + V on Windows.

The text will hyperlink without having to use that Add link pop-up. It seems like a small thing—cutting out one step and a couple keys—but when you spend your day adding links to Slack, it adds up. When Zapier customer champion Michelle Poterek shared this insight in an internal blog post, the people went wild for it.

Slack thread from about the hyperlinking shortcut

Who knew creating a link in Slack would be such a party?

How to add a Slack Markdown link

Until I worked at Zapier, I'd never even heard of Markdown. Now, half the people I work with prefer writing in it—and Slack supports it. To add a link using Markdown:

  1. Make sure you have the setting enabled by going to Preferences > Advanced and checking the box next to Format messages with markup.

    The markup settings to add a Slack Markdown hyperlink

  2. Type your hyperlink in Markdown format, which is [anchor text](URL). For example: [I dare you to click this!](https://sketchywebsite.com).

  3. Hit Enter or return (or click the send button). It won't render as a hyperlink in the text box, but once you send it, it'll be hyperlinked.

    Using Markdown to create a Slack hyperlink

One thing to keep in mind. Once you enable the markup setting, you won't be able to add hyperlinks (or much else) the normal way. So only check that box if you live and breathe Markdown.

The case for not hyperlinking

Now you know how to create a Slack link—but should you?

I much prefer when people just drop the full URL somewhere in their Slack message. When there's a hyperlink, I find myself hovering over it to see what I'm about to click on.

Hovering over a link in Slack

So far, I haven't been trolled by a Slack hyperlink, but it's worth keeping in mind.

Slack hyperlink FAQs

For something so simple, there are still questions to answer.

Why is my Slack Markdown link not working?

If your Slack Markdown link isn't working, it's probably because you don't have the checkbox checked. Go to Preferences > Advanced, and check the box next to Format messages with markup. Then try again, and it should work. (Just keep in mind that it prevents you from adding hyperlinks the regular way.)

Can you add a Slack hyperlink on mobile?

Yes! You can hyperlink on mobile by typing your anchor text, highlighting it how you normally would on your phone, and then tapping the hyperlink icon. You'll get a pop-up to add the link—click Save, and you're done.

Hyperlinking in Slack on mobile

Related content:

  • The best automations for Slack users

  • How to delete Slack messages

  • How to survive on a Slack that's way too busy

  • How to customize your Slack sidebar

  • 6 examples of Slack workflows to automate your business

  • How to send a GIF in Slack

This article was originally published in March 2022. The most recent update was in March 2024.

Get productivity tips delivered straight to your inbox

We’ll email you 1-3 times per week—and never share your information.

tags
mentioned apps

Related articles

Improve your productivity automatically. Use Zapier to get your apps working together.

Sign up
See how Zapier works
A Zap with the trigger 'When I get a new lead from Facebook,' and the action 'Notify my team in Slack'