How to Create a Link | HTML And WordPress Steps

A good link does two jobs at once. It moves the reader to the right place, and it tells them where they’ll land before they click. That sounds simple, yet messy links still show up on blogs, store pages, and tutorials every day. Some are broken. Some say “click here” and nothing else. Some open the wrong page or send the reader in circles.

If you want clean links that work in HTML, WordPress, and plain page editors, the process is short. You need a destination, useful anchor text, and one quick check before you publish. Get those three parts right and your page feels smoother from the first scroll.

How To Create A Link In HTML Without The Mess

The core HTML pattern is small:

Visit the page

The tag creates the link. The href value holds the destination. The text between the opening and closing tags is what the reader sees and clicks. MDN describes the anchor element as the HTML element that creates a hyperlink to web pages, files, email addresses, and spots in the same page, which matches how most site owners use it day to day.

That tiny pattern is enough to publish a working link, though strong links usually follow a few extra rules:

• Use words that name the destination.
• Link only the part of the sentence that helps the reader decide.
• Check that the address starts with the right protocol, like https://.
• Test the link after saving the page.

What Good Anchor Text Looks Like

Anchor text is the visible wording inside the link. This is where many pages lose clarity. “Read more” can work in a tight list of article cards, though it’s weak in body text because it hides the destination. “See the return policy” is stronger. “Download the packing list PDF” is stronger still. The reader knows what comes next, which cuts friction.

There’s a search benefit too. Clear anchor text helps search engines connect the linked page to the topic named in the link. No stuffing needed. Plain language wins.

When To Use Relative And Absolute URLs

If you’re linking to another page on your own site, a relative URL can keep things tidy. A link like /contact/ points to a page on the same domain. If you’re linking to another site, use the full address, such as https://example.com/contact/.

W3C documentation on links and the href attribute makes the rule plain: the destination is set by the value inside href. That value needs to point to a valid location. If the address is wrong, the link is wrong. Nothing fancy fixes that.

Creating A Link In WordPress Editors

Most WordPress users won’t type raw HTML for every link, and that’s fine. The editor handles the code behind the scenes. You still need the same three parts: destination, anchor text, and a quick test.

Text Links In The Block Editor

In the block editor, select the text you want linked, click the link icon, paste the address, and apply it. WordPress.com’s instructions for adding links follow that same flow, with the option to search for pages already on your site while you type. That saves time on internal links and cuts copy-paste errors.

Use the editor’s tools with a bit of restraint. Linking whole paragraphs looks clumsy on mobile. Linking one word can look odd too if the reader can’t tell what the link does. A short phrase usually lands best.

Button And Image Links

Links don’t have to be plain text. A button can link to a form, a product page, or a download. An image can link to a gallery or a detail page. The same rule still applies: the click target should match the reader’s expectation. If the button says “Get The Checklist,” it should lead to the checklist, not a generic category page.

For images, add alt text that describes the image itself. Don’t stuff the alt text with the page address or random phrases. Keep it useful for the reader and screen readers.

Link Type	How You Build It	Best Use
Text link	Select text and add a URL in the editor or with	Body copy, menus, calls to action inside paragraphs
Button link	Add a button block and place the destination URL in the button settings	Forms, downloads, sales pages, booking pages
Image link	Wrap the image in a link or use the editor’s link tool for the image block	Product photos, banners, galleries
Email link	Use mailto:you@example.com	Contact prompts on small sites
Phone link	Use tel:+1234567890	Service pages viewed on mobile
Jump link	Link to an ID on the same page, like #pricing	Long pages with tables of contents
File link	Link to a PDF, spreadsheet, or document URL	Downloads, menus, checklists, forms
Internal post link	Search your own site in the editor and insert the matching page	Topic clusters and related reading

Small Link Choices That Change The Reading Flow

Links shape the reading rhythm of a page. Too many in one paragraph and the eye starts bouncing. Too few and the page feels flat, with no next step. A clean middle ground works best.

Use links where the reader expects proof, detail, or the next action. That’s why official documentation is handy in technical posts. A short mention of the MDN anchor element can back up HTML syntax without bloating the paragraph. If you’re working inside a site editor, WordPress instructions for adding links give the editor steps in plain language. If you need the older standards wording around link destinations, the W3C page on links in HTML documents still spells out how href points to a resource.

Those links work best when they appear where the reader needs them, not dumped in a random list at the top or buried after the last paragraph.

Opening External Links In A New Tab

Many publishers open outside links in a new tab so readers keep the original page open. If you do that in HTML, use target="_blank" and pair it with rel="noopener". That keeps the setup cleaner and safer.

For internal links, a same-tab experience often feels more natural. The reader stays within the site and can use the back button without a pile of extra tabs.

Jump Links For Long Articles

Jump links move the reader to a section on the same page. They’re handy for recipes, travel posts, and long tutorials. In HTML, that means linking to an ID. A heading with id="pricing" can be reached with a link to #pricing. In WordPress, page jump tools do the same thing with less manual code.

These links are easy to miss during editing, so test them on the published page, not only in preview mode. A jump link that misses its target feels sloppy right away.

Common Mistake	What It Causes	Better Fix
Using “click here”	Weak context for readers and search engines	Name the page, file, or action in the link text
Linking a full sentence	Clunky reading flow	Link the shortest clear phrase
Wrong or pasted-truncated URL	Broken page destination	Paste, save, then test the live link
Opening every link in a new tab	Too many tabs for the reader	Reserve new tabs for outside sites and files
Using raw URLs as anchor text	Ugly, hard-to-scan copy	Turn the destination into plain words

How To Check A Link Before You Publish

A link is only done when it’s tested. This part takes less than a minute and saves a pile of tiny reader complaints later.

1. Open the page preview or published page.
2. Click each new link once.
3. Make sure the destination loads the right page.
4. Check the anchor text again. Does it say where the reader will land?
5. On mobile, tap the link and make sure the target is easy to hit.

If a page has many links, scan for patterns. Internal links often break after slug changes. File links can fail after media cleanup. Old outbound links can drift to redirects or dead pages. A quick pass catches most of that.

What Makes A Link Worth Clicking

The code is the easy part. The harder part is writing link text that earns the click. Readers don’t click because a page contains a link. They click because the wording promises a clear next step.

That’s why the best links sound plain. “View size chart.” “Read the battery rule.” “Download the meal plan PDF.” Each one tells the reader what they get. No mystery. No wasted tap.

If you treat links as part of the writing rather than an afterthought, the whole page gets better. It reads cleaner. It feels more trustworthy. And it gives the reader a smooth way to move from one answer to the next.