Ultimate Beginner’s Guide: How to Easily Add Links in WordPress

Links play a crucial role in directing visitors throughout your website. They connect your content and enhance navigation, while also boosting your SEO to make your site more visible.

In WordPress, you can insert links in various locations such as posts, pages, menus, sidebars, and footers.

At CanadaCreate, we utilize internal links to relate content and external links to suggest plugins that address specific issues. This approach helps readers discover more valuable information without extensive searching.

In this guide, we will provide a step-by-step tutorial on how to add links. You’ll learn easy techniques to enhance user experience and improve content accessibility.

Let’s explore the process of adding links in WordPress!

Why Are Links Essential?

Links are essential to the internet, connecting websites and web pages to create a vast network of information.

Imagine visiting a web page without any clickable links; your only option would be to return to the previous page in your browser.

Hyperlinks, buttons, and other clickable elements guide users from one page or website to another, helping visitors on your WordPress site find additional information on various topics.

When you utilize links effectively,visitors will engage more with your site, exploring additional content, purchasing more items from your online store, andbecoming more inclined to subscribe to your email newsletter.

Now, let’s explore how to easily add links in various sections of your WordPress website. This comprehensive tutorial includes a navigation menu below to help you quickly access the section you need:

How to Insert Links in WordPress Posts and Pages

WordPress Simplifies Adding Links to Your Blog Posts and Pages with the Block Editor.

Begin by editing an existing post or page, or create a new one.

Highlight the text you want to link, known as the anchor text. Then, click the ‘Link’ button in the toolbar.

A dialog box will appear for you to enter a URL, which is a web address. For example, CanadaCreate’s guide on starting a WordPress blog is located at:

https://www.CanadaCreate.com/start-a-wordpress-blog

You can easily copy and paste the URL of the desired post or page to create your link:

To finalize the link, click the ‘Apply’ button (the arrow icon) or press the Enter key.

To link to content on your own website, it may be faster to search for the specific post or page. Simply type a few words from the title of your content, and WordPress will locate it for you.

The link will be automatically inserted once you click on the title of the desired page or post.

If you want the link to open in a new tab, first add the link. Then, click on the link and select the ‘Open in new tab’ option.

How to Add Links in the Classic WordPress Editor

If you are using the classic editor instead of the block editor, the steps for adding a link are quite similar.

Open the post you wish to edit or create a new one. Next, locate the text you want to serve as the link’s anchor and highlight it. Then, click the ‘Link’ button that appears in the toolbar.

You can paste the URL you wish to link to or search for the post or page, just like in the block editor.

Directly Pasting Your URL onto the Anchor Text

A faster method to add a link in both the block editor and classic editor is to paste the URL directly onto the selected anchor text.

Begin by copying the URL you wish to link to. Next, highlight the anchor text you want to use in your post.

Then, you can either right-click and choose ‘Paste’ or use Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) to insert the URL.

WordPress will recognize that you are pasting a URL and will convert the anchor text into a clickable link.

How to Easily Find and Add Internal Links in WordPress

The previous step explains how to manually insert links to content on your own website. However, this process can be tedious.

To simplify internal linking, we utilize the AIOSEO plugin, the top WordPress SEO plugin trusted by over 3 million websites.

We implement it on the CanadaCreate site and have observed an increase in our search rankings. For more details, check out our comprehensive AIOSEO review.

The AIOSEO Pro plan features a Link Assistant that scans your entire website and automatically identifies internal linking opportunities.

Once you have installed the plugin, navigate to All in One SEO » Link Assistant in your WordPress dashboard.

This will take you to the link assistant dashboard, where you can view an overview of both your site’s internal and external links.

In the Links Report tab, you will find suggestions for relevant posts to link to, along with recommended anchor text for optimal SEO performance.

You can easily add these links to your content by clicking the ‘Add Link’ button, eliminating the need to open each post individually.

If your site has a lot of content, this internal linking plugin simplifies the process of creating contextual relationships between your new and existing posts.

How to Add Links in WordPress Widgets

WordPress enables you to add widgets to your site’s non-content areas, such as the sidebar and footer.

Some of these widgets are automated and offer limited customization. For instance, the Latest Posts widget automatically links to your most recent posts.

However, if you wish to include custom text with links in your sidebar, you can utilize the Paragraph widget.

If you are using a classic theme, you will need to go to the Appearance » Widgets page. Next, click on the blue ‘+ Block Inserter’ icon located in the top left corner.

Next, drag the Paragraph widget into your sidebar or any other widget area.

You can then enter your text and insert a link just like you would when adding one to a post or page. Remember to click the ‘Update’ button to save your new widget settings.

Important Note:If you are using a block theme, you can add widgets through theAppearance » Editorpage.

How to Add Links to WordPress Navigation Menus

Want to include links in your site’s navigation menu? WordPress features a built-in drag-and-drop menu editor that enables you to create and manage navigation menus on your WordPress site.

Adding Internal Links to Navigation Menus

Depending on your WordPress theme, there are two straightforward methods to add internal links to your website’s navigation menu.

1. Adding Links to the Navigation Menu in the Full Site Editor

If you are using a block theme with full site editing, simply navigate to theAppearance » Editorpage and select the navigation menu you wish to edit.

In the navigation block, click the Add (+) button to insert a new link.

Then, search for the content you want to link to or paste the URL. Press enter on your keyboard to add the link.

To edit a link, simply click on it and update the URL in the right-hand column.

Step 2: Adding Links to the Navigation Menu in Classic Themes

Navigate to the Appearance » Menussection. If you haven’t created a menu yet, you can do so by entering a name for your menu. For detailed instructions, check out our beginner’s guide on adding navigation menus in WordPress.

Select the posts or pages you wish to include in your menu from the left side, then click the ‘Add to Menu’ button.

WordPress will automatically generate links for the selected posts and pages. You can easily rearrange the items using drag and drop.

How to Add External Links to Your Navigation Menus

You can also include custom links, such as linking to another website. For example, you might want to add your X (formerly Twitter) profile URL to your navigation menu.

Click the arrow next to the ‘Custom Links’ section on the left. Enter the URL and the desired link text, then click the ‘Add to Menu’ button.

After adding all your links to the menu, remember to click the ‘Save Menu’ button at the bottom of the screen.

How to Add Title Attributes and Nofollow Tags to Links in WordPress

You can assign a title attribute to your links, which displays text when users hover their mouse over the link.

Including a title can clarify the destination of the link, but we generally advise using descriptive anchor text instead for better accessibility and SEO performance.

Consider adding attributes to your external links to provide search engines with more information. The most common attribute is ‘nofollow’.

The ‘nofollow’ attribute signals to search engines not to transfer your site’s authority, often referred to as ‘link juice’, to the linked website. This is particularly useful for links you do not fully endorse.

In addition to ‘nofollow’, Google recognizes two other attributes to enhance link understanding.

Use the ‘sponsored’ attribute for affiliate links or paid promotions, and the ‘ugc’ (User Generated Content) attribute for links found in areas like blog comments.

Although the default editor provides a simple toggle to add a ‘nofollow’ attribute, it lacks straightforward options for adding a title or other attributes. Here are two methods to include them.

Adding Title and Nofollow Using the AIOSEO Plugin (Simple Method)

The free All in One SEO (AIOSEO) plugin for WordPress allows you to easily add title, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes to your links.

In the block editor, the plugin provides toggle switches for nofollow and other link attributes, along with a field to enter a title.

In the classic editor, you can access additional AIOSEO settings by clicking the gear icon labeled ‘Link options’. This opens an ‘Insert/edit link’ popup where you can enter a title and select checkboxes for nofollow and other link attributes.

How to Add Title and Nofollow Attributes Using HTML Code

If you prefer not to use AIOSEO, you can manually add title and nofollow attributes to your links using HTML code.

First, insert your link as usual, then switch the editor to HTML mode.

In the block editor, click on the three vertical dots at the end of the toolbar and select ‘Edit as HTML’ to view the HTML code of the block.

In the classic editor, click the ‘Text’ tab to see the entire post in HTML format.

You will now see the HTML code for your link. A standard link will appear like this:

ANCHOR TEXT

You need to include the title and nofollow attributes so that it appears like this:

ANCHOR TEXT

Here’s how it appears on our demo site (refer to the screenshot above):

A study by ACME Inc reveals that roadrunners are 80% smarter than coyotes.

Feel free to customize the title as desired. Always use the nofollow attribute as rel="nofollow". Remember to include the double quotation marks around the title and nofollow, as your link will not function properly without them.

For further details, check out our beginner’s guide on adding nofollow links in WordPress.

How to Add Title and Nofollow Attributes to WordPress Navigation Menus

The method for setting your navigation links to nofollow differs slightly.

Below the link’s navigation label, you’ll need to input ‘nofollow’ in the Link Relationship (XFN) field.

If you can’t find that field, you may need to enable it under the Screen Options tab located at the top right corner of the page.

For detailed, step-by-step guidance, check out our comprehensive tutorial on adding nofollow links to navigation menus in WordPress.

How to Add Links to Buttons in WordPress

Want to include a button in your WordPress posts or pages? The simplest method is to use the built-in Button block provided by WordPress.

When you create a new post or edit an existing one, click the (+) icon to add a new block. Then, drag the ‘Button’ block into your post and enter the desired text for the button.

Next, you can insert a link by clicking the ‘Link’ button in the toolbar, just like you would when adding any other link in the WordPress block editor.

To discover more methods for adding buttons to your posts, refer to our guide on creating call-to-action buttons in WordPress.

How to Embed Linked Content in WordPress

You can easily embed various types of content in WordPress by simply inserting the URL into your post. This process is often referred to as creating a ‘content card’ within your post.

Simply paste the complete URL into its own paragraph block.

For instance, if you paste a Twitter URL, the entire tweet, including images, likes, timestamps, and more, will be embedded like this:

The method for adding YouTube videos is straightforward. Just locate the desired video on YouTube and copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.

Then, paste the copied link into your post or page.

The video will be automatically embedded in your content.

This technique is not only effective for Twitter posts and YouTube videos, but it also applies to various other content types. For more details, refer to WordPress’s support article on ‘Embeds’.

How to Incorporate Affiliate Links in WordPress

Are you looking to boost your website’s income through affiliate links? Affiliate marketing can provide a consistent revenue stream for many blogs and websites.

Simply include unique referral links to the products and services you endorse. When your visitors make a purchase through these links, you earn a commission.

A common challenge for beginners is that each product or website they wish to promote has a different URL. Keeping track of these can be difficult, especially if you’re recommending numerous products.

The most effective way to add and manage affiliate links is by using an affiliate management plugin. We suggest using either Pretty Links or Thirsty Affiliates.

These plugins create redirect links that direct users to your unique affiliate link. They appear as follows:

www.yoursite.com/refer/partnersitename

The plugins will introduce a new option in your WordPress menu, allowing you to add your affiliate links. Here’s how it looks with ThirstyAffiliates: simply copy and paste your unique affiliate link into the ‘Destination URL’ field.

You can customize various settings for your link on the right side.

These options include whether to apply a nofollow attribute, open the link in a new window or tab, and more.

Once you have completed the setup, be sure to click the ‘Save Link’ button.

After configuring your affiliate links, you can easily incorporate them into your posts and pages. In a paragraph block, click the ‘More’ arrow (v) in the toolbar, then select the ‘Affiliate Link’ option:

Next, enter the beginning of the name you assigned to that affiliate link.

In our example, it is “Our Affiliate Partner.”

You can then click on the name and select ‘Apply’ to insert the affiliate link into your post.

It’s simple to update an affiliate link, such as when the company you’re linking to transitions to a different affiliate program.

Simply update the link in the ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links section of your dashboard. The links in your posts will remain unchanged but will redirect to the new affiliate link wherever they are used.

For additional useful affiliate plugins, check out our article on the top affiliate marketing tools and plugins for WordPress.

How to Add a Link Manually Using HTML

Sometimes, you may need to insert a link into your site using HTML code. This is often necessary when using a custom HTML block or widget.

You may also need to edit a link directly in a theme file. Always use a child theme to ensure your changes are preserved during parent theme updates.

Creating a link in HTML is straightforward. To do this, add a custom HTML block to your post or page. You can find this block under ‘Widgets’ or by using the search bar.

Next, a box will appear where you can enter HTML. Paste the following code into the box:

Text

It should appear like this:

You can click the ‘Preview’ tab to see how your code will look in your post or page:

Return to the ‘HTML’ tab to update the URL to the desired webpage. You can also replace the word ‘Text’ with any word or phrase you prefer for your link.

Consider adding a title to your link, as mentioned earlier. You will need to use code similar to this, and you can customize ‘This is the title’ to whatever you like.

Text

To make your link open in a new tab, simply add target="_blank" to the HTML code like this:

Text

If you want your link to be nofollow, add rel="nofollow", like this:

Text

You can combine all of these attributes. Here’s an example of a link that has a title, opens in a new tab, and is set to nofollow:

Text

This is how you can create a link in HTML if you ever need to.

How to Create Anchor Links in WordPress

An anchor link directs users to a specific section within the same page, allowing them to quickly navigate to the content they are interested in.

Check out the animated screenshot below:

To quickly add an anchor link in the block editor, select the block you want to link to. Then, in the block settings on the right, expand the Advanced tab and enter a name in the ‘HTML Anchor’ field (e.g., section-name).

You can then link to it using #section-name.

For more information, check out our guide on how to easily add anchor links in WordPress.

How to Add Social Media Share Links in WordPress

Do you want to include social share links or buttons on your website?

These links allow your users to easily share your content on their preferred social media platforms. Social share links or buttons often display the total number of shares as well.

We recommend using a social share plugin instead of manually adding links. Check out our detailed guide on how to add social share buttons in WordPress.

Common Questions About Adding Links in WordPress

Here are some frequently asked questions from our readers regarding adding links in WordPress:

What distinguishes an internal link from an external link?

An internal link directs users to another page or post within the same website, while an external link leads to a page on a different website.

Internal linking enhances SEO and improves user navigation, whereas external links are useful for referencing sources or suggesting additional resources.

Should all external links open in a new tab?

It is generally advisable for external links to open in a new tab.

This practice keeps visitors on your site, allowing them to continue exploring your content after viewing the external resource.

To learn how to set this up, follow our tutorial on opening external links in a new window or tab using WordPress.

What is the ideal number of internal links for a blog post?

There isn’t a specific number of internal links to aim for. The key is to include links that are beneficial and relevant to your audience.

A helpful guideline is to incorporate 3 to 5 internal links for every 1,000 words of content, but always focus on enhancing the user experience rather than meeting a set target.

What is a ‘nofollow’ link?

A ‘nofollow’ link includes a unique HTML attribute that instructs search engines not to transfer any SEO authority to the linked page.

This type of link is commonly used for affiliate links, sponsored content, or links to websites you do not fully endorse. For further details, check out our comprehensive guide on adding nofollow links in WordPress.

We hope this article has helped you understand how to add links in WordPress. You might also be interested in our beginner’s guide on changing the ‘Add Title’ placeholder text in WordPress and our expert advice on using shortcodes in WordPress.

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