Insert Links Into an Email 🎬

Last updated
20230818

Article type
Step-by-step

Applies to
Starter, Business, Pro-Marketer

Special contents
Video 

Video

Details

Adding links to an email allows you to take a recipient to an external web page such as your company website, to take the recipient to a registration or survey form, and to allow the recipient to download a document such as a product brochure - just to name a few.

How-to Guide

This article contains a number of guides for various related topics. Click below to jump ahead to a particular guide. 

• Linking Text, or an Image, Inside a Paragraph Component
• Linking to the Online Version of Your Email
• Linking to a Document (this goes to a separate article)
• Linking to a Form
• Linking to a Phone Number (this goes to a separate article)
• Linking to an Email Address
• Linking to an Add to Calendar file
• Linking an Image Attached to a Paragraph Component
• Linking the Call to Action Attached to a Paragraph Component
• Linking to a Video (this goes to a separate article)
• The Web Links Component
• Adding a Link to Like (Facebook), Tweet (Twitter) or Share (LinkedIn) Your Email
• Add Social Media Icons Into Your Email (this goes to a separate article)
• Disable Tracking on Email Links (this goes to a separate article)
• Embed a ‘Share via Email’ Link Into an Email (this goes to a separate article)

Linking Text, or an Image, Inside a Paragraph Component

These types of links would be used if you wish to add a link in the body of your text or if you wish to insert a button in the text area.

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Highlight the text or image that you would like to use for your link. If highlighting an image like a 'learn more' button, just click it once to highlight it blue.
4. When the item is highlighted, click the world / chain (insert link) icon from the floating toolbar.
   
5. From here, you can select from the left which type of link you want to insert. You can then choose the details of the link and click Insert Link.
   

Linking to the Online Version of Your Email

If you wish to provide a means for your readers to view your message online, it is as easy as adding the View Online component from the Content tab to your message (if it is not already there by default). By adding the component it will automatically link to the online version of the message.

If you would prefer to customise your own view online link, you can by following these simple instructions:

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Add a Text component to your message in the position required.
4. Type in the custom text you wish to use eg. "Having troubles viewing this email? Please click here to view online".
5. Highlight the text you wish linked.
6. Click the Link icon on the floating toolbar.
7. Select to Link to the View Email Online option from the drop down list.
8. Click Open in a new window.
9. Click Insert Link.
   

Linking to a Form

There are many things that you can do with a form and in some cases you might like to send an email out that has a link to a form. Some examples of the types of forms you can create in the system and link inside of your email messages are listed below:

• Subscribe Forms
• Unsubscribe Forms
• Update Profile Forms
• Preferences Forms
• Survey Forms
• RSVP Forms

Let's take a look...

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Type in the text you want linked or add the button / image you want linked.
4. Highlight the item to link.
5. Click the link icon on the floating toolbar. A new window will open.
6. Select Web Forms on the left.
7. Using the drop down selection for Link To select the type of form you wish to link to.
   
   You can choose from:
   
   • Form for the Subscribe Form option
   • Update Profile Form
   • Unsubscribe Form
   • Confirm Subscription Page (for Double Opt-in process)
8. Using the drop down selection for List select the list that you created this form in (usually the same list as you are sending the email to).
9. Using the drop down selection for Form Style select the form you created.
10. Give this link a Name so it is easily identifiable in your Reports.
11. Click Open in a new window if you do not want the reader to navigate away from the email when they click the link.
12. Click Insert link and then Save your changes to the email message.

When sending a test email that contains a link to a form, 'Update Profile' & 'Update Preferences' forms will ask you to login first - even if you've disabled the login option. This is because the test process sends a generic version of the email - it does not send the email as if it were being sent to a particular contact. If you need to test form links to see the experience your contacts will get, please add yourself to the list as a contact and then use the Send function to send the email just to yourself.

Linking to an Email Address

A mailto link is a link in your message that once clicked takes the recipient straight through to the email client on their computer / device so that they can send an email through to that email address.

Although these types of links do not have very good compatibility across email clients and do not provide any tracking or reporting statistics, these links are still commonly used in many email messages.

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Insert the button, image or text you'd like to have linked and select the option to add a link. If you're linking text, highlight it and click the world / chain (insert link) icon on the toolbar. If you're linking an image or button, select the Add Link option in the settings panel to the right.
4. In the Insert Link window, set the Link To drop down option to Email Address.
5. In the Email Address field type in the address you wish to send the email to.
6. In the Optional Subject field, type in the subject you want the message to send with.
7. Give the link a name.
8. Click Insert Link.
   

Linking to an Add to Calendar file

Using an 'Add to Calendar' link is a fantastic way to allow your recipients to add a reminder for your event, meeting or other time-critical appointment into their calendar.

We support several data sources for Add to Calendar links;

• Custom Event Settings: Allows you to add a custom event name, description, location and start date/time, plus end date/time.
• A Date Field In Your List: Use date & time data that you have set within a date field on your list - which, of course, would allow for the possibility of different dates & times for each of your contacts. This option also allows you to add a custom event name, description, location and event duration (if not using an date/time field for the end of the event).
• An Eventbrite Event: Allows you to use the date & time details attached to an event synchronised into our platform via the Eventbrite integration.
• An Event: Allows you to use the date & time details attached to an event setup in our platform.

Let's take a look...

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Insert the button, image or text you'd like to have linked to the Add to Calendar file and select the option to add a link. If you're linking text, highlight it and click the world / chain (insert link) icon on the toolbar. If you're linking an image or button, select the Add Link option in the settings panel to the right.
4. In the Insert Link window, select the Add To Calendar option on the left.
5. Set the Link To drop down option to your desired type (the various specifics of each are outlined above).
   
6. Complete the various fields as required.
7. When done, click Insert Link.

When your recipient receives your email and clicks the link, they'll be asked what calendar type they're using (Apple, Gmail, Outlook or Other), where they can then have the event imported into their calendar of choice.

Here's an example of what the calendar event above would look like in Google Calendar:

Linking an Image Attached to a Paragraph Component

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Click once onto the Image component containing the image - this will open up the settings on the right for this component.
4. Click the link icon beside the image settings - this will open up a new window.
5. From here you can link to an external webpage, an email message, an email address, an uploaded file or image, the view online version of your message, or a form.
   

Linking the Call to Action Attached to a Paragraph Component

If the email message you are creating has a lot of content, it can become overwhelming to your readers.

By adding in Read More Links or Call to Action Links, you can add a snippet of your newsletter article to your message and link to the bulk of the content hosted in another location. Your reader would then read the snippet of the article you provide and if they find it of value / interest to them, they will click the link and be redirected to the additional content.

Like all links when clicked you will receive reporting on who clicked to read more on the particular topic which may come in handy if you wish to personalise the content of your messages to your readers to only display content that may be of interest to them.

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Click once onto the Paragraph component you want to add this to - this will open up the settings on the right.
4. Find the Call to Action panel on the right and switch to ON.
   
5. Click Select Link - a new window will open up. From here you can set what you wish to link to.
6. After you have added a link into this location you can then format this as required.
   

If you wish to turn off the Call to Action link, simply move the switch to OFF in the call to action panel on the right.

The Web Links Component

The weblinks component allows you to add some navigational links (or any type of link) to your email messages. The weblinks component is traditionally added above or below your header in your email message. 

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Drag a weblinks component onto your message from the Content section of the message editor.
4. Select the component and the settings will open up on the right of the screen.
5. Click the Link icon to the right of the link name to insert the link.
6. Then click once over the link name and you will be able to type in your own custom link name.

Adding a Link to Like (Facebook), Tweet (Twitter) or Share (LinkedIn) Your Email

You can add social links within your message to allow your recipients to share the message on their own social accounts.

1. Select Messages from the sidebar.
2. Open your email message for editing.
3. Place your cursor in your message, where you would like the social icon to appear.
4. Click the world / chain (insert link) icon from the floating toolbar.
5. Choose Social Sharing from the left of the window.
6. Select the type of social icon (e.g. Facebook).
7. Select the icon you would like to use.
8. Click Insert Link.
   

Looking to insert various social media icons into your email? See Add Social Media Icons to an Email.