With any type of project or presentation, it's often helpful to include links to resources or citations. It's easy to do this with Microsoft Powerpoint or Word, for example. But what about with our favorite image editing programs?

Adding hyperlinks in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator isn't as simple as selecting text or right-clicking an image, but there are other ways to do it with Adobe’s native tools. If you need to add a hyperlink to some text, an image, or any other object in Photoshop or Illustrator, you'll need to get creative.

The easiest way to add a link in Photoshop is by using the Slice tool. The Slice tool allows you to set a URL to part of an image, rather than a text link. This means you will have to save and share your document as an HTML file. Adding a hyperlink in Photoshop is perfect when designing for the web (you’ll need to use Illustrator to add hyperlinks to PDFs).

Step 1: Open Your Photoshop File

Photoshop with social page of web design.

Open your file in Photoshop and decide where to add a hyperlink; it’s best to add a hyperlink over a text or image button such as “Book Now” or a social media icon. You can follow this technique whether your entire image is flattened or uses layers in your design.

Step 2: Use the Slice Tool

Slice Tool in Photoshop.

To find the Slice tool, select and hold the Crop tool on the toolbar to open the other available tools; the Slice tool has a knife icon. To save time, you can also use the Photoshop keyboard shortcut C.

Sliced areas in Photoshop tool with Slice menu open.

Use the Slice tool just as you would use the Selection tool. Draw a bounding box around each part of the image to which you want to add the hyperlink. Be specific with the area you add the boxes to.

Step 3: Add Your URL

Photoshop Slice Options menu.

Right-click your newly inserted slice and select Edit Slice Options. In the dialog box that appears, insert your link in the URL field. If you want the link to open in a new window, type _blank into the Target text field. Add descriptive text in the Alt Tag field, then select OK. Alt text is important to include to make your designs more accessible.

Step 4: Save Your File

Photoshop Save For Web menu.

To save your file, select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the dialog box, leave everything as default except Preset. Choose any of the JPG or PNG options and select Save.

Photoshop save for HTML image menu.

Type in your file name. Then select the Format dropdown and select HTML and Images. Select Save, and you're done. You can open your file as an HTML image or as the different sliced images you’ve created.

While it serves a different purpose than a hyperlink, you can also use creative workarounds to add QR codes to your Photoshop projects.

While Adobe Illustrator offers a Slice tool hidden within the toolbar, the process of slicing in Illustrator is different from Photoshop, and does not allow you to save the sliced images as HTML. This means you cannot integrate a hyperlink using Illustrator’s Slice tool without coding it yourself in the web development process afterward.

The good news is that if you’re creating an interactive PDF, you can easily add a hyperlink using Illustrator. This technique uses a workaround that involves "hiding" a hyperlink in your Illustrator design, letting you click on an object that activates the link.

Step 1: Open or Design an Illustrator File

Image open in Adobe Illustrator with a QR code on it.

The obvious first step to adding a hyperlink in Illustrator is to design your file in Illustrator. This process will result in an interactive PDF, so it might not be appropriate for all design types.

Decide on the areas you’d like to hyperlink; these might be logos, contact information, or links to web pages.

Step 2: Add the URL

Adobe Illustrator layers panel with one locked layer.

First, on the layers panel, lock your design layer(s) by selecting the padlock next to the eye icon. Then add a new layer above the others by clicking + on the layers panel. This layer will hold your hyperlinks. This part is optional, but it helps with organization.

Text tool in Adobe Illustrator. Text is URL links.

Select the Text tool (T) and click on your artboard—rather than drawing a text box by dragging your cursor—to make placeholder text appear. Paste the full URL, including http://, replacing the placeholder text. Add all the links you want to.

Stretched hyperlinks on Illustrator file.

Since the hyperlinks are going to be hidden from view, stretch or manipulate the text to cover the entire area you’re linking to. Change the text color, so you can visualize the placement better. Stretching text isn't a typical technique for editing typography in Illustrator since it isn’t very aesthetic—good thing it will be hidden.

Colored and stretched URLs on Illustrator document.

Use the Selection tool (V) to resize your text to cover the entire area where someone would click for a hyperlink.

There are two ways to hide the hyperlinks and both work with equal success.

Adobe Illustrator opacity slider.

With your text hyperlinks on their own layer above your design layer, turn the opacity for your layer to 0% once everything is set into place. You can do this by selecting everything on the layer—since your design layer is locked—and hitting Cmd + A (Mac) or Ctrl + A (Windows).

Reverse layers on Adobe Illustrator.

Then go to Window > Properties and turn down the Opacity slider until it hits 0%. Your hyperlinks have all but disappeared. You’ll still see the outlines of text boxes if you run your cursor over them, so you know they’re still in place.

The other technique is by sending your hyperlinks behind your design elements. If your hyperlinks are on a separate layer, you can change the layer order in the layers panel. Moving your hyperlinks to the bottom layer means they’re still there but will be covered by any design elements.

Adobe Illustrator Send to Back options.

If you didn’t place your hyperlinks on their own layer, it’s easy to place the links behind the objects by right-clicking the hyperlink and selecting Arrange > Send to Back.

Step 5: Save Your File

Save as PDF on Mac.

Go to File > Save As. In the next window, name your file. For your file format, select PDF. Make sure it’s not a print PDF, and you’re good to go.

Interactive PDF open in Adobe Acrobat.

You can save your Illustrator files in other formats too, but for interactive hyperlinks, it needs to be a digital PDF. Once saved, open your PDF and click around to open your hyperlinks.

If your design needs to be printed, consider creating a QR code with Adobe InDesign and Illustrator.

Whether it’s for web design, digital newsletters, or presentations, using hyperlinks in Illustrator and Photoshop elevates your multimedia projects to a completely new level. Hyperlinks in Illustrator and Photoshop are interactive and allow you to take your audience on the journey of a lifetime (or even just to a relevant Wikipedia page).